Daily Figures Edition No Sign-Up • No Tracking • Free Forever Vol. XII — No. 204
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Construction — Lumber

Board Foot Calculator

Enter thickness, width, length and quantity to get the total board feet of lumber — with an optional cost.

Filed by The Statistics Desk  |  Method: T(in) × W(in) × L(ft) ÷ 12
Board feet
—
Total across all boards.
Estimate
Board feet each—
Boards—
Estimated cost—
Show our math
Enter your figures above to see the step-by-step working.
An estimate — use nominal sizes for pricing hardwoodEverything computed client-side — nothing leaves this page

How the Board Foot Calculator Works

A board foot is a unit of lumber volume: 144 cubic inches, or a piece one inch thick, twelve inches wide and one foot long. The calculator multiplies thickness (inches) by width (inches) by length (feet) and divides by twelve, then multiplies by how many boards you have.

Use the board’s nominal thickness and width as sold. Hardwood is usually priced per board foot, so entering a price gives you the total lumber cost for the job.

board feet = thickness(in) × width(in) × length(ft) ÷ 12 × quantity

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a board foot?

A board foot is 144 cubic inches of lumber — the volume of a board 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide and 1 foot long. It is the standard way hardwood is measured and priced.

How do I calculate board feet?

Multiply thickness in inches by width in inches by length in feet, then divide by 12. A 1×6 board that is 8 feet long is (1 × 6 × 8) ÷ 12 = 4 board feet.

Should I use nominal or actual dimensions?

Lumber is normally sold and priced by its nominal size (what a 1×6 is called), so use those figures for costing. Actual planed dimensions are slightly smaller and matter more for fitting than for buying.

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