Board Foot Calculator
Enter the lumber size and quantity to get total board feet and what the order will cost.
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What is a board foot?
A board foot is a volume of wood 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide and 12 inches long (144 cubic inches). Board feet = thickness (in) x width (in) x length (ft) / 12.
Hardwood is usually sold by the board foot using nominal rough thickness (4/4 = 1 in, 8/4 = 2 in). Dimensional softwood like 2x4s is normally priced per piece or per linear foot.
Questions
How many board feet in a 2x4x8?
2 x 4 x 8 / 12 = 5.33 board feet (using nominal size).
How do I calculate the cost of lumber by the board foot?
Multiply total board feet by the price per board foot. 20 boards of 2x6x8 at $1.50 per board foot is 160 board feet, or $240.
Do I use actual or nominal dimensions?
Lumber yards almost always use nominal dimensions for board-foot pricing, so a 2x6 counts as 2 x 6 inches.