Board Foot Calculator – Board Feet of Lumber and Cost

Hardwood and rough lumber are sold by the board foot: a piece 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide and 1 foot long. Enter the thickness, width, length and number of boards to get the total board feet and cost.

Board feet	53.33
Cubic feet	4.44
Linear feet	80

Board feet use the nominal thickness for rough lumber — a “4/4” board counts as 1 inch, “8/4” as 2 inches.

Good to know

Board feet = thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 12.
A 2 × 4 × 8 ft stud is 5.33 board feet.
Quarter sizes: 4/4 = 1 in, 5/4 = 1.25 in, 8/4 = 2 in.
Buy 15–20% extra hardwood for defects and cutting.

Board feet per piece by nominal size and length

Nominal size	8 ft	10 ft	12 ft	16 ft
1 × 4	2.67	3.33	4	5.33
1 × 6	4	5	6	8
2 × 4	5.33	6.67	8	10.67
2 × 6	8	10	12	16
2 × 8	10.67	13.33	16	21.33
2 × 10	13.33	16.67	20	26.67
2 × 12	16	20	24	32
4 × 4	10.67	13.33	16	21.33

Lumber yards calculate board feet from nominal size (a 2 × 4 counts as 2 × 4 inches, not its actual 1.5 × 3.5).

How to use this calculator

Enter the thickness and width in inches, the length in feet, and how many pieces.
Add a row for each different board size.
Enter a price per board foot to estimate the cost.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate board feet?

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

Is a board foot the same as a linear foot?

No. A linear foot is just length. A board foot is a volume (144 cubic inches), so wider and thicker boards have more board feet per linear foot.