Board Foot Calculator
A board foot is a volume of wood 12" × 12" × 1" (144 cubic inches). Hardwood dealers and many lumberyards price by the board foot, so this converts any stack of boards into board feet and dollars.
How this calculator works
- Board feet = thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 12.
- Equivalent form with all dimensions in inches: T × W × L ÷ 144.
- Total = board feet per piece × number of pieces, plus any waste allowance; cost = total × price per board foot.
Board foot questions
How do you calculate board feet?
Multiply thickness in inches by width in inches by length in feet and divide by 12. A 1 in × 6 in × 8 ft board is 1 × 6 × 8 ÷ 12 = 4 board feet.
How many board feet in a 2×4×8?
2 × 4 × 8 ÷ 12 = 5.33 board feet, using nominal dimensions as lumberyards do.
What does 4/4 or 8/4 mean?
Hardwood thickness in quarter inches of rough-sawn lumber: 4/4 is 1 in, 5/4 is 1-1/4 in, 8/4 is 2 in. After surfacing, 4/4 typically ends up about 13/16 in thick.
Board feet vs linear feet?
Linear feet measure length only, whatever the board size. Board feet measure volume, so a 2×12 holds three times the board feet of a 2×4 at the same length.