Board Foot Calculator

Enter a board's thickness, width, and length and get board feet per board and for the whole stack — with an optional price per board foot for a running total.

Inputs
in
in
ft
boards
$
Results update as you type — no submit
ResultsLIVE
Total board feet
40 bd ft
≈ 3.33 cu ft (0.09 m³)
Total cost
$130.00
$13.00 per board
Total cost$130.00
Per board4 bd ft
Volume3.33 cu ft (0.09 m³)
Formula
per board = (1 × 6 × 8) ÷ 12 = 4 bd ft
total = 4 × 10 = 40 bd ft · cost = 40 × $3.25 = $130.00
Diagram — board face & endNTS
8′6″1″FACE VIEW + END · NOMINAL SIZEMEASURESHED10 × 1″ × 6″ × 8′40 BD FT
MeasureShedmeasureshed.com/calculator/board-foot-calculator
Board feet — material listUNITS: IN/FT · NOMINAL SIZE
Inputs
Board size (T × W × L)1″ × 6″ × 8′
Quantity10
Price$3.25/bd ft
Results
Total board feet40 bd ft
Per board4 bd ft
Volume3.33 cu ft
Total cost$130.00
Board face & endNTS
8′6″1″FACE VIEW + END · NOMINAL SIZEMEASURESHED10 × 1″ × 6″ × 8′40 BD FT
Shopping list
☐ 10 × 1″ × 6″ × 8′ = 40 bd ft ($130.00)
Formula
per board = (1 × 6 × 8) ÷ 12 = 4 bd ft
total = 4 × 10 = 40 bd ft
cost = 40 × $3.25 = $130.00
Estimates for planning only — verify before purchaseSHEET 1 OF 1
How it works

Rough and hardwood lumber is sold by the board foot, a measure of volume rather than length. One board foot is the wood in a piece a foot square and an inch thick — `144` cubic inches. To find the board feet in any board, multiply its nominal thickness in inches by its width in inches by its length in feet, then divide by `12`. The divide-by-twelve reconciles the mixed units: thickness and width are counted in inches while length is in feet, so dividing brings everything into the same measure.

Because board feet describe volume, a thick or wide board holds far more than a thin one of the same length. A `1 in` by `6 in` board and a `2 in` by `12 in` board of equal length are worlds apart on the invoice. This calculator works out the board feet in a single piece, multiplies by the quantity you plan to buy, and — if you enter a price per board foot — shows the running cost so you can compare quotes without a spreadsheet.

The result is the same whether you think in inches and feet or in millimetres and metres. Internally the tool converts your entries to a volume, so the metric readout shows the equivalent cubic feet and cubic metres beside the board-foot total. Purchasable board feet are shown to the hundredth; lumberyards round the charge their own way, so treat the cost as an estimate.

Worked example
10 boards · 1 in × 6 in × 8 ft · $3.25 per board foot
per board = (1 × 6 × 8) ÷ 12 = 4 board feet
total = 4 × 10 = 40 board feet → 40 × $3.25 = $130.00
Questions about board feet
A board foot is a volume of lumber equal to a piece 1 ft long, 1 ft wide, and 1 in thick — 144 cubic inches, or one twelfth of a cubic foot. Rough and hardwood lumber is priced this way because the measure captures thickness, width, and length at once, unlike a plain length count.
SOURCES — Board foot = 144 in³ (NIST SP 811 / US customary lumber measure); nominal-size pricing convention per lumberyard practice
Estimates for planning only — verify before purchase
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