Board Foot Calculator
Easily calculate board feet for your lumber projects, supporting various units and sharing capabilities.
Professional Board Foot Calculator
Our Board Foot Calculator provides precise calculations for woodworking professionals and enthusiasts, helping you plan projects, estimate materials, and control costs with confidence.
What is a Board Foot?
A board foot is the standard unit of measurement for lumber volume in North America. One board foot equals:
- A piece of wood 1 foot × 1 foot × 1 inch
- 144 cubic inches of wood volume
- 1/12 cubic foot
With our Board Foot Calculator, you can easily calculate the board footage for any size and quantity of lumber, without manual conversions or memorizing complex formulas.
Why Calculate Board Feet?
Calculating board feet is essential for estimating lumber costs, as most hardwoods and specialty woods are sold by the board foot. The Board Foot Calculator helps woodworkers, contractors, and DIYers determine how much lumber they need and its approximate cost. It also helps you plan cutting strategies, reduce waste, and optimize material usage.
- Hardwoods and specialty woods are typically priced and sold by the board foot
- Accurate calculations help you estimate project costs precisely
- Assists with lumber purchasing decisions and inventory management
- Facilitates communication with suppliers, clients, and colleagues
Our Board Foot Calculator makes this process simple and efficient, whether you're a professional or a DIY enthusiast.
Why Choose Our Board Foot Calculator?
Our Board Foot Calculator is designed for woodworking professionals and hobbyists, offering a range of practical features to make your work more efficient.
Our Board Foot Calculator uses the standard formula (Thickness × Width × Length ÷ 144) × Quantity to ensure every calculation is precise, helping you accurately estimate the lumber required for your projects.
Our Board Foot Calculator supports a variety of measurement units, including inches, feet, millimeters, centimeters, and meters, and automatically converts between them—no manual conversion needed.
Generate a shareable link with your current input values using our Board Foot Calculator, making it easy to collaborate with colleagues, clients, or suppliers and improve communication efficiency.
Our Board Foot Calculator features an intuitive interface and responsive layout for all devices, so you can use it easily in the workshop or on site.
Our Board Foot Calculator provides instant input validation and error prompts, ensuring your calculations are based on valid data and helping you avoid common mistakes.
In addition to the core Board Foot Calculator functionality, we also offer woodworking tips and best practices to help you better understand and apply board foot calculations.
How to Use the Board Foot Calculator
Our Board Foot Calculator is simple and intuitive—just a few steps to get accurate board foot results.
Enter Dimensions
Enter the thickness, width, and length of your lumber in the Board Foot Calculator using your preferred units.
Select Units
Our Board Foot Calculator supports inches, feet, millimeters, centimeters, and meters. Select the appropriate unit for each dimension.
Specify Quantity
Enter the quantity of lumber with these dimensions, and the Board Foot Calculator will compute the total board feet.
Get Results
Click the calculate button and the Board Foot Calculator will instantly display the total board feet.
Share Your Calculation
Use the sharing feature in the Board Foot Calculator to generate a link and share your results with others.
Understanding Board Foot Calculation
A board foot is a unit of measurement for lumber volume. The Board Foot Calculator uses the following formula:
Board Feet = (Thickness(in) × Width(in) × Length(in) ÷ 144) × Quantity
This formula is automatically applied in the Board Foot Calculator, so you don't have to do the math manually.
Pro Tip
When using our Board Foot Calculator, be sure to enter actual (not nominal) dimensions. For example, a piece of lumber labeled "2×4" is actually 1.5×3.5 inches.
Real-World Applications of the Board Foot Calculator
Our Board Foot Calculator is useful in a variety of woodworking scenarios:
Furniture Making
Use the Board Foot Calculator to accurately calculate the amount of lumber needed for tables, chairs, cabinets, and more.
Woodshop Operations
Woodshop owners can use the Board Foot Calculator for inventory management and cost accounting.
Project Estimation
Contractors can quickly estimate project costs and material requirements with the Board Foot Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions and answers about the Board Foot Calculator to help you get the most out of our tool.
Woodworking Tips & Best Practices
In addition to using our Board Foot Calculator, the following resources can help you improve your woodworking skills and knowledge.
When estimating lumber requirements for a project, consider the following factors:
- Add 10-15% extra material for waste and mistakes
- Consider wood grain direction when planning cuts
- Use the Board Foot Calculator to determine total volume needed
- Save offcuts for future small projects
- Account for wood drying and shrinkage
Pro Tip: When using the Board Foot Calculator, create separate calculations for different wood types to easily track each material's requirements.
Lumber grade affects price and suitability:
- FAS (First & Seconds): Highest quality, minimal defects
- Select: High quality, slightly more defects
- No. 1 Common: Good for general woodworking
- No. 2 Common: More knots, suitable for rustic projects
No matter the grade, use the Board Foot Calculator to determine volume. Lower grades may require more material to compensate for defects, so factor this into your calculations.
- Always measure actual, not nominal, dimensions
- Use precise measuring tools
- Consider the impact of wood moisture content
- Use the Board Foot Calculator to convert between units
- Compare board foot prices from different suppliers
- Factor in shipping and handling costs
- Use the Board Foot Calculator to optimize material usage
- Consider alternative wood species to control costs
- Choose certified sustainable lumber
- Use the Board Foot Calculator to minimize waste
- Recycle and reuse offcuts
- Consider reclaimed wood for your projects
Woodworking Resources & Learning
In addition to using our Board Foot Calculator, the following resources can help you improve your woodworking skills and knowledge.
Woodworking Terminology
Understanding common woodworking terms will help you get the most out of the Board Foot Calculator and other woodworking tools:
Board Foot
A unit of lumber volume equal to 144 cubic inches
Actual vs. Nominal Size
Actual size is the true measured dimension; nominal size is the marketing name
Moisture Content (MC)
The percentage of water in wood, affecting stability and weight
Board Foot Calculation Examples
Here are some real-world examples using the Board Foot Calculator:
Oak Tabletop
Dimensions: Thickness 1", Width 36", Length 72", Quantity 1
Calculation: (1 × 36 × 72 ÷ 144) × 1 = 18 board feet
Maple Bookshelf Board
Dimensions: Thickness 3/4", Width 10", Length 36", Quantity 5
Calculation: (0.75 × 10 × 36 ÷ 144) × 5 = 9.375 board feet
Pine Bed Frame
Dimensions: Thickness 2", Width 6", Length 80", Quantity 2
Calculation: (2 × 6 × 80 ÷ 144) × 2 = 6.67 board feet
Get Started with the Board Foot Calculator
Whether you're a professional woodworker or a DIY enthusiast, our Board Foot Calculator can help you plan projects and estimate materials more accurately. Try our calculator now!