Board Foot Calculator
Calculate board feet across multiple lumber sizes, add an allowance, and estimate material cost.
Behind the numbers
Board foot formula
Project planning examples
Board foot examples for buying lumber
These are worked examples, not automatic inputs. Enter your own measurements and supplier packaging in the calculator above.
One board measuring 2 × 6 inches and 8 feet long
Using nominal dimensions: 2 × 6 × 8 ÷ 12 = 8 board feet. For rough-sawn lumber, verify whether the seller prices nominal or actual dimensions.
Five boards measuring 1 × 8 inches and 10 feet long
Using the dimensions entered: 1 × 8 × 10 ÷ 12 × 5 = 33.33 board feet, before extra allowance.
Board feet measure volume, not linear feet or the count of boards. Check whether the supplier uses nominal, surfaced, or actual lumber dimensions; enter the dimensions used for billing.
Related tools: Square footage · Cubic yard · All DIY calculators.
Detailed project example: Board feet in ten nominal 2 × 6 × 8 boards →