By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed About us
Hardwood is sold by board footage, not by the piece, because a board's price should scale with the volume of wood in it. One board foot is 144 cubic inches — a piece 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide and 12 inches long. This calculator converts your dimensions into board feet and multiplies by the price per board foot.
Price hardwood the way the lumber yard does — by board footage.
BF = (T × W × L) ÷ 12 × quantity
T is thickness in inches, W is width in inches and L is length in feet. The divisor 12 converts cubic inches to board feet. Use nominal dimensions for dressed lumber only if that is how your supplier prices it — most hardwood is sold on actual rough dimensions.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| T | Thickness in inches. |
| W | Width in inches. |
| L | Length in feet. |
| BF | Board feet for the whole order. |
Each board is (1 × 6 × 8) ÷ 12 = 4 board feet, so six boards total 24 board feet. At $6.50 per board foot the order costs $156.00.
Continue with the Cubic Yard Calculator, Gallons per Square Foot Calculator, Size to Weight Calculator (Rectangular Box), or the Square Feet to Cubic Yards Calculator — or browse more construction converters and all construction calculators.
A linear foot measures length only, so its price depends on the profile. A board foot measures volume — 144 cubic inches — so boards of different widths can be compared on one price.
Results use standard construction estimating arithmetic: volumes from measured area and depth, unit weights from published material densities, and code-referenced spans or clearances where the page names a code. Quantities are rounded up to whole saleable units and include the stated waste allowance. These tools are planning aids, not structural design, and do not replace a licensed engineer, a local code check, or a contractor's site measurement.
Reference material used to build and check this calculator:
Last reviewed: September 2026. See how we build and check every tool on the about page.
Estimate decking boards by length, screws, hidden fasteners and waste
Calculate concrete blocks needed for wall construction
Calculate full deck materials list including boards, joists, beams, posts, and cost estimates
Turn measured dimensions into the cubic yards concrete and gravel are sold in.
How many gallons it takes to cover an area at a given depth.
Estimate the weight of a solid or hollow box from its size and material.
Content updated: September 2026