Skip to content
Generated on: July 20, 2026 at 09:33 PM

Board Foot Calculator

Inputs

Thickness2.5 cm
Width15 cm
Length2.4 m
Number of boards1
Price per board foot0 $

Board footage is based on the dimensions you enter and the standard 144-cubic-inch definition. Yards may round, charge by nominal size, or add fees for surfacing and selection, so the cost estimate is a planning guide rather than a final quote.

Generated with OneCalc · https://onecalc.app/en/lifestyle/board-foot

Lifestyle

Board Foot Calculator

Calculate the board footage of lumber from its thickness, width, and length, then estimate the cost from a price per board foot. A board foot is 144 cubic inches — a piece 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches long.

Inputs

≥ 0.01 cm
≥ 0.01 cm
≥ 0 m
≥ 1
$

Results

Enter a value to see results.

Board Foot Breakdown

\begin{aligned} B &= \frac{T_{in} \times W_{in} \times L_{in}}{144} \times n \\ &= ? \end{aligned}

1 board(s) measuring 2.5 cm × 15 cm × 2.4 m contain ... board feet.

Embed this calculator

Preview

Paste this code into your page to show the calculator.

Share this calculation

Anyone who opens this link sees your values already filled in.

Board Foot

A board foot is the standard volume unit for hardwood lumber in North America. One board foot equals 144 cubic inches of wood — for example a piece 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches long. Because it measures volume rather than face area, a board foot stays the same whether a board is cut thick and narrow or thin and wide.

The board-foot formula

Multiply thickness, width, and length in inches and divide by 144. When the length is given in feet, an equivalent shortcut divides by 12 instead, since 144 ÷ 12 = 12:

board feet=Tin×Win×Lin144=Tin×Win×Lft12\text{board feet} = \frac{T_{in} \times W_{in} \times L_{in}}{144} = \frac{T_{in} \times W_{in} \times L_{ft}}{12}

Multiply the result by the number of boards to get the total.

Worked example

Suppose you are pricing eight rough-sawn red oak boards, each 1 inch thick, 6 inches wide, and 8 feet longabout 2.5 cm thick, 15 cm wide, and 2.4 m long:

board feet (each)=1×6×96144=4.00total board feet=4.00×8=32.00\begin{aligned} \text{board feet (each)} &= \frac{1 \times 6 \times 96}{144} = 4.00 \\ \text{total board feet} &= 4.00 \times 8 = 32.00 \end{aligned}

If the yard charges 5.50 per board foot, the cost is:

cost=32.00×5.50=176.00\text{cost} = 32.00 \times 5.50 = 176.00

So eight boards work out to 32 board feet and roughly 176 in lumber before any surfacing fees.

Nominal versus actual thickness

Lumber is often sold by a nominal size that differs from what you measure with a tape.

Rough-sawn hardwood is quoted in quarters of an inch: 4/4 ("four-quarter") means a nominal 1 inch, 6/4 means 1.5 inches, and 8/4 means 2 inches. The yard charges by the nominal thickness even though a surfaced board finishes slightly thinner. Use the nominal figure when pricing rough hardwood.

Softwood dimensional lumber works differently. A "2×4" is named by its nominal size but actually measures about 1.5 × 3.5 inches once dried and planed. If you are pricing planed softwood by the board foot, measure the real dimensions instead of the name on the tag.

Buying hardwood by the board foot

Quoted board-foot prices usually apply to rough lumber. Surfacing on two sides (S2S), straight-line ripping, and selecting boards for colour or figure can each add to the final price. A common species such as poplar or red oak sits at the lower end of the range, while figured or imported species like walnut or quartersawn white oak cost several times more.

Treat a board-foot estimate as a baseline. Yards may round up, charge a minimum, or add handling fees, so the calculated cost is a planning figure rather than a final invoice.

For other volume- and quantity-based material estimates, see the related calculators below, including the Firewood Cord Calculator for stacked wood.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a board foot?

A board foot is the standard volume unit for hardwood lumber in North America. It equals 144 cubic inches — for example a piece 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches long, or 1 inch thick, 6 inches wide, and 24 inches long.

Because it measures volume rather than surface area, a board foot stays the same whether the wood is cut thick and narrow or thin and wide. The formula is thickness (in) × width (in) × length (in) ÷ 144.

Should I use nominal or actual thickness?

Use the thickness the lumber is sold and priced at. Rough-sawn hardwood is quoted in quarters of an inch — 4/4 means a nominal 1 inch, 8/4 means 2 inches — and the yard charges by the nominal size even though surfaced boards finish a little thinner.

Softwood dimensional lumber (such as a 2×4) is named by nominal size but actually measures about 1.5 × 3.5 inches once dried and planed. If you are pricing planed softwood, measure the real dimensions; if you are buying rough hardwood, use the nominal figures.

How do I price hardwood by the board foot?

First work out the total board feet for your boards, then multiply by the yard’s price per board foot. A common species like red oak might be quoted at one rate, while a premium species like walnut costs several times more.

Keep in mind that quoted prices usually apply to rough lumber. Surfacing, straight-line ripping, and selecting for figure or colour can add to the final price, so treat a board-foot estimate as a baseline rather than the final invoice.

Disclaimer

Board footage is based on the dimensions you enter and the standard 144-cubic-inch definition. Yards may round, charge by nominal size, or add fees for surfacing and selection, so the cost estimate is a planning guide rather than a final quote.

Recommended Next

Firewood Cord Calculator

Calculate how many full cords and face cords are in a firewood stack by entering the stack dimensions. One full cord equals a 4 × 4 × 8 ft stack of 128 cubic feet.

 Learn more
Mulch & Garden Soil Calculator

Calculate the volume of mulch or garden soil needed to cover a bed at a chosen depth, in cubic yards, cubic feet, or m³, and the number of bags to buy.

 Learn more
Concrete Volume Calculator

Calculate how much concrete you need for a slab. Enter dimensions and waste factor to get the total volume and the number of 40 kg or 25 kg bags.

 Learn more

200+ calculators · 10 languages · 100% free

Was this calculator helpful?

No

How can we improve this calculator?
Powered by OneCalc ↗