Board Foot Calculator

Board Foot Calculator 📏

Number of Pieces

Thickness

Width

Length

Result

How to Use the Board Foot Calculator

Select Number of Pieces: Enter how many pieces of wood you’re calculating for in the Number of Pieces field.
Enter Dimensions:

Thickness: Enter the thickness of the wood and select the unit (e.g., mm, cm, ft).
Width: Enter the width of the wood and select the unit.
Length: Enter the length of the wood and select the unit.

Calculate:

Click the Calculate button to get the result.
The Board Foot result will appear dynamically, showing the calculation details and the final result.

Result: The result includes the formula breakdown and the total board feet for your input.

What Is a Board Foot? 📏

Let me ask you something: have you ever started a project only to realize midway that you don’t have enough wood? It’s frustrating, isn’t it? That’s where understanding board feet comes in handy.

A board foot is simply a way to measure wood. Think of i as a single piece of lumber that’s 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches long. If you’re buying or planning materials for any woodworking project, this is the measurement you’ll encounter.

Why Should You Care About Board Feet?

Here’s a situation to consider. You’re building a bookshelf, and the guy at the lumber yard asks how many board feet you need. If you have no clue, you might buy too little or way too much. Either way, it’s a hassle.

Difference Between a Board Foot and a Linear Foot

Aspect	Board Foot	Linear Foot
Definition	Measurement of volume for wood, including thickness, width, and length.	Measurement of length only, regardless of width or thickness.
Formula	$(\text{Thickness × Width × Length}) \div 12$	Measures the total length in feet.
Unit of Measure	Cubic measurement (volume).	Linear measurement (length).
Use Case	Pricing and estimating wood volume for construction or furniture.	Pricing materials like trim, molding, or boards by length.
Material Dimension	Considers thickness, width, and length.	Considers only the length.
Example	A 2″ × 6″ × 10′ board = 10 board feet.	A 10′ long board is 10 linear feet.

Knowing how to calculate board feet means:

You’ll get just the right amount of wood.
You’ll avoid unnecessary costs and waste.
Your project planning becomes smoother.

How Do You Calculate Board Feet?

Don’t worry; it’s not rocket science. Let’s break it down with an example.

Say you have a piece of wood that’s:

2 inches thick
6 inches wide
8 feet long

Here’s how you figure out the board feet:

Multiply the thickness (2 inches) by the width (6 inches) and then by the length in feet (8 feet).
Divide the result by 12.

So, it’s: (2 × 6 × 8) ÷ 12 = 8 board feet.

Now you know exactly how much wood that piece accounts for. Easy, right?

Difference Between a Board Foot and a Linear Foot

Example 1: Small Plank in Inches

Number of Pieces: 2
Thickness: 1 (unit: Inches)
Width: 6 (unit: Inches)
Length: 8 (unit: Feet)

Steps:

Enter 2 for the number of pieces.
Set thickness to 1 and select Inch (in).
Set width to 6 and select Inch (in).
Set length to 8 and select Foot (ft).
Click Calculate.

Expected Result:

Total board feet for two planks with these dimensions.

Example 2: Large Beam in Centimeters

Number of Pieces: 1
Thickness: 5 (unit: Centimeters)
Width: 15 (unit: Centimeters)
Length: 200 (unit: Centimeters)

Steps:

Enter 1 for the number of pieces.
Set thickness to 5 and select Centimeter (cm).
Set width to 15 and select Centimeter (cm).
Set length to 200 and select Centimeter (cm).
Click Calculate.

Expected Result:

Total board feet for the beam with given measurements in centimeters.

Example 3: Mixed Units

Number of Pieces: 3
Thickness: 2 (unit: Inches)
Width: 50 (unit: Millimeters)
Length: 1.5 (unit: Meters)

Steps:

Enter 3 for the number of pieces.
Set thickness to 2 and select Inch (in).
Set width to 50 and select Millimeter (mm).
Set length to 1.5 and select Meter (m).
Click Calculate.

Expected Result:

The total board feet for three mixed-unit pieces, shown with calculation breakdown.

Example 4: Small Block in Feet and Inches

Number of Pieces: 1
Thickness: 0.5 (unit: Feet)
Width: 4 (unit: Feet)
Length: 12 (unit: Inches)

Steps:

Enter 1 for the number of pieces.
Set thickness to 0.5 and select Foot (ft).
Set width to 4 and select Foot (ft).
Set length to 12 and select Inch (in).
Click Calculate.

Expected Result:

Board foot calculation for a piece measured in both feet and inches.

Board Feet Charts

4/4 Lumber (1″ Thick)

Thickness (inches)	Width (inches)	Length (feet)	Board Feet
1	6	8	4.0
1	8	10	6.67
1	10	12	10.0
1	12	14	14.0

8/4 Lumber (2″ Thick)

Thickness (inches)	Width (inches)	Length (feet)	Board Feet
2	6	8	8.0
2	8	10	13.33
2	10	12	20.0
2	12	14	28.0

12/4 Lumber (3″ Thick)

Thickness (inches)	Width (inches)	Length (feet)	Board Feet
3	6	8	12.0
3	8	10	20.0
3	10	12	30.0
3	12	14	42.0

16/4 Lumber (4″ Thick)

Thickness (inches)	Width (inches)	Length (feet)	Board Feet
4	6	8	16.0
4	8	10	26.67
4	10	12	40.0
4	12	14	56.0
4	6	16	32.0
4	8	18	48.0
4	10	20	66.67

20/4 Lumber (5″ Thick)

Thickness (inches)	Width (inches)	Length (feet)	Board Feet
5	6	8	20.0
5	8	10	33.33
5	10	12	50.0
5	12	14	70.0
5	6	16	40.0
5	8	18	60.0
5	10	20	83.33