Board Foot Calculator Widget
Add a lumber calculator to a sawmill, timber yard or woodworking site. Buyers enter thickness, width, length and quantity for up to three line items and see the total board feet, the cubic-metre equivalent and the cost at a price per board foot or per cubic metre.
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Under the widget on your page: Powered by A2Z Tools
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<iframe src="https://a2z.tools/embed/w/board-foot-calculator" title="Board Foot Calculator by A2Z Tools" width="100%" height="1100" style="border:0;width:100%" loading="lazy" allow="clipboard-write"></iframe>
A plain iframe. Works everywhere, including site builders that strip scripts. Adjust height if your content needs more room.
<div data-a2z-widget="board-foot-calculator" data-height="1100"></div> <script async src="https://a2z.tools/embed.js"></script>
Adds a small script (what it does) that sizes the widget to fit its content, loads it lazily and keeps it isolated from your page's CSS.
Works with
How it works
A board foot is the volume of a board 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide and 1 foot long - 144 cubic inches, or 0.00236 m³. For each line the widget multiplies thickness in inches by width in inches by length in feet and divides by 12, then multiplies by the number of pieces; ten 2x4s 8 ft long are 10 x 2 x 4 x 8 / 12 = 53.33 board feet. Line items are added and listed in a table so a cutting list can be priced in one go. In metric mode thickness and width are in millimetres and length in metres; the volume is computed in cubic metres and also shown as board feet, and the price is per cubic metre, the usual unit outside North America. Enter the size your yard prices by: softwood dimension lumber is tallied on nominal sizes (a 2x4 measures 1-1/2 x 3-1/2 in when dry), while hardwood is sold on rough thickness in quarters of an inch.
Calculation method
- Board feet per line = thickness (in) x width (in) x length (ft) / 12 x pieces
- 1 board foot = 144 cu in = 0.002359737216 m3
- Metric: m3 = thickness (mm) / 1000 x width (mm) / 1000 x length (m) x pieces; board feet = m3 / 0.002359737216
- Cost = total board feet x price per board foot, or total m3 x price per m3
Worked examples
Ten 2x4 studs
Inputs: 2 in x 4 in x 8 ft, 10 pieces
Result: 53.33 board feet; 0.1259 m³
2 x 4 x 8 / 12 = 5.333 per stud x 10.
Mixed hardwood order
Inputs: 1 x 12 in x 12 ft x 1, plus 2 x 6 in x 10 ft x 4; 4.50 per board foot
Result: 52 board feet; cost 234.00
12 + 4 x 10 = 52; 52 x 4.50 = 234.
Metric timber
Inputs: 50 x 100 mm x 2.4 m, 10 pieces; 500 per m³
Result: 0.12 m³ (50.85 board feet); cost 60
0.05 x 0.1 x 2.4 x 10 = 0.12 m³; 0.12 / 0.0023597 = 50.85.
Limitations
- Three line items; for longer cutting lists, total several runs.
- No allowance for defects, kerf, planing loss or the grading rules some yards use to round each board's tally.
- Log scale (Doyle, Scribner, International 1/4-inch) for standing timber and logs is a different calculation.
Where publishers use it
- Hardwood dealers and sawmills pricing rough lumber by the board foot
- Woodworking blogs turning a cutting list into a shopping list
- Furniture makers quoting material cost on commissions
- Timber-frame and log-building suppliers converting to cubic metres
- Shop classes teaching lumber measurement
Questions
How do I calculate board feet?
Multiply thickness in inches by width in inches by length in feet and divide by 12. A 1 x 12 board 12 ft long is 12 board feet; a 2x6 that is 10 ft long is 10.
Do I use nominal or actual size?
The American Softwood Lumber Standard tallies board feet on nominal dimensions, so a 2x4 counts as 2 x 4 in although it is 1-1/2 x 3-1/2 in when dry. Hardwood is measured on its rough thickness (4/4, 5/4, 8/4) and actual width.
How many board feet are in a cubic metre?
One cubic metre is 423.8 board feet, because a board foot is 0.0023597 m³. A cubic foot is exactly 12 board feet.
What does 4/4 or 8/4 mean?
Hardwood thickness in quarters of an inch: 4/4 is 1 in, 5/4 is 1-1/4 in, 8/4 is 2 in rough. An 8/4 board 6 in wide and 8 ft long is 2 x 6 x 8 / 12 = 8 board feet.
How do I price a mixed order?
Add each size as a line item and enter the price per board foot. 1 x 12 x 12 ft (12 bd ft) plus four 2x6x10 (40 bd ft) is 52 board feet; at 4.50 that is 234.00.
What do S4S, S2S and rough-sawn mean on a lumber tally?
Rough-sawn boards come straight off the saw; S2S is surfaced (planed) on two faces and S4S on all four. Hardwood yards usually tally rough thickness, so 4/4 walnut planed to 13/16 in is still billed as 1 in. Kiln-dried stock also shrinks a little from its green size.
How many board feet are in a log?
That is a log-scale question, not a lumber one: Doyle, Scribner and the International 1/4-inch rule each estimate the sawn yield of a log from its small-end diameter and length, and they disagree, especially on small logs. This widget measures sawn boards only.
What is the difference between board feet and linear feet?
Linear (lineal) feet measure length only, which suits mouldings, trim and dimension lumber sold per piece. Board feet measure volume. A 1 x 6 that is 10 ft long is 10 linear feet but 5 board feet.
Sources
- Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-25, American Softwood Lumber Standard, section 2.2 and Table 3 - National Institute of Standards and Technology . Board feet = nominal thickness (in) x nominal width (ft) x length (ft); nominal 2 and 4 dress to 1-1/2 and 3-1/2 in dry.
Cite or recommend this tool
If you reference this tool in an article, course or documentation, these formats are ready to copy. They are optional - nothing is added to your site unless you paste it.
A2Z Tools Board Foot Calculator https://a2z.tools/embed/board-foot-calculator
<a href="https://a2z.tools/embed/board-foot-calculator">A2Z Tools Board Foot Calculator</a>
[A2Z Tools Board Foot Calculator](https://a2z.tools/embed/board-foot-calculator)
Board Foot Calculator by A2Z Tools - https://a2z.tools/embed/board-foot-calculator
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