BoardsCalc Β· Lumber math

Board Foot Calculator

Measure a board, type it in β€” fractions welcome (3/4, 1 1/2). Get board feet and cost instantly, then stack up a cut list and print it for the yard.

One board

Fractions work in any field: 3/4 Β· 1 1/2 Β· 1-1/2. Use rough (nominal) sizes.

Board feet
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Per board
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Cost
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Lumber math, straight

The board foot formula
board feet = thickness (in) Γ— width (in) Γ— length (ft) Γ· 12
…or with length in inches: T Γ— W Γ— L Γ· 144

One board foot is 144 cubic inches of rough lumber β€” a 1β€³ Γ— 12β€³ Γ— 12β€³ piece. It's a volume, not an area, which is why a 2β€³-thick board costs twice the footage of a 1β€³ board of the same face size.

4/4, 5/4, 8/4 β€” the quarters system

Hardwood thickness is quoted in quarter-inches at the sawmill: 4/4 ("four-quarter") = 1β€³, 5/4 = 1ΒΌβ€³, 6/4 = 1Β½β€³, 8/4 = 2β€³, 12/4 = 3β€³. The chips under the thickness field enter these for you. Footage is always charged on this rough thickness, even though a surfaced 4/4 board actually measures about 13/16β€³.

Why add waste?

Knots, checks, snipe, and cut-offs mean you never use 100% of a board. Furniture makers typically buy 15–30% extra; simple shelving might need 10%. The waste field on the cut list scales your total footage and cost so the number you take to the yard is the number you actually need.

Board feet ↔ cubic meters

1 mΒ³ β‰ˆ 423.78 board feet (1 BF = 0.00236 mΒ³). Flip the unit toggle to enter dimensions in centimeters β€” the calculator shows both units either way, handy for imported and European-spec stock.

Is anything I type uploaded?

No. The whole calculator runs in your browser. Your project list lives on this page only and is gone when you close it β€” print or copy it to keep it.

BoardsCalc β€” cut list

Cut list

Nothing yet β€” add boards from the left.
Your boards will stack up here.