Board Foot Calculator

What is a Board Foot?

A board foot is a unit of measurement for lumber volume. One board foot equals 144 cubic inches (12" × 12" × 1"). It's the standard unit for buying and selling lumber in North America.

Formula: Board Feet = (Length × Width × Thickness × Pieces) ÷ 144

Common Lumber Sizes

• 1×4 (3/4" × 3.5") = 0.33 BF per foot
• 2×4 (1.5" × 3.5") = 0.67 BF per foot
• 2×6 (1.5" × 5.5") = 1.0 BF per foot
• 2×8 (1.5" × 7.25") = 1.33 BF per foot
• 2×10 (1.5" × 9.25") = 1.67 BF per foot
• 2×12 (1.5" × 11.25") = 2.0 BF per foot

Example Calculation

Question: How many board feet in a 2×6 board that is 8 feet long?

Solution:
Length: 8 ft = 96 inches
Width: 6 inches (actual 5.5")
Thickness: 2 inches (actual 1.5")
BF = (96 × 5.5 × 1.5) ÷ 144 = 5.5 BF