Calculate board feet and estimated cost for a lumber order, from board dimensions, quantity, and price per board foot.
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Board feet is the standard unit lumber is priced and sold by in the US, one board foot is the volume of a board 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 1 foot long. The formula is: Board Feet = (Thickness (in) × Width (in) × Length (ft)) ÷ 12. This differs from simply counting boards or linear feet, since it accounts for a board's full volume, letting you compare cost fairly across boards of different thickness and width.
Our Deck Calculator counts full-length decking boards needed to cover a specific deck surface area, factoring in board width and the gap between boards. This calculator is a general-purpose lumber estimator, useful for framing lumber, general carpentry, or any lumber order where you want a board-foot total and cost estimate rather than a coverage-area board count.
For a single board 2 in thick, 6 in wide, 8 ft long, at $3.50 per board foot: board feet per board = (2 × 6 × 8) ÷ 12 = 96 ÷ 12 = 8 board feet. For a quantity of 1, total board feet = 8, and total linear feet = 8 × 1 = 8 ft. Estimated cost = 8 × $3.50 = $28.
Using nominal lumber dimensions (like '2x6') instead of actual dressed dimensions, a nominal 2x6 actually measures about 1.5 in × 5.5 in after milling and drying, using the nominal size overstates board feet unless your supplier specifically prices by nominal size.
Forgetting to multiply per-board figures by quantity, board feet per board is just for a single board, total board feet and total cost both need the quantity applied, this calculator does that automatically, but it's easy to miss when cross-checking by hand.
Leaving price per board foot at the default 0 and being surprised the estimated cost shows $0, that field is optional and defaults to 0, enter your actual price per board foot to see a real cost estimate.
Board feet accounts for a board's full volume (thickness x width x length), so a thick, wide board and a thin, narrow board of the same length can be priced fairly relative to how much actual wood material each contains, rather than charging the same price regardless of size.
No, it's optional. Leave it at 0 if you only want the board footage; enter a price to also see an estimated total cost for your order.
No, a common nominal '2x6' board actually measures about 1.5 in × 5.5 in after milling and drying. For an accurate board-foot calculation, use the actual (dressed) dimensions rather than the nominal size printed on the label, unless your supplier specifically prices by nominal size.
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