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Board Feet Calculator

Calculate the board footage of lumber for your woodworking projects. Add multiple boards and estimate total cost.

⚡ Quick Answer

8 board feet is what one 8/4 hardwood board 8 feet long and 6 inches wide contains: thickness 2 in x width 6 in x length 8 ft, divided by 12. Add 15 to 20 percent extra for waste and defects. Use the calculator below for your exact numbers.

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Summary

Recommended Lumber Tools

Essential tools for measuring and marking lumber accurately.

As an Amazon Associate, WorkshopCalc earns from qualifying purchases. Product recommendations are selected to complement your lumber calculations.

What is a Board Foot?

A board foot (BF) is a unit of volume for lumber equal to 144 cubic inches. It's calculated as:

BF = (T × W × L) ÷ 144

Where T = thickness (in), W = width (in), L = length (in)

Or simply: BF = T" × W" × L' ÷ 12

Common Lumber Sizes

FractionActualName
4/4~0.8"1 inch
5/4~1.0"Decking
6/4~1.25"1.5 inch
8/4~1.75"2 inch
12/4~2.75"3 inch
16/4~3.75"4 inch

Tips

  • Add 15-20% extra for waste, defects, and mistakes
  • Rough lumber is priced by board foot; S4S may be linear foot
  • Actual thickness after surfacing is less than nominal
  • Ask about surfacing costs at your lumber dealer

Price Guide

Typical hardwood prices (2024-2026):

  • Poplar: $3-5/BF
  • Soft Maple: $4-6/BF
  • Red Oak: $5-8/BF
  • White Oak: $6-10/BF
  • Hard Maple: $6-9/BF
  • Cherry: $7-12/BF
  • Walnut: $10-18/BF

Prices vary by region, grade, and dealer.

Ripping Your Lumber Down

Once you know how many board feet you need, the saw does the rest. See our researched guide to the best table saws 2026 for ripping hardwood and sheet goods, including the best contractor table saw under $800.

Frequently Asked Questions

Board feet = (Thickness in inches × Width in inches × Length in feet) ÷ 12. For example, a board that's 1" thick, 6" wide, and 8' long = (1 × 6 × 8) ÷ 12 = 4 board feet.

Lumber thickness is often expressed in quarters of an inch. 4/4 (four-quarter) means 4 quarters or 1 inch thick rough. After surfacing (S2S), it's typically about 13/16" or 0.8" thick. 8/4 is 2 inches rough, about 1.75" surfaced.

Rough lumber is cheaper per board foot and gives you more control over final thickness. However, you need a jointer and planer. Surfaced lumber (S2S or S4S) costs more but is ready to use. For beginners or those without surfacing equipment, S4S is convenient.

Plan for 15-20% extra for waste, defects, and cutting errors. For complex projects with many angled cuts, consider 25-30% extra. It's always better to have leftover wood than to run short mid-project.

The machines these numbers are really about

Sizing a duct run or a cut list is planning for a machine you either own or are about to buy. These four are the ones that change what the shop can do, rather than making the current setup slightly tidier.

Grizzly G0861 2 HP Portable Cyclone Grizzly G0861 2 HP Portable Cyclone The step up from a bag collector. Cyclone separation keeps the filter clean, which is the thing that quietly halves a bag unit's airflow after a few months. Check price on Amazon → Powermatic TurboCone Dust Collector Powermatic TurboCone Dust Collector Two-micron canister and enough static pressure to run a long duct main rather than dragging a hose to each machine. Check price on Amazon → JET 14 in Bandsaw, 1.75 HP JET 14 in Bandsaw, 1.75 HP Thirteen inches of resaw. The machine that turns expensive boards into two boards, which is where it pays for itself. Check price on Amazon → Powermatic 8 in Helical Jointer Powermatic 8 in Helical Jointer Helical head, so figured stock comes off flat instead of torn out. The one machine most shops regret buying small. Check price on Amazon →

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