Board feet and cost for any stack of lumber — enter the dimensions, quantity and price per
board foot.
The board foot formula
board feet = thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 12
Hardwood dealers measure thickness in quarters (4/4 = 1″) at the rough-sawn size — if you
buy surfaced boards, you still pay for the rough size they were milled from. Add 15–30%
waste for furniture projects: defects, grain matching and jointing all eat stock.
Board feet for common dimensional lumber
| Board | 8 ft | 10 ft | 12 ft |
|---|
| 2×4 | 5.33 | 6.67 | 8.0 |
| 2×6 | 8.0 | 10.0 | 12.0 |
| 2×8 | 10.67 | 13.33 | 16.0 |
| 2×10 | 13.33 | 16.67 | 20.0 |
| 2×12 | 16.0 | 20.0 | 24.0 |
| 1×6 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 |
Frequently asked questions
What is a board foot?
A board foot is a volume of lumber measuring 12″ × 12″ × 1″ — one square foot of wood, one inch thick. Hardwood is priced per board foot; construction (dimensional) lumber is priced per piece.
How do I calculate board feet?
Board feet = thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 12. An 8-foot 2×6 is 2 × 6 × 8 ÷ 12 = 8 board feet.
Do I use nominal or actual dimensions?
Board feet are traditionally calculated with NOMINAL dimensions — a 2×6 counts as 2″ × 6″ even though it actually measures 1½″ × 5½″. Rough-sawn hardwood is measured at its true rough size, in quarters (4/4 = 1″, 8/4 = 2″).
What does 4/4, 8/4 lumber mean?
Hardwood thickness is quoted in quarters of an inch of the rough-sawn board: 4/4 ("four-quarter") is 1″, 6/4 is 1½″, 8/4 is 2″. After surfacing, 4/4 finishes to about 13/16″.
How many board feet in a 2×4×8?
A 2×4 that is 8 feet long is 2 × 4 × 8 ÷ 12 = 5.33 board feet.