Board Foot Calculator
Professional lumber calculation tool
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Board Foot Calculator
Calculate lumber volume and costs instantly. Perfect for woodworkers, contractors, and lumber professionals.
What is a board foot?
A board foot is a standard unit of measurement for lumber volume in the United States. One board foot is equal to a piece of wood that measures 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches long (1" × 12" × 12").
This measurement helps standardize lumber pricing and inventory management across the industry.
How to calculate board feet?
Board Feet = (Thickness × Width × Length × Pieces) ÷ 144
*All dimensions must be in inches
Simply multiply the thickness, width, and length of your lumber (all in inches), multiply by the number of pieces, then divide by 144.
Using the lumber calculator: an example
Example: 2×4×8 lumber
- • Thickness: 1.5 inches (actual size of 2×4)
- • Width: 3.5 inches (actual size of 2×4)
- • Length: 96 inches (8 feet)
- • Pieces: 5
Calculation: (1.5 × 3.5 × 96 × 5) ÷ 144 = 17.5 board feet
Common lumber sizes
Nominal vs Actual
- 2×4 = 1.5" × 3.5"
- 2×6 = 1.5" × 5.5"
- 2×8 = 1.5" × 7.25"
- 2×10 = 1.5" × 9.25"
Common Lengths
- 8 feet (96 inches)
- 10 feet (120 inches)
- 12 feet (144 inches)
- 16 feet (192 inches)
Units and measurements
Our calculator supports multiple units for convenience:
- • Inches (in) - Standard US measurement
- • Feet (ft) - For larger dimensions
- • Feet + Inches - Mixed measurements (e.g., 8' 6")
- • Millimeters (mm) - Metric precision
- • Centimeters (cm) - Metric convenience
- • Meters (m) - Large metric measurements
Lumber pricing guide
Lumber is typically priced per board foot. Use our calculator's pricing feature to:
- • Calculate total project costs
- • Compare prices between suppliers
- • Estimate material budgets
- • Factor in waste and extra materials