Board-foot method · lumber estimating
One board foot is a 1″ × 12″ × 1′ slab of wood, figured off nominal dimensions — a 2×4 counts as 2 by 4 even though it dresses smaller. Build the cut list, price each stick per board foot, and carry waste as its own line. Your work is saved on this device automatically.
One row per stick of stock. Pick a nominal size (or choose Customand type the dimensions — rough-sawn, hardwood, whatever the mill runs), set the length in feet, the count, and the yard’s $/BF. Quoted by the piece instead? Divide the piece price by the BF ea shown in the breakdown below.
| Board | Qty | BF ea | BF | $/BF | Cost | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2×4 · 8′ | 24 | 5.3 | 128.0 | $0.75 | $96 | 21% |
| 2×10 · 12′ | 8 | 20.0 | 160.0 | $1.10 | $176 | 39% |
| 1×6 · 10′ | 12 | 5.0 | 60.0 | $2.25 | $135 | 30% |
| Waste allowance (10%) | — | 34.8 | $41 | 9% | ||
| Total | 44 | 382.8 | $448 | 100% |
Multiply by a stick’s length in feet to get its board feet — handy for checking a yard quote on the tailgate. A 2×6 runs 1 BF per lineal foot, so a 12-footer is 12 BF.
A board foot is the standard unit lumber is sold and priced in: one board foot is a piece 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 1 foot long — 144 cubic inches of wood. To calculate board feet, multiply nominal thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) and divide by 12, then multiply by quantity. This calculator runs that math across an entire cut list and totals the cost at your yard's price per board foot.
Pick a nominal size (a 2×4 is figured as 2 by 4, even though it dresses smaller) or choose Custom and type the dimensions for rough-sawn or hardwood stock.
Set the length in feet, how many sticks of that size you need, and the yard's $/BF for that item. Quoted by the piece instead? Divide the piece price by the BF-each figure the tool shows.
Add a waste percentage for offcuts, culls, and mistakes — 10% is typical, 15%+ for finish work. It's carried as its own line so it never hides inside the unit prices.
The breakdown shows board feet per item, the net and to-order board feet, each line's share of the cost, and a blended $/BF across the whole mix.
Built by FieldMark
Estimating is one corner of FieldMark — project management, time tracking, and invoicing, built for construction and service crews. It works on the truck, in the trench, and back at the office — online or off.