Calculate the board footage (board feet) of lumber needed for your woodworking projects. Board feet is a standard unit used in the lumber industry to estimate wood volume.
Last updated: March 2026
Standard: 0.75" (3/4"), 1", 1.5" (5/4")
2x4 = 3.5", 2x6 = 5.5", 2x8 = 7.25"
Disclaimer: This calculator computes board feet based on actual entered dimensions. Note that lumber sold commercially often has nominal dimensions (e.g., \"2×4\") that differ from actual milled dimensions (1.5\" × 3.5\"). Make sure you enter the correct actual dimensions for your lumber. Actual sizes, moisture content, shrinkage, waste, and defects may affect usable yield. Always purchase extra material.
Board feet (BF) is a standard unit of measurement used in the lumber industry to quantify the volume of wood. One board foot represents a piece of wood measuring 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches long—equivalent to 144 cubic inches. This standardization allows lumber dealers and woodworkers to compare prices and quantities across different board sizes.
Instead of purchasing thick boards and rough lumber by weight or physical count, the board foot measurement ensures you purchase exactly the volume of wood you need. This is especially useful for comparing the value of different lumber sizes; for example, a 2×4 is different from a 1×8, but their board footage can help determine which offers better value for your project.
Use this formula to calculate board feet for hardwoods and softwoods:
Calculating board feet for a nominal 2×6 board 12 feet long:
Board feet accounts for different lumber dimensions. A 2×4 and a 2×6 take up different volume, so board feet allows fair pricing and comparison across different sizes.
S4S (Surfaced-4-Sides) lumber is milled smooth; rough lumber is not. Calculate using nominal dimensions in both cases, but S4S will actually be slightly smaller.
The formula is identical for hardwood and softwood. The only difference is the pricing per board foot, which varies by species.
Yes, but linear footage only accounts for length. You'd need to specify the exact dimensions (2×4, 2×6, etc.). Board feet is more universal for pricing.
All lumber is milled (surfaced) to remove saw marks and unevenness. Nominal 2×4 becomes 1.5×3.5 after milling. Always use nominal for calculations.
Multiply total board feet × price per board foot = total cost. Get the per-BF price from your lumberyard to make accurate project budgets.
Metric uses cubic meters or cubic centimeters directly. 1 board foot ≈ 0.00236 cubic meters or 2,360 cubic centimeters.
Add 10-20% to your calculated board footage for sawkerf loss, planing waste, and mistakes. This ensures you order enough material.
Related Tools