QuickCheckToolsBoard foot calculator
Work out the board feet in a piece or a stack of lumber, and the total cost if you know the price per board foot.
Board feet for common lumber sizes
Calculated from nominal sizes, as softwood lumber is usually counted.
| Size | 8 ft | 10 ft | 12 ft | 16 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1x4 | 2.67 | 3.33 | 4.00 | 5.33 |
| 1x6 | 4.00 | 5.00 | 6.00 | 8.00 |
| 1x8 | 5.33 | 6.67 | 8.00 | 10.67 |
| 1x12 | 8.00 | 10.00 | 12.00 | 16.00 |
| 2x4 | 5.33 | 6.67 | 8.00 | 10.67 |
| 2x6 | 8.00 | 10.00 | 12.00 | 16.00 |
| 2x8 | 10.67 | 13.33 | 16.00 | 21.33 |
| 2x10 | 13.33 | 16.67 | 20.00 | 26.67 |
| 2x12 | 16.00 | 20.00 | 24.00 | 32.00 |
| 4x4 | 10.67 | 13.33 | 16.00 | 21.33 |
| 4x6 | 16.00 | 20.00 | 24.00 | 32.00 |
| 6x6 | 24.00 | 30.00 | 36.00 | 48.00 |
Questions
What is a board foot?
A board foot is a volume of wood 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide and 12 inches long: 144 cubic inches. Hardwood lumber is usually priced by the board foot.
How do I calculate board feet?
Multiply thickness (inches) by width (inches) by length (feet), then divide by 12. A 2x6 that is 10 feet long is 2 x 6 x 10 ÷ 12 = 10 board feet.
Do I use nominal or actual sizes?
Board feet for softwood dimensional lumber are normally worked out from the nominal size, so a 2x4 counts as 2 by 4 inches even though it measures about 1.5 by 3.5 inches. Hardwood is measured by its rough thickness, so check how your supplier counts.
What do 4/4 and 8/4 mean?
Hardwood thickness is sold in quarters of an inch. 4/4 ("four quarter") is 1 inch, 5/4 is 1.25 inches and 8/4 is 2 inches. Enter that thickness in inches here.
How many board feet is a 2x4x8?
A 2x4 that is 8 feet long is 2 x 4 x 8 ÷ 12 = 5.33 board feet.
How do I work out the cost?
Enter the price per board foot and the number of boards. The calculator multiplies the total board feet by the price.