BYTETOOLS

Board Foot Calculator

Calculate board feet for a whole lumber cut list from thickness, width and length, with quantities, a cubic-metre equivalent and cost per board foot.

Cut list — thickness × width in in, length in ft

48.000 bf
32.000 bf
10
Total pieces
80.000
Total board feet
0.1888
Volume (m³)
$480.00
Estimated cost

One board foot is 144 cubic inches, so board feet = thickness × width × length (all in inches) ÷ 144 — a 2 × 6 × 12 ft board is exactly 12 board feet. Softwood is normally priced on nominal dimensions (a "2×4" measures 1½ × 3½ in), while hardwood is priced on rough sawn thickness in quarters (4/4 = 1 in). One board foot equals 0.0023597 m³. No waste allowance is added here — add your own for offcuts and defects.

What is the Board Foot Calculator?

The ByteTools Board Foot Calculator prices a lumber order. A board foot is 144 cubic inches, so board feet equal thickness times width times length in inches divided by 144 — a 2 × 6 × 12 ft board is exactly 12 board feet.

  • Full cut list with per-row and total board feet
  • Quantities per row and a running cost at your price per board foot
  • Lengths in feet, inches, metres or millimetres
  • Cubic-metre equivalent for metric suppliers
  • One-click copy of the whole cut list
  • Everything computed locally, nothing uploaded

How to use the Board Foot Calculator

  1. 1

    Choose imperial or metric and say whether lengths are entered in feet, inches, metres or millimetres.

  2. 2

    Enter your price per board foot.

  3. 3

    Add a row for each piece with a description, quantity, thickness, width and length.

  4. 4

    Read the board feet for each row, the total, the cubic-metre equivalent and the cost.

  5. 5

    Copy the cut list to take to the lumberyard.

About the Board Foot Calculator

The ByteTools Board Foot Calculator prices a lumber order. A board foot is 144 cubic inches, so board feet equal thickness times width times length in inches divided by 144 — a 2 × 6 × 12 ft board is exactly 12 board feet. Enter your whole cut list and each row shows its own board-foot figure alongside a running total.

It works in imperial or metric, accepts lengths in feet, inches, metres or millimetres, converts the total to cubic metres, and multiplies by your price per board foot so you can compare quotes. The cut list can be copied out as text for a lumberyard order.

Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is uploaded. Softwood is normally priced on nominal sizes while hardwood is priced on rough sawn thickness in quarters, so match your entries to the basis your supplier quotes on. No waste allowance is added, which keeps the total honest — add your own margin for defects and offcuts.

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate board feet?

Multiply thickness by width by length with all three in inches, then divide by 144. If the length is in feet, divide by 12 instead. A 2-inch by 6-inch board that is 12 feet long is 2 × 6 × 12 ÷ 12 = 12 board feet.

Do I use nominal or actual dimensions for board feet?

Softwood construction lumber is sold and priced on nominal sizes, so a 2×4 is counted as 2 by 4 even though it measures 1½ by 3½ inches. Hardwood is priced on rough sawn thickness in quarters — 4/4 is one inch — and on actual width. Ask your supplier which basis they quote.

How many board feet are in a cubic metre?

One board foot is 0.0023597 cubic metres, so a cubic metre holds about 424 board feet. This calculator shows the cubic-metre equivalent of your whole list, which is useful when a supplier quotes in metric.

Is a board foot a measure of volume or area?

Volume. A board foot is 144 cubic inches — the volume of a piece one inch thick, twelve inches wide and one foot long. That is why thickness matters: a 1×12 and a 2×6 of the same length are both one board foot per foot of length.

Should I add extra for waste?

This calculator does not add a waste allowance, so the total is exactly what your cut list measures. Most woodworkers order 15 to 20% more than the finished dimensions to allow for defects, snipe, jointing and the odd mistake — add your own margin on top.

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