How to Calculate Board Feet

A board foot is a volume measurement equal to a piece of lumber 12 inches × 12 inches × 1 inch thick — it's how hardwood and specialty lumber is priced, as opposed to dimensional softwood lumber which is usually priced per linear foot.

The formula: board feet = (thickness in. × width in. × length ft) ÷ 12. A board 1 inch thick, 6 inches wide, and 8 feet long is (1 × 6 × 8) ÷ 12 = 4 board feet.

For a full cut list, calculate each board separately and sum the totals — the Board Foot Calculator does this per-board math and estimates total cost from a price-per-board-foot input.