Can the calculator tell me whether a supplier quote is fair?

No. It normalizes the numbers you enter so you can compare complete quotes. It does not judge local market prices or pick a supplier. Check species, grade, dimensions, moisture, surfacing, quantity, tax, and delivery yourself.

Are the worked cases real orders or local quotes?

No. They are labeled examples with invented inputs. Load one to reproduce the shown state, then replace every value with your own dated supplier quote.

Why can a supplier's board-foot tally differ from my dimensions?

The tool uses the dimensions or board feet you enter. Suppliers may tally rough, surfaced, nominal, or industry-standard sizes differently. Confirm the basis with the supplier, and use the linked measurement source for hardwood rules.

Lumber Cost Calculator

Board Feet x Price per BF = Lumber Budget

Start from a supplier quote. Add board feet, waste, tax, and delivery to plan the material part of the order — not a website price list.

Price per Board Foot

Supplier Quote First

Waste + Tax

Estimate mode

Pricing mode

Board Feet

Total lumber quantity in board feet.

Price per BF ($/BF)

Enter the price from a current supplier quote; this tool has no market-price preset.

Wood Species

Tax Rate (%)

Optional. Enter 0–30.

Delivery Fee ($)

Optional. Enter 0–10,000.

Waste Factor (%)

Optional. Add extra for offcuts and mistakes.

Enter valid board feet and pricing to see a landed-cost estimate.

Why start with a supplier quote?

This tool turns the quote you already have into a landed material budget — board feet, waste, tax, and delivery. It is not a price guide.

Yards price by species, grade, thickness, surfacing, and region. A generic "oak price" online is rarely the number on your invoice.

Skip a dated quote and you plan against the wrong unit, forget fees, or compare two offers that are not the same product.

Do it this way and you can:

Build a material total from the unit price on your quote
Add only the waste, tax, and delivery that apply to your order
Normalize complete quotes so you can compare them side by side

No retail price table or species presets here. Enter a dated quote for the exact product; the calculator uses only the board feet, unit price, and optional allowances you choose.

How do you run a lumber cost estimate?

1
Step 1: Start with board feet
Use your total board feet (BF). Need help? Board Foot Calculator.
2
Step 2: Enter a current quote
Match the quote to the wood you will buy — same species, grade, thickness, surfacing, and region.
3
Step 3: Add extras only if they apply
Add waste, tax, or delivery when your project needs them. Then jump back to the calculator to tweak the numbers.

Worked examples

What does a real quote look like in the tool?

Three buying situations. Load one, then swap every number for your own dated quote.

Examples only — not customer orders, supplier quotes, local prices, or price recommendations.

How do you price one hardwood order with waste and delivery?

The job: You have a dated red-oak quote and need one material estimate before you place the order.
What to enter: 36 BF · $9.50/BF · red oak label · 10% waste · 6.25% tax · $20 delivery
What you get: Ask about 39.6 BF. Landed estimate: $419.71, or $10.60/BF landed.
Why that number: The allowance adds 3.6 BF before tax. Tax hits the material subtotal; delivery is added after.
What to do next: Confirm the yard can supply 39.6 BF on the same grade, thickness, and surfacing as the quote.

Rule to reuse: Keep the quote unit and the quantity on the same measurement basis before adding extras.
Where this stops: This does not price machining, labor, overhead, profit, or a full furniture or construction job.

How do you combine two species on one material list?

The job: A small project uses known-BF red-oak face-frame stock and maple panels described by board dimensions.
What to enter: Face frame: 18 BF at $8.75/BF · panels: 0.75 × 8 in × 8 ft × 4 at $7.50/BF · 12% waste · 5.5% tax · $35 delivery
What you get: Two rows total 34 BF before allowance. Purchase 38.08 BF → $362.89, or $9.53/BF landed.
Why that number: The panel row equals 16 BF. Both rows combine before the project-wide allowance, tax, and delivery.
What to do next: Match each row's species, grade, moisture, and dimension basis to its quote before you trust the combined total.

Rule to reuse: Keep rows separate when species or quote basis differs; normalize only after every input is complete.
Where this stops: The dimensional row uses the sizes you type exactly. It does not convert nominal sizes or pick a waste rate for you.

How do you compare two complete supplier quotes?

The job: Two yards quote the same 80-BF need — one as a whole-quote amount, the other as $/BF with tax and delivery.
What to enter: Clear Mill: 80 BF · whole quote $720 · 0% tax · $40 delivery · North Yard: 80 BF · $8.50/BF · 6% tax · $20 delivery
What you get: Clear Mill lands at $760.00 ($9.50/BF). North Yard lands at $740.80 ($9.26/BF).
Why that number: Both complete quotes convert to landed total and effective $/BF. The tool does not pick a winner.
What to do next: Check that both quotes cover the same species, grade, thickness, surfacing, quantity, and pickup or delivery terms.

Rule to reuse: Compare like-for-like inputs and include each stated fee before you read the normalized numbers.
Where this stops: A lower total is not a fairness judgment, a market-price claim, or a buy recommendation.

What should you check before you trust the total?

Is the quote $/BF or $/LF?

Hardwoods often price by board foot. Some yards price a given size by linear foot. Use the pricing mode toggle so the tool matches the quote on paper.

Why won't a website price match your yard?

Freight, local supply, and demand move numbers a lot. Treat this as a budget from your quote — then confirm with the supplier.

New to lumber units? Read what is a board foot.

Does board size matter for $/LF quotes?

Thickness and width change how much wood sits in each linear foot. If you only have dimensions, convert first with the BF to LF calculator.

What trips people up on lumber quotes?

Three budgeting mistakes that quietly blow the estimate.

Did you mix $/BF with $/LF?

Hardwoods often price by $/BF. Some yards price a given size by $/LF. Match the pricing mode to how the quote is written.

Did you skip waste, tax, or delivery?

Pick an allowance that matches your cut list, defects, machining, and matching needs. Add tax and delivery only when they apply.

Are you comparing quotes without grade and thickness?

Species is only part of the price. Grade, thickness, width, kiln-dried vs green, and surfacing can change the real cost a lot.

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Board Feet to Linear Feet

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Convert board feet to square feet for flooring and decking.

Log Board Foot Calculator

Estimate board feet in logs using Doyle, Scribner, and International rules.

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Common lumber-cost questions

Material quantities and supplier quote amounts you enter, plus optional waste, tax, and delivery. It leaves out labor, overhead, profit, full construction estimates, and whether a price is "fair."

Learn more:board foot formula

What is this tool not?

This calculator is a planning tool, not a price guide. It uses the unit price you enter and does not provide market-price defaults. Before ordering, confirm with your supplier: species, grade, thickness, surfacing, moisture, quantity, region, tax, delivery, and the final board-foot tally.

Last updated: 2026-07-31•About

Where do the measurement rules come from?

Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation: Board FootReviewed 2026-07-31 · United States · forestry terminologyDefines a board foot as 144 cubic inches, equivalent to a 1 × 12 × 12-inch board.
NHLA Grading RulesReviewed 2026-07-31 · United States · hardwood and cypress lumberLinks to the industry authority for hardwood and cypress measurement rules. Not a retail price source.