Board foot calculator
Work out board feet and a lumber cost from the sizes you type.
Result
Board foot calculator
- Unit system (required)
- Imperial
Board feet
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Enter thickness, width, length and how many pieces.
Ballpark estimate, check before you buy or quote.
Length conversion on this page uses the international inch, in force 1 July 1959. 1 inch = 25.4 mm and 1 foot = 0.3048 m. NIST Special Publication 811: https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811. This is a simple estimate, not advice.
Estimate for planning only. This is not tax, legal, accounting or financial advice. Results depend on the figures you enter. Check all numbers, rates and rules with the official source or a qualified professional before relying on them.
How this works and common questions
About this tool
This page multiplies the board size you type by the number of pieces, then divides by 12. A price is used only when you type one. The price per board foot is a number you type. This page does not include a lumber price.
How it works
Board feet equal thickness in inches, times width in inches, times length in feet, times the pieces, divided by 12. Metric sizes use the international inch, then that same formula.
Rules
Results show 2 decimal places for board feet and whole cents for money, both half up. A blank price is skipped. Zero pieces, a blank size, or a negative number does not produce a result.
Questions
Is the price a lumber-yard rate?
No. You type the price per board foot. This page does not store a lumber price.
How are metric sizes handled?
They use 1 inch = 25.4 mm and 1 foot = 0.3048 m, then the board-foot formula runs once.
What if I only want the board feet?
Leave the price blank. The page shows board feet and skips the cost.
Do I need an account?
No. The tools work without one. You only need to sign in to save your work.
Is what I type saved?
No. Nothing is saved unless you sign in and choose Save. Otherwise it stays on the page.
Do you show ads or sell my information?
No. We show no ads and we do not sell your information.
Is this tax or legal advice?
No. Results are estimates for planning. Check rates and rules with the official source or a qualified professional.
Sign in to save this. Your entries stay on screen.
Estimate for planning only. This is not tax, legal, accounting or financial advice. Results depend on the figures you enter. Check all numbers, rates and rules with the official source or a qualified professional before relying on them.