Board Foot CalculatorLumber Cost Calculator
Enter the board size and any price you have: per board foot, per linear foot or per piece. You get the other two prices and the cost of your whole order.
Total cost
$0.00
Enter a price to see costs.
- Per board foot
- $0.00
- Per linear foot
- $0.00
- Per piece
- $0.00
- Board feet to buy
- 0
How do you find the price per board foot?
Divide the price of one piece by the board feet in that piece. Board feet equal thickness in inches times width in inches times length in feet, divided by 12. A 2x4 that is 8 feet long holds 5.33 board feet. At $8.00 per piece, the price is $1.50 per board foot.
Price per board foot = price per piece ÷ board feet per piece
Price per linear foot = price per board foot × thickness × width ÷ 12
Total cost = board feet × (1 + waste % ÷ 100) × price per board foot
Why hardwood is priced by the board foot
Hardwood lumber is sawn in random widths and many lengths, so a price per piece would change for every board. The board foot is the standard unit for hardwood lumber, as AHEC explains [1]. A price per board foot works for any size. Home centers often price framing lumber and some boards per piece instead. Converting both to price per board foot lets you compare them.
Does thicker lumber cost more per board foot?
Board feet already scale with thickness, so 8/4 stock holds twice the board feet of 4/4 stock of the same width and length. Sellers may also set a different rate per board foot for each thickness. Check the price list for the thickness you need, and enter that rate here.
Make sure you and the seller count the same way
Hardwood is tallied on the rough quarter size, even when sold planed [2]. Framing lumber is tallied on nominal size. The Wood Handbook advises buyers to make clear whether nominal or actual sizes are used when lumber is sold by board measure [3]. Ask before you compare prices from two sellers.
For a list of many board sizes at once, use the cut list on the main board feet calculator.
Questions
How do I find the price per board foot?
Divide the price of one piece by its board feet. A 2x4 that is 8 feet long holds 5.33 board feet. If it costs $8.00, the price is $8.00 ÷ 5.33, or $1.50 per board foot.
How do I turn a price per board foot into a price per linear foot?
Multiply the price per board foot by the board feet in one foot of the board. Board feet per foot equal thickness times width in inches, divided by 12. For 4/4 stock 6 inches wide that is 0.5, so $8 per board foot is $4 per linear foot.
Why compare lumber by price per board foot?
Board feet measure volume, so the price per board foot lets you compare boards of different sizes on equal terms. A wide board and a narrow board can look far apart in price per piece but be close in price per board foot.
Should I add waste to my lumber cost?
Yes, if your parts must be cut around defects or from fixed lengths. Enter a waste percent and the calculator raises the board feet and the cost by that amount. The right percent depends on your lumber grade and your cut list.
References
- Grading Sawn Lumber: Measurement. American Hardwood Export Council.
- Briggs, D. Forest Products Measurements and Conversion Factors, Chapter 4, Lumber. University of Washington, Rural Technology Initiative.
- Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material (FPL-GTR-282), Chapter 6, Commercial Lumber. USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, 2021.
- What Is a Board Foot? Forestry Facts No. 42. University of Wisconsin Extension.