About this calculator
Hardwood and rough lumber is priced by the board foot: a piece 1" thick, 12" wide and 1 ft long. This turns piece counts into board feet and cost.
How it’s calculated
Board feet = thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 12.
Worked example
With these inputs:
- Thickness
- 2 in
- Width
- 6 in
- Length
- 10 ft
- Number of pieces
- 20
- Price per board foot
- $4.5
the result is:
- Board feet
- 200 BF
- Total linear length
- 200 lin ft
- Volume
- 0.4719 m³
- Approx. weight (softwood, dry)
- 572 lb
- Cost
- $900.00
Tips from the trade
- Use nominal (rough) thickness for hardwood. 4/4 is 1", 8/4 is 2".
- Add 15–25% for defects when buying rough-sawn hardwood.
Results are estimates for planning and pricing. Check quantities against your drawings, the manufacturer’s data and local building codes before ordering.