Board Foot Calculator

Calculate the board footage of a piece of lumber, or a quantity of identical pieces.

  • Free to use
  • Accurate results
  • No registration required
  • Works on all devices
Enter your lumber's thickness, width, and length to find its board footage.

Your result

8

Board feet per piece

Total board feet8

AI explanation

Formula

Board feet per piece = (thickness × width × length) ÷ 12

Worked example

1 piece, 2in × 6in × 8ft

Worked example: 1 piece, 2in × 6in × 8ft
FieldValue
Thickness (inches)2
Width (inches)6
Length (feet)8
Number of pieces1
Price per board foot (optional)0
Board feet per piece8
Total board feet8

Assumptions

  • A board foot is a lumber volume unit — 1 inch thick × 1 foot wide × 1 foot long (144 cubic inches).

Frequently asked questions

What is a board foot?

A volume measurement for lumber — 1 inch thick, 1 foot wide, and 1 foot long (144 cubic inches).

I also want the total cost — is there a version with that?

Yes — see the Lumber Calculator, which includes a price-per-board-foot field and shows the total cost.

How do I compute board feet for an odd-shaped piece?

This formula assumes a rectangular cross-section — for irregular shapes, estimate an average width or calculate volume directly and convert (1 board foot = 144 cubic inches).

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