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Board Foot Calculator

Enter the number of boards, thickness, length, and width, and the calculator will estimate the volume of hardwood lumber in board feet.

No. of pieces:

Thickness:

in ▾

Width:

cm ▾

Length:

m ▾

Price (Optional):

Related

An online board foot calculator helps you quickly estimate the volume of hardwood lumber in various units. While you can measure lumber manually, using this free online tool saves time and ensures accuracy. Scroll down for a complete guide on board feet (BF) calculations.

What Is a Board Foot in Lumber (BF)?

A board foot is a measurement of lumber equal to 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 1 foot long.

board foot

Board Foot Formula

You can calculate the board feet for a single piece or multiple pieces using:

For Length in Feet:

$$ \text{Board Feet} = \frac{T \times W \times L}{12} $$

For Length in Inches:

$$ \text{Board Feet} = \frac{T \times W \times L}{144} $$

Where:

T = Thickness of lumber (in inches)
W = Width of lumber (in inches)
L = Length of lumber (in feet)

Board Foot Units

International System:

$$ 1 \text{FBM} = 0.00236 \, m^3 $$

US Customary Units:

$$ 1 \text{FBM} = \frac{1}{12} ft^3 = 144 in^3 = 2,360 cm^3 $$

Standard Thicknesses of Boards

Board Size	Thickness (inches)
4/4	1
5/4	1.25
6/4	1.5
8/4	2
12/4	3
16/4	4

Estimated Board Feet per Foot of Lumber

Lumber Dimension	Board Foot
1x4	0.334
2x4	0.667
1x6	0.5
2x6	1
1x8	0.667
2x8	1.334
1x10	0.834
2x10	1.667
1x12	1
2x12	2
5/4x4	0.416
5/4x6	0.625

How to Calculate Board Feet?

If you don’t have access to an online calculator, you can calculate manually:

Example 1

Width = 35”, Length = 2’, Thickness = 13”

$$ BF = \frac{13 \times 35 \times 2}{12} = 75.833 \, bd \, ft $$

Example 2

Length = 5 ft, Width = 65 in, Thickness = 41 in

$$ BF = \frac{41 \times 65 \times 5}{12} = 1110.43 \, bd \, ft $$

Example 3

8/4 board, Width = 8 in, Length = 23 ft, Thickness = 2 in

$$ BF = \frac{2 \times 8 \times 23}{12} = 30.666 \, bd \, ft $$

How the Board Foot Calculator Works

The calculator makes it simple to find total volume and cost:

Inputs:

Number of lumber pieces
Thickness, width, and length of each piece
Unit selection for each dimension
Optional price per board foot

Outputs:

Accurate board feet for all lumber
Total cost based on price per board foot (if provided)

FAQs

What is Surface Measure?

The surface measure is the total square footage of a board’s surface:

$$ Surface \, Measure = \frac{W \times L}{12} $$

What is Nominal Measurement?

The nominal measurement is the board size before drying and planing.

What is Lineal Measurement?

Lineal measurement is the total length of a log in feet.

Example: A 3 ft long board with 45” width and 2” thickness has a lineal measure of 3 ft.

Conclusion

Board foot measurement is essential in the lumber industry. Retailers, wholesalers, and sawmills rely on free online board foot calculators to quickly and accurately estimate lumber volume.

References

Wikipedia: Stere – Unit of measurement, Systems of units
Sciencing: Volume of Wood, Board Feet of a Tree – Doyle & Scribner scales

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