Board Foot Calculator
Price a lumber order the way the lumberyard does. List each board’s thickness, width, length and quantity (or pick a standard size), enter the price per board foot, and get board feet per piece, the total for the order and the cost. Works for rough hardwood in quarters as well as framing lumber.
Size / presetThick (in)Wide (in)Long (ft)Qty
Total board feet
120
10 cubic feet of lumber
Cost at $3.50/bf
$420
Boards
14
| Board | bf each | Qty | Board feet | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 × 6 × 8 ft | 8 | 10 | 80 | $280 |
| 1 × 12 × 10 ft | 10 | 4 | 40 | $140 |
📌 Board feet = thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 12. By convention hardwood is measured on nominal (rough) thickness in quarters (4/4 = 1 in, 8/4 = 2 in) and actual width; dimensional softwood such as a 2 × 4 is quoted by nominal size (actual 1½ × 3½ in).
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Board feet chart for common sizes
| Nominal size | 6 ft | 8 ft | 10 ft | 12 ft | 16 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 × 4 | 2 | 2.67 | 3.33 | 4 | 5.33 |
| 1 × 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| 1 × 8 | 4 | 5.33 | 6.67 | 8 | 10.67 |
| 1 × 12 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 16 |
| 2 × 4 | 4 | 5.33 | 6.67 | 8 | 10.67 |
| 2 × 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 16 |
| 2 × 8 | 8 | 10.67 | 13.33 | 16 | 21.33 |
| 2 × 10 | 10 | 13.33 | 16.67 | 20 | 26.67 |
| 2 × 12 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 32 |
| 4 × 4 | 8 | 10.67 | 13.33 | 16 | 21.33 |
| 6 × 6 | 18 | 24 | 30 | 36 | 48 |
Board feet, nominal dimensions. A 1 × 12 is exactly one board foot per foot of length, which is a handy mental check.
Worked example
Ten 2 × 6 × 8 ft joists: 2 × 6 × 8 ÷ 12 = 8 bf each, 80 bf in total. Four 1 × 12 × 10 ft shelf boards: 10 bf each, 40 bf. The order is 120 board feet; at $3.50 per bf that is $420. For rough hardwood, count 8/4 stock as 2 inches thick even if it finishes at 1¾: the mill charges for what it sawed, not what is left after planing.
Building a deck? The decking calculator counts boards and screws; the fence calculator does posts, rails and pickets.
Frequently asked questions
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