Can I convert BF to LF without a board width?

No. You need thickness and width. Ask the supplier for the tally dimensions, or use an average width only as a labeled planning estimate.

What thickness should I enter for 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, or 8/4 lumber?

Enter the thickness used in the supplier's board-foot tally or quote. Quarter labels are nominal rough thickness; surfaced boards may be thinner — don't swap those in unless the quote used them.

Where can I convert linear feet back to board feet?

Use the Linear Feet to Board Feet Calculator linked on this page. This page stays on BF → LF.

Board Feet to Linear Feet Calculator

BF to LF — Free Lumber Conversion

Enter board feet plus thickness and width. Wrong size in means the wrong length out.

Board Feet

Total lumber volume in board feet.

Thickness (inches)

Use inches. Example: 4/4 lumber is about 1 inch.

Width (inches)

Use inches. Example: a 1×6 is often entered as width 6.

Quick Size

Presets use the nominal dimensions shown. Custom values stay exactly as entered.

Raw Linear Feet

2.00 LF

Size insight

At 1″ × 6″, each 1 BF equals 2.00 LF. Your 1 BF equals 2.00 LF.

Purchase planning (optional)

Add an allowance, supplier stock length, or $/LF quote without changing your raw conversion.

Waste allowance (%)

Optional. Adds 0–30% only to the purchase target.

Stock length (LF)

Optional. Orders whole stock lengths, rounded up.

Price ($/LF)

$/LF

Optional. Enter cost per linear foot.

Need to convert linear feet to board feet instead? Use the Linear Feet to Board Feet Calculator.

What does this linear-feet number mean?

It is the length of the size you typed — not a board count, and not an order until you pick a stock length. The example starts at 1 BF of 1″ × 6″, which is 2.00 LF.

Board feet measure volume. Linear feet measure length. Thickness and width connect them, so a yard's BF tally becomes length you can plan around.

If you typed different dimensions than the quote, this number is for the wrong board. A $/LF price is not a $/BF price.

Before you treat this as an order:

Match thickness and width to the supplier's tally — nominal 1×6 and dressed 0.75″ × 5.5″ convert differently
Raw LF is length, not a board count — add stock length and allowance only when you are planning a purchase
Random-width rough stock will not arrive as one long board — confirm tally, lengths, and defects with the yard

Need thousand board feet instead? Use the MBF to Linear Feet Calculator.

What does this look like when you buy lumber?

Three buying questions. Each one shows inputs you can type into the calculator and get the same result.

Worked examples only — not customer orders or supplier quotes.

Got 12 BF of 4/4 — how much length is that?

Hardwood yard lists 12 BF of 4/4. You're planning around boards about 6 inches wide.

What to enter: 12 BF · 1″ thick · 6″ wide
What you get: 24 LF — because 12 × 12 ÷ (1 × 6) = 24.

Why that number: At 1×6, each LF holds 0.5 BF, so each BF gives you 2 LF.
What to do next: Plan around 24 LF, then check the yard's actual tally before you pick boards.
Rule to reuse: Same thickness, narrower width → more LF from the same BF.

Watch out: Random-width rough stock will not arrive as one 24-foot board. Width, length, defects, and tally method vary.

How many whole 8-foot boards do you order?

You need 10 BF of surfaced 1×6 sold only in 8-foot lengths. You choose a 10% planning allowance.

What to enter: 10 BF · 0.75″ × 5.5″ actual · 10% allowance · 8 LF stock
What you get: 29.09 LF raw → 32 LF target → 4 boards · 32 LF ordered · 0 LF surplus

Why that number: 10% lands the target at exactly 32 LF; 32 ÷ 8 = four stock boards.
What to do next: Put four 8-foot boards on the list, then match it to your cut plan.
Rule to reuse: Apply your allowance first, divide by stock length, then round the board count up.

Watch out: 10% is this example's choice, not a universal rule. Grain match, defects, and cut layout can change it.

How do you compare a $/LF quote with a $/BF quote?

Supplier quotes surfaced 1×6 at $3.50/LF. You want the equivalent rate for a 10 BF buy.

What to enter: 10 BF · 0.75″ × 5.5″ actual · $3.50/LF
What you get: 29.09 LF · $101.82 estimated · $10.18/BF equivalent

Why that number: One LF holds 0.34375 BF, so $3.50 ÷ 0.34375 ≈ $10.18/BF.
What to do next: Compare $10.18/BF to the competing BF quote — then check grade, moisture, surfacing, and fees.
Rule to reuse: Convert both quotes to one unit and the same dimensions before you compare.

Watch out: Matching unit price does not make the offers equal. Species, grade, moisture, surfacing, quantity, tax, and delivery can differ.

Board Feet to Linear Feet (BF to LF) Formula and Its Limits

The math is one line. The limits keep you from ordering the wrong wood.

LF = BF × 12 ÷ (thickness × width)

One board foot is 144 cubic inches — think 1″ thick × 12″ wide × 12″ long. NIST Handbook 130 — 2026, Method of Sale of Commodities

Put thickness and width in inches. Fatter or wider boards pack more volume into each foot, so the same BF yields fewer LF.
Use the dimensions on the supplier's tally or quote. Nominal labels and dressed actual sizes are not interchangeable. NIST: Making Sure Lumber Measures Up

What can this calculator not decide for you?

It uses the dimensions you type — it never silently swaps nominal sizes for actual sizes.
Choose an allowance for your own project. It is optional planning only: it changes the purchase target, not the raw BF→LF result.
For random-width rough lumber, an average width is a planning estimate only. Confirm tally, lengths, defects, and measurement basis with the supplier.

Where do these rules come from?

Sources checked July 30, 2026

NIST Handbook 130 — 2026, Method of Sale of Commodities2026 edition; updated March 24, 2026Defines the board foot, surface measure, and hardwood retail measurement rules.
NIST: Making Sure Lumber Measures UpPublished March 23, 2017Explains nominal vs actual size — and why dressed lumber measures smaller.

Board Feet to Linear Feet Conversion Table by Lumber Size

Nominal sizes for a quick scan. When the supplier gives actual dimensions, use the calculator.

Board Feet	1×4	1×6	1×8	1×12	2×4	2×6	2×8	2×10	2×12
1 BF	3.00LF	2.00LF	1.50LF	1.00LF	1.50LF	1.00LF	0.75LF	0.60LF	0.50LF
5 BF	15.00LF	10.00LF	7.50LF	5.00LF	7.50LF	5.00LF	3.75LF	3.00LF	2.50LF
10 BF	30.00LF	20.00LF	15.00LF	10.00LF	15.00LF	10.00LF	7.50LF	6.00LF	5.00LF
25 BF	75.00LF	50.00LF	37.50LF	25.00LF	37.50LF	25.00LF	18.75LF	15.00LF	12.50LF
50 BF	150.00LF	100.00LF	75.00LF	50.00LF	75.00LF	50.00LF	37.50LF	30.00LF	25.00LF
100 BF	300.00LF	200.00LF	150.00LF	100.00LF	150.00LF	100.00LF	75.00LF	60.00LF	50.00LF

Values use the dimensions in each column header; they do not substitute common actual sizes.

Board Foot Calculator Linear Feet to Board Feet

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Questions people ask before they order

Yes. “Lineal feet” is the older spelling — same length unit as linear feet.

Learn more:what is a board foot