Board foot calculator
Hardwood yards and many softwood tallies still speak board feet. One board foot is 144 cubic inches of nominal volume — thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 12. Enter T, W, L and piece count. Read bf per piece and total. This is not a flooring box calculator and not a deck-board piece count (those care about face coverage, not bf).
+0% so you don't come up short
Estimate only — not a contractor bid. Confirm bag yields and local codes before you pour or order.
When to use
Ordering hardwood for furniture or trim; comparing a mill tally to your cut list; converting a project cut list into a bf budget before you drive to the yard.
When not to
Dimensional stud shopping by the piece at a big-box (just count studs). Flooring sold by carton sq ft → flooring calculator. Pressure-treated deck boards by face inches → deck board calculator.
Assumptions
Standard bf = T(in) × W(in) × L(ft) ÷ 12 using the sizes you enter (nominal vs surfaced — enter what the yard invoices). No automatic kerf/waste unless you add a waste %. No species pricing.
Worked examples
Example 1
1×6×8 ft, 10 pieces
→ (1×6×8)/12 = 4 bf each → 40 bf
Surfaced 3/4" stock invoiced as 1" still follows the yard’s rule — ask.
Example 2
8/4 (2" thick) × 8" × 10 ft, 4 boards
→ (2×8×10)/12 = 13.33 bf each → ~53.3 bf
Quartersawn vs plain does not change bf; it changes price.
How it calculates
Thickness × width × length ÷ 12, times piece count.
- Enter thickness and width in inches, length in feet.
- Enter piece count; optional waste for defects.
- Read bf each, total, and order bf.
bf_each = T × W × L ÷ 12 bf_total = bf_each × count optional: order_bf = bf_total × (1 + waste%)
Common traps
- Nominal vs actual — know what the invoice uses.
- Length in feet — entering 96 instead of 8 multiplies chaos.
- Waste for defects — bf math is clean; boards with wane are not.
- Pricing — bf × $/bf is on you; we do not scrape lumber futures.
Next tool
Project piece list with studs/joists → lumber calculator.
Deck face coverage → deck board calculator.
FAQ
Thickness(in) × width(in) × length(ft) ÷ 12.
Related
Estimate only — not a contractor bid or engineered takeoff. Confirm bag yields and local codes before you pour or order.