Board Footage Calculator

Calculate lumber volume in board feet for woodworking projects

100% FreeEasy to UseWoodworking

Required Inputs

Enter thickness, width, length and quantity

Thickness (in)

Examples: $4/4 = 1 ext{ in}$ , $8/4 = 2 ext{ in}$ , decimals allowed

Width (in)

Ex: 8 1/4 or 8.25

Length

Ex: $8 ext{ ft} = 96 ext{ in}$

Quantity

What is a Board Foot?

A board foot equals 144 cubic inches of lumber, representing the standard unit for measuring lumber volume used by woodworkers, carpenters, and lumber suppliers worldwide.

1 \text{ board foot} = 1 \text{ in} \times 12 \text{ in} \times 12 \text{ in} = 144 \text{ in}^3

Why Board Feet?

✓Industry Standard: Universal measurement system used by lumberyards and suppliers
✓Pricing: Lumber is typically sold by board feet, making cost estimation easier
✓Planning: Helps woodworkers calculate material needs for projects accurately

Lumber Thickness Guide

Quarter System Nomenclature

Lumber thickness is commonly expressed in quarters of an inch, where each quarter equals 0.25 inches:

4/4 = 1 \text{ in}

(1 inch)

5/4 = 1.25 \text{ in}

(1¼ inch)

6/4 = 1.5 \text{ in}

(1½ inch)

8/4 = 2 \text{ in}

(2 inches)

Note: Our calculator accepts both fractional formats (4/4) and decimal values (1.0).

Common Lumber Sizes

1×4: Actually 0.75" × 3.5" (nominal vs. actual dimensions)

2×4: Actually 1.5" × 3.5" (most common framing lumber)

2×6: Actually 1.5" × 5.5" (wider framing option)

Measuring Tips & Best Practices

1Thickness Measurement

Measure at the thickest point of the board
Account for rough-sawn vs. planed dimensions
Use actual thickness, not nominal size

2Width & Length

For irregular widths, use average width
Round lengths to the nearest inch for estimation
Measure in inches for consistency

Calculation Formula

\text{Board Feet} = \frac{\text{Thickness (in)} \times \text{Width (in)} \times \text{Length (in)}}{144}

This formula converts cubic inches to board feet by dividing by 144 (12 × 12).