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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.