Board Feet Calculator
in
in
in
$
Total Board Feet40 BF
Board Feet (Each)8 BF
Total Cost$180.00
A board foot is the standard volume unit hardwood lumber is priced in: one square foot of wood that is one inch thick. This calculator converts a board’s thickness, width, and length in inches into board feet, multiplies by how many boards you are buying, and applies a price per board foot to estimate the total lumber cost for a project.
Formula
BF (each) = (T × W × L) / 144; total BF = BF × qty; cost = total BF × price
- T
- Board thickness in inches
- W
- Board width in inches
- L
- Board length in inches
- qty
- Number of identical boards
- price
- Price per board foot in dollars
How it works
- Enter the rough thickness, width, and length of a single board in inches, along with how many identical boards you need.
- The calculator multiplies thickness by width by length and divides by 144 to get the board feet in one board, then multiplies by the quantity for the total.
- Enter a price per board foot and the calculator returns the total lumber cost; leave it at zero if you only want the volume.
Worked example
Five rough 8/4 walnut boards, each 2 in thick, 6 in wide, and 96 in long, at $4.50 per board foot.
- Board feet each = (2 × 6 × 96) ÷ 144 = 1152 ÷ 144 = 8 BF.
- Total board feet = 8 × 5 = 40 BF.
- Total cost = 40 × $4.50 = $180.00.
8 board feet per board, 40 board feet total, costing $180.00.
Frequently asked questions
- What exactly is a board foot?
- A board foot is a volume equal to a piece of wood 12 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 1 inch thick, or 144 cubic inches. It is the unit hardwood is sold by, independent of the board’s actual shape.
- Do I use nominal or actual lumber dimensions?
- For hardwood sold by the board foot, use the rough (pre-surfaced) thickness such as 4/4 (1 in) or 8/4 (2 in) and the actual width and length, because that is what suppliers charge for.
- Why divide by 144?
- There are 144 cubic inches in one board foot. Multiplying thickness, width, and length gives cubic inches, so dividing by 144 converts that volume into board feet.
- How is the lumber cost calculated?
- The calculator multiplies the total board feet across all your boards by the price per board foot you enter. Set the price to zero if you only need the board-foot volume.