CALC-002 · DRAWING NO. L-002 · REV A
Board foot calculator.
Drafted to scale · cited sources · honest numbers
Tally hardwood the way the yard does. Enter each board's thickness in quarters, width in inches, and length in feet; the calculator sums every line, adds waste once at the total, and prices the order per board foot.
◈ DRAFTING PANEL · LUMBER TAKEOFF · N.T.S.
SHEET L-002 · REV A
Redline · scope notice Buying volume for hardwood lumber only. Softwood dimensional lumber (2x4s, 2x6s) prices on nominal sizes; use the lumber calculator for framing packages. Log scaling (Doyle, Scribner, International 1/4) is a different measure entirely and out of scope.
Note 01 · Field Procedure
How to tally hardwood
- Read thickness in quarters off the rough face: 4/4 is 1 inch, 5/4 is 1-1/4, 8/4 is 2. Surfaced stock still tallies at the rough thickness it was sawn to, not the planed dimension.
- Measure width in inches at the board's face. Hardwood sells in random widths, so each width is its own tally line; there is no nominal width to look up.
- Measure length in feet, not inches. A 96-inch board is 8 feet. Entering inches in the length field is the classic 12x over-order.
- Group identical boards on one line with a piece count, and add a new line for each different size. The calculator sums the whole tally before rounding, so mixed sizes come out exact.
Note 02 · Equation
The formula
Note 03 · Sanity Ranges
Board feet by project
| T | Use case | Notes |
| 10-25 bf | Cutting boards / small boxes | Buy in person and pick each board. Figure and color matter more than price at this scale. |
| 30-60 bf | Bookshelf / dresser / coffee table | The common furniture-build range. Add 15% waste minimum for defect trim and grain matching. |
| 100-300 bf | Kitchen cabinets / built-ins | Ask about quantity pricing at 100 bf; many yards break price there. Check moisture content on delivery. |
| 500+ bf | Trim package / flooring run | Get a milled-to-profile quote against buying rough stock. Milling your own stops paying off around here. |
Note 04 · References
Sources
Note 05 · Field Manual
What the sheet count does not tell you
Note 06 · Common Questions
Common questions
- How do you calculate board feet?
- Multiply thickness in inches by width in inches by length in feet, then divide by 12. A 4/4 board 6 inches wide and 8 feet long is 1 times 6 times 8 over 12, or 4 board feet. With all three dimensions in inches, divide by 144 instead.
- What does 4/4 mean in lumber?
- Thickness in quarters of an inch on the rough-sawn board: 4/4 is 1 inch, 5/4 is 1-1/4, 8/4 is 2 inches. The quarters describe the board before surfacing; a 4/4 board planed smooth on both faces measures under an inch but still tallies and bills as 4/4.
- How many board feet are in a 2x4x8?
- 5.33 board feet, figured on the nominal 2 by 4: 2 times 4 times 8 over 12. Softwood framing lumber sells by the piece, not the board foot, and its board footage always uses nominal dimensions even though the actual board is 1.5 by 3.5 inches.
- Is a board foot the same as a square foot?
- No. A square foot is area with no thickness; a board foot is volume, 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 inch thick. One square foot of 4/4 stock is one board foot, but the same square foot in 8/4 stock is two board feet. Thicker stock costs more for the same footprint.
- How much waste should a hardwood order include?
- 15 percent is the working rule of thumb for FAS and Select boards: defect trim, checked ends, and grain matching all eat stock. Knotty or rustic grades run 30 percent or more. Cutting boards and small parts can run leaner because offcuts get reused.