Board Feet Calculator
Board feet from nominal dimensions, with a running total, and the dressed size the board actually measures.
At a glance
- What you enter
- First piece: length, First piece: nominal thickness, First piece: nominal width, First piece: custom thickness, First piece: custom width, First piece: how many, Second piece: length, Second piece: nominal thickness, Second piece: nominal width, Second piece: custom thickness, Second piece: custom width, Second piece: how many, Waste allowance
- What you get
- Total board feet, nominal, Total board feet, dressed, Real wood as a share of nominal, Board feet to order with waste, Total linear feet, Total pieces
- Formula shown
- Yes, every step, right below your results.
- Cost and privacy
- Free, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored.
See worked examples ↓ Read the FAQ ↓ Share this calculator ↓
Results are estimates for general information only, always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.
How to use the Board Feet Calculator
- 1 Enter First piece: length (ft)
- 2 Enter First piece: nominal thickness
- 3 Enter First piece: nominal width
- 4 Enter First piece: custom thickness (in), Only used when the thickness above is set to Custom.
- 5 Enter First piece: custom width (in), Only used when the width above is set to Custom.
- 6 Enter First piece: how many
- 7 Enter Second piece: length (ft)
- 8 Enter Second piece: nominal thickness
- 9 Enter Second piece: nominal width
- 10 Enter Second piece: custom thickness (in), Only used when the thickness above is set to Custom.
- 11 Enter Second piece: custom width (in), Only used when the width above is set to Custom.
- 12 Enter Second piece: how many
- 13 Enter Waste allowance (%), Applied to the order total so short ends and defects are covered.
- 14 Press Calculate. You get Total board feet, nominal, Total board feet, dressed, Real wood as a share of nominal, Board feet to order with waste, Total linear feet, Total pieces, and every intermediate step stays visible under "How is this calculated?"
- 15 Change one number at a time to see what moves the result, that is usually the most useful thing a calculator can tell you.
Worked examples
Real numbers run through this calculator. Open any example to load it into the form above and change it.
One 2x4 eight feet long
The canonical board foot question, answered in both conventions.
You enter
- First piece: length
- 8 ft
- First piece: nominal thickness
- 2
- First piece: nominal width
- 2
- First piece: how many
- 1
- Second piece: length
- 8 ft
- Second piece: nominal thickness
- 2
- Second piece: nominal width
- 4
- Second piece: how many
- 0
- Waste allowance
- 10%
You get
- Total board feet, nominal
- 5.33 bf
- Total board feet, dressed
- 3.50 bf
- Real wood as a share of nominal
- 65.6%
- Board feet to order with waste
- 5.87 bf
- Total linear feet
- 8.00 ft
- Total pieces
- 1
5.33 board feet nominal, 3.5 board feet dressed.
A bench build in 2x6
Eight pieces of 2x6 at 8 feet.
You enter
- First piece: length
- 8 ft
- First piece: nominal thickness
- 2
- First piece: nominal width
- 3
- First piece: how many
- 8
- Second piece: length
- 8 ft
- Second piece: nominal thickness
- 2
- Second piece: nominal width
- 3
- Second piece: how many
- 0
- Waste allowance
- 15%
You get
- Total board feet, nominal
- 64.00 bf
- Total board feet, dressed
- 44.00 bf
- Real wood as a share of nominal
- 68.8%
- Board feet to order with waste
- 73.60 bf
- Total linear feet
- 64.00 ft
- Total pieces
- 8
Each 2x6 of 8 feet is 8 board feet nominal.
Hardwood shorts in 4x4
Four pieces of 4x4 at 6 feet for legs.
You enter
- First piece: length
- 6 ft
- First piece: nominal thickness
- 3
- First piece: nominal width
- 2
- First piece: how many
- 4
- Second piece: length
- 6 ft
- Second piece: nominal thickness
- 3
- Second piece: nominal width
- 4
- Second piece: how many
- 0
- Waste allowance
- 10%
You get
- Total board feet, nominal
- 32.00 bf
- Total board feet, dressed
- 24.50 bf
- Real wood as a share of nominal
- 76.6%
- Board feet to order with waste
- 35.20 bf
- Total linear feet
- 24.00 ft
- Total pieces
- 4
A 4x4 at 6 feet is 12 board feet nominal, but only 9.19 dressed.
Guides that go with it
Wood Calculator Guide: Calculate Lumber, Board Feet, Cabinet Materials & Project Costs
A wood calculator turns a vague "how much do I need?" into a number you can hand to a lumber yard. By the end of this guide you will be able to measure a project, convert odd dimensions into board fee...
How to Measure Wood Correctly for DIY Handcraft Projects
You bought a board, measured twice, cut once, and it still came up short. Or worse, the "1 x 6" you ordered arrived looking nothing like an inch thick or six inches wide. If that sounds familiar, the...
Hardwood vs Softwood: What's the Difference and Which Wood Should You Choose?
You're standing in the lumber aisle or scrolling a supplier's site trying to decide between two boards that look similar but carry very different price tags. One is labelled hardwood, the other softwo...
Frequently asked questions
How many board feet is a 2x4?
What does a 2x4 actually measure?
Should I order board feet by nominal or dressed dimensions?
Does the board foot calculation include the saw kerf?
How do I price a project in board feet?
Terms used here
Short, plain-language definitions of the words this calculator uses.