Board Foot Calculator for Lumber
Converts thickness, width and length in inches plus the piece count into board feet: BF = T × W × L × pieces / 144, so a 2 by 6 by 96 in board is 8 BF.
Board feet
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Calculating board feet of lumber
The rule is board_feet = (thickness_in · width_in · length_in) / 144 · pieces. A board foot is 144 in³, which you can picture as a board 1 ft × 1 ft and 1 in thick. Run a 2"×6"×96" board through it: (2 · 6 · 96) / 144 lands at 8 board feet. American yards sell rough-sawn hardwood by board feet (BF or BdFt), while Brazil prices by the cubic meter. To go between them, 1 m³ works out to roughly 424 board feet, since 1 bf = 0.002360 m³. Price off the nominal dimensions even when the planed thickness comes out smaller; a 2× is really 1.5".
Applications
You'll see this in fine woodworking, importing oak/maple/cherry, custom furniture, and musical instrument making. Hardwood suppliers like Woodcraft and Rockler quote $/board foot by species and grade (FAS, Select, #1 Common). Cabinetmakers and luthiers budget their projects in board feet because it lets them compare prices across species and lots on equal footing. When the softwood is structural and sold in a uniform profile, linear feet is the better measure.
FAQ
Why divide by 144? One board foot is 12 in × 12 in × 1 in = 144 in³, so dividing brings any thickness/width/length back to that reference volume.
Nominal or actual dimensions? Go with nominal when you're pricing; a "2×6×8" sells as 8 bf even though planed it measures 1.5"×5.5". For the finished volume inside a project, switch to the actual measurements.
How do I convert m³ to board feet? Multiply by 424, or divide by 0.002360 if you prefer. A cubic meter of oak comes to about 424 BF.
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The results provided by this tool are for general informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute professional, financial, medical, legal, tax or accounting advice. Always confirm important decisions with a qualified professional and official sources.