Buildy Buddy

When to Use This Calculator

Use the Board Foot Calculator when purchasing hardwood lumber from a specialty lumber dealer, sawmill, or woodworking supplier. Unlike dimensional lumber (2x4, 2x6) that is sold by the linear foot at a fixed price, hardwood and rough-sawn lumber is priced by the board foot — a volume-based unit that accounts for thickness, width, and length together. Understanding board footage is essential for comparing costs between species, suppliers, and board sizes.

How It Works

Enter the thickness, width, and length of each board and the calculator computes the board footage. One board foot equals 144 cubic inches, which is equivalent to a piece measuring 1 inch thick by 12 inches wide by 12 inches long. The calculator totals multiple boards and estimates cost when you enter a per-board-foot price, making it easy to budget your project before you buy.

Tips for Best Results

• Rough-sawn lumber is sold at nominal thickness using the quarter system (4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 8/4). After surfacing and planing, expect to lose about 1/4" — so 4/4 stock finishes at roughly 3/4" thick.
• Always buy at least 20% more board footage than your project's cut list requires to account for defects, sapwood, end checks, and grain selection when choosing the best faces for visible surfaces.
• Many hardwood dealers have minimum board foot purchases per order or per species, so plan your project's full cut list before shopping to meet minimums and consolidate orders.
• When comparing prices, note that some dealers quote S2S (surfaced two sides) while others quote rough — the rough price per board foot will be lower, but you lose material in planing.