Board Foot Calculator

Calculate board foot calculator for construction and building projects.

Understanding Board Feet

A "Board Foot" (FBM) is a unit of volume used in the lumber industry. Unlike linear feet (which just measures length) or square feet (area), a board foot measures the actual amount of wood in a piece of lumber.

The Definition

One board foot is equal to a piece of wood that is:
12 inches wide × 12 inches long × 1 inch thick (144 cubic inches).

Formula: (Thickness" × Width" × Length') / 12
Note: Thickness and Width are in inches, Length is in feet.

Why Use Board Feet?

Rough Lumber Pricing

Hardwoods (Oak, Walnut, Cherry) are sold by the board foot because they come in random widths and lengths.

  • Fairness: You pay for the actual volume of wood you get.
  • Comparison: Easy to compare prices between different species.

Dimensional Lumber

Softwoods (Pine, Fir) at big box stores are sold by the "piece" (linear foot), not board foot.

  • 2x4x8: Sold as "one stud".
  • Calculation: A 2x4x8 is actually 5.33 board feet.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to use the Board Foot Calculator

Follow these steps to get accurate results with the board foot calculator.

  1. 1

    Enter your values

    Fill in the required input fields above. Units can be changed where available.

  2. 2

    Click Calculate

    Press the calculate button to compute results instantly in your browser.

  3. 3

    Review your results

    View the computed outputs and use related calculators for deeper analysis.