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Board Foot Calculator

Calculate board feet, linear footage, and lumber cost using nominal dimensions and MBF pricing.

Default $650/MBF (framing lumber, 2026 national avg). Hardwood species will be higher.

Estimated Cost (with 10% waste)

$38.13

58.67 BF at $0.650/BF

Board feet per piece5.33 BF
Total board feet53.33 BF
With 10% waste58.67 BF
Total linear feet80 LF
Cost per board foot$0.650
Estimated cost$38.13

table_chartBoard Feet per Linear Foot

1x40.333 BF/LF
1x60.500 BF/LF
1x80.667 BF/LF
1x121.000 BF/LF
2x40.667 BF/LF
2x61.000 BF/LF
2x81.333 BF/LF
2x101.667 BF/LF
2x122.000 BF/LF
4x41.333 BF/LF
6x63.000 BF/LF

For a full lumber takeoff with waste and project pricing, use our Lumber Calculator.

construction

Contractor Note — Danny Reeves

Board foot pricing is how lumber yards quote hardwood and specialty lumber. Framing lumber is priced per piece or per MBF (thousand board feet). Always ask "is that per piece or per board foot?" before you agree to a quote — I've seen guys order $3,000 of walnut thinking it was per piece when it was per BF.

Methodology

Board feet = (nominal thickness x nominal width x length in feet) / 12. This uses nominal dimensions (not actual milled dimensions), which is the industry standard for board foot calculation. A 10% waste factor is added for cuts, defects, and layout. MBF = thousand board feet. Cost = total BF (with waste) x ($/MBF / 1000). Prices vary significantly by species, grade, and market conditions — always verify with your supplier.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a board foot?
A board foot (BF) is a unit of lumber volume equal to 1 inch thick x 12 inches wide x 12 inches long, or 144 cubic inches. It is the standard pricing unit for hardwood, specialty lumber, and wholesale dimensional lumber in North America. Board foot calculations always use nominal dimensions — a 2x4 is calculated as 2 inches by 4 inches, not the actual milled size of 1.5" x 3.5".
How to calculate board feet for a 2x4?
For a 2x4 that is 8 feet long: BF = (2 x 4 x 8) / 12 = 5.33 board feet. For a 2x4 at 10 feet: BF = (2 x 4 x 10) / 12 = 6.67 board feet. The quick reference is 0.667 BF per linear foot for a 2x4. Multiply that by the length in feet for any 2x4 piece.
What does MBF mean?
MBF stands for "thousand board feet" (M is the Roman numeral for 1,000). It is the standard wholesale pricing unit for lumber. If lumber is quoted at $650/MBF, that means $650 per 1,000 board feet, or $0.65 per board foot. Retail pricing at home centers is usually per piece or per linear foot, but mill and wholesale pricing is always per MBF.
Board foot vs linear foot — what's the difference?
A linear foot is simply a measurement of length — 1 foot of material regardless of cross-section. A board foot is a measurement of volume that accounts for thickness and width. A 1x12 at 1 foot long is exactly 1 board foot and also 1 linear foot. But a 2x6 at 1 foot long is 1 linear foot and 1.0 board feet, while a 1x4 at 1 foot long is 1 linear foot but only 0.333 board feet. Board feet let you compare the actual wood volume across different sizes.