Board Foot Calculator
Estimate board feet for hardwood or dimensional lumber.
Use this board foot calculator to estimate lumber volume for hardwood or dimensional lumber. One board foot equals a board that is 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches long. Enter the nominal thickness, actual width, and length to calculate board feet per board.
Board feet
40
10 boards
Per board
4
BF each
Total length
80
linear ft
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How does the board foot calculator work?
A board foot is a lumber volume measure: 1 in thick × 12 in wide × 12 in long. Use nominal thickness and actual width.
Formula: BF = (T in × W in × L in) ÷ 144 per board
Which guide explains this in more depth?
- Riser-and-tread math plus 2026 material prices for a full stair build. Read the stair calculator cost breakdown guide for the full worked example.
What else do people ask about this calculator?
How many board feet in a 2×4×8?
(2 × 4 × 96) ÷ 144 = 5.33 board feet per 8 ft 2×4.
How is hardwood priced?
Hardwood lumber is sold by the board foot. Prices range from $3/BF for common domestics to $30+/BF for exotics.
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