What is a board foot?

 

 

A board foot is a common unit of measurement for hardwood & softwood lumber.
In contrast to a square foot, which is an area, a board foot includes volume.
 
A board foot has the dimensions:
12” (length) × 12” (width) × 1" (thickness)

 

Example:

For 14’ long pine, 10” wide,  4/4 (1” thick) is calculated:

14’ long x 10” wide = 140”. 140” divided by 12”= 11.67 square feet. 11.67 square feet x 1” thick = 11.67 board feet.

 

OR

 

8/4 (2” thick) red oak, 8” wide and 10’ long is calculated:

 8” wide x 120” long  (10’ long x 12”)= 960 square inches. 960 divided by 144 (use 144 to return measurement to feet)= 6.66 square feet. 6.66 sq. ft. x 2” thick = 13.3 board feet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*This tool is for estimating the amount of lumber you would like to order. All hardwood comes in random width and can not be guaranteed to be the exact specifications entered into the board foot calculator

**Prices are based on the value you enter and do not reflect the current pricing of products.