Board Foot Calculator

A board foot is a way to measure lumber volume.  For example, one BF (Board foot) represents a foot by a foot by 1 inch thick piece of lumber.  Oftentimes, especially with dimensional lumber, woodworkers will purchase the required material by a specific number of board foot.  Purchasing lumber by board foot can be a little more tricky when dealing with live edge wood because wood slabs are often odd shaped, tapered or flared.  When measuring live edge wood, oftentimes the volume calculated via board foot has to be estimated.  When we sell lumber per bf we usually take 3-4 width measurements and take the average thereby providing our clients with the most accurate price.  If you’re interested in purchasing some live edge slabs please contact us.

Our board foot calculator will allow you to estimate volume of  a particular piece of lumber, whether live edge or dimensional. 

We also offer a Epoxy volume calculator  for all your live edge epoxy table projects.

The Difference Between a Board Foot and Linear Foot

The main difference between linear foot and board foot is that linear foot measures length and board foot measures volume.  For example if you have a piece of lumber that’s 12 inches wide and 5 feet long, 2 inches thick.  If the price is $10 per linear foot your cost would be $50.  However, if the cost is $10 per board foot, the total cost would be $100 because the piece of lumber is 2 inches thick.

In essence, to get your board foot result you need to multiple your liner foot by the thickness of the piece of lumber. 

How to Measure Board Foot or Square Footage?

To measure a board foot, you can measure the length, width, and thickness of the piece of lumber. If you have an irregular rectangular shape, divide it into segments. Multiply the values of all three dimensions and divide them by 12 to get the measurement in feet. (One foot is 12 inches). If you measure the dimensions in feet, you will not need to divide the final product by 12.