Calcs4All

APR 23 · 2026

Board feet calculator

Estimate total board feet from lumber dimensions and count.

What this calculator covers

Estimate how many board feet a group of boards contains from their thickness, width, length, and quantity.

The walkthrough keeps the lumber-volume formula visible so users can check the per-board and total board-foot math.

Frequently asked questions

What is a board foot?
A board foot is a unit of lumber volume equal to a piece that is 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches long — in other words, 144 cubic inches. It is the standard unit used to price and sell dimensional lumber.
Does the calculator use nominal or actual dimensions?
It uses the dimensions you enter exactly as typed. Lumber sold at a home center often has nominal dimensions (like 2×6) that differ from the actual milled size (typically 1.5×5.5 inches). Enter the actual dimensions if you need precise volume, or enter the nominal dimensions if that is how your supplier quotes price.
How do I convert a length given in inches to the feet this calculator expects?
Divide the inch measurement by 12 to get feet. For example, a 96-inch board is 8 feet, so enter 8 in the length field.
Why is board feet used instead of linear feet for lumber pricing?
Linear feet only measures length and ignores thickness and width. Board feet captures all three dimensions, which makes it a fairer pricing unit when boards vary in thickness or width across a project.

Tool

Run the calculation

in
in
ft

RESULT · BOARD FEET

â„–019

Primary result

80 bd ft

8 boards at 2 in × 6 in × 10 ft contain 80 board feet of lumber.

Board feet per board
10 bd ft
Total board feet
80 bd ft

Step-by-step solution

  1. 1.Use the board-foot formula for one board. The per-board result displays as 10 board feet.
  2. 2.Multiply the exact per-board volume by 8 boards, then round the displayed total to 80 board feet.

Walkthrough

Visual walkthrough

Board feet converts lumber dimensions into a standard volume measure for estimating and purchasing wood stock.

  1. 01

    Multiply the board dimensions

    2 × 6 × 10

    Thickness and width stay in inches while length uses feet in the standard board-foot formula.

  2. 02

    Convert to board feet

    10 board feet per board

    Dividing by 12 converts the dimensional product into board feet for a single board, and the displayed per-board figure is rounded for readability.

  3. 03

    Multiply by board count

    The exact per-board result is multiplied by the number of boards before the displayed total is rounded.

    80 board feet total