Board Foot Calculator
Board feet of lumber from thickness, width, length and piece count — the unit sawmills and lumberyards price by.
Board feet always use the ROUGH (nominal) size — a planed 2×6 measures 1.5×5.5 in but is still billed as 2×6. Hardwood dealers quote $/BF; construction softwood is usually by the piece.
Formula
Board Foot Calculator is a free board foot calculator for civil engineers, contractors and quantity surveyors — instant, accurate and 100% client-side, with the governing formula and reference shown next to the result so the number can be defended, not just quoted.
About Board Foot Calculator
Board feet of lumber from thickness, width, length and piece count — the unit sawmills and lumberyards price by. The calculation implements BF = (T_in × W_in ÷ 12) × L_ft × pieces; 1 BF = 1/12 ft³ (USDA Forest Products Lab — lumber measure conventions). Board feet always use the ROUGH (nominal) size — a planed 2×6 measures 1.5×5.5 in but is still billed as 2×6. Hardwood dealers quote $/BF; construction softwood is usually by the piece.
How to use Board Foot Calculator
- 1Enter Thickness in mm (Nominal rough thickness (a '2-by' is 2 in rough)).
- 2Enter Width in mm.
- 3Enter Length in m.
- 4Enter Number of pieces.
- 5Read Board feet, Volume instantly — no submit button needed.
- 6Need US units? Flip the SI/Imperial toggle and every field converts.
Why use Board Foot Calculator?
- ✓Implements the standard formula — BF = (T_in × W_in ÷ 12) × L_ft × pieces; 1 BF = 1/12 ft³
- ✓Reference cited on-page: USDA Forest Products Lab — lumber measure conventions
- ✓One-click SI ⇄ Imperial toggle — values convert in place, physics stays in SI
- ✓Live worked example: the substitution recomputes from your numbers
- ✓Runs entirely in your browser — nothing uploaded, free forever
Frequently asked questions
What formula does the Board Foot Calculator use?+
It computes BF = (T_in × W_in ÷ 12) × L_ft × pieces; 1 BF = 1/12 ft³, per USDA Forest Products Lab — lumber measure conventions. The formula is displayed under the result along with a worked example substituted with your own inputs.
What should I keep in mind when using this calculator?+
Board feet always use the ROUGH (nominal) size — a planed 2×6 measures 1.5×5.5 in but is still billed as 2×6. Hardwood dealers quote $/BF; construction softwood is usually by the piece.
Does it include wastage?+
Yes — standard wastage/bulking factors are built in and stated in the formula line, so the quantity is an orderable number, not a bare geometric volume.
Is the Board Foot Calculator free to use?+
Yes — completely free, no sign-up, no limits. It runs client-side in your browser, so inputs stay private and results are instant even on slow connections.
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