Board Foot Calculator
A board foot is 144 cubic inches of wood: 1 in thick, 12 in wide and 12 in long. Enter your boards to find the total.
How it works
Board feet = thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 12, per piece, times the number of pieces. Equivalently, multiply all three dimensions in inches and divide by 144. 1 board foot = 144 in³ = 0.002359737 m³ (1 in = 0.0254 m exactly, NIST).
Worked example: UW Extension: a 10 ft 2 × 6 is 2 × 6 × 10 ÷ 12 = 10 board feet, and an 8 ft 1 × 8 is 5⅓. Oregon State Extension: a 2 × 8 × 24 ft plank is 32 board feet.
Assumptions
- Lumber is usually sold by nominal size. UW Extension notes a 2 × 6 is about 1½ × 5½ in surfaced; enter nominal sizes to match how yards price lumber, or actual sizes for true volume.
- Rectangular boards of uniform size. Log and standing-tree volumes use log rules and are not covered.
- Price per board foot is your own estimate; many yards price dimensional lumber per piece or per linear foot instead.
- The waste allowance is an editable JobsiteCalc default, not an industry standard. Ask your supplier what extra they suggest for your job.
Frequently asked questions
What is a board foot?
A volume of 144 cubic inches, such as a board 1 in thick, 12 in wide and 12 in long (Virginia Department of Forestry; UW Extension).
How many board feet are in a 2 × 6 × 10?
10 board feet using nominal size (2 × 6 × 10 ÷ 12), per UW Extension. Using the actual 1½ × 5½ in size it is 6.875 board feet.
How do I calculate board feet for a stack of lumber?
Use the stack's height and width in inches and the board length in feet. UW Extension's example: a stack 36 in high, 60 in wide with 8 ft boards holds 36 × 60 × 8 ÷ 12 = 1,440 board feet.
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Sources
Formulas and reference values are from these sources. Page last reviewed 2026-10-19.
- University of Wisconsin Extension, Forestry Facts No. 42: What Is a Board Foot?
- Oregon State University Extension EC 1127: Measuring Timber Products Harvested from Your Woodland
- Virginia Department of Forestry glossary: Board foot (144 cubic inches)
- NIST Guide to the SI (SP 811), Appendix B.9: conversion factors (foot = 0.3048 m, ton, pound)