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Lumber - How do you calculate board feet?

Updated: 9/11/2023
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Gregmac32

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16y ago

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Though "board foot" sounds a measurement of area it is actually a measurement of volume. 1 board foot equals 144 cubic inches of wood.

Length x Width x Thickness = Board Feet

Therefore a board that is 12 inches x 12 inches x 1 inch is 1 board foot.

But so is a board that is 12 x 6 x 2

However, you must take into account the fact that all lumber is actually a different size than it says it is. A 2 x 12 is actually 1-1/2 by 11-1/2. So instead of a board foot of 1 x 12 being 12 inches long, it would be:

144 / (3/4 x 11-1/2) or 13.22 inches long.

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Q: Lumber - How do you calculate board feet?
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How to Calculate Board Feet In Lumber?

Most do-it-yourselfers at some point in time have to figure out how much board feet of lumber they will need for a given project. Figuring out board feet of lumber can be confusing for someone who has never had to do it before, or at least not very often. Here is an explanation on how to calculate how many board feet of lumber in a few short steps. Step 1: Gather together a calculator, a pen and some paper. You will need these for the math. Step 2: You will need to know that a board foot is a piece of wood one inch thick, one foot long and one foot wide, and that lumber is calculated by its rough size. This means a 2 x 4 is actually 1 ½ inches thick. Step 3: Learn the formula (Thickness x Width x Length) / 144, so you can calculate your board feet. Any lumber can be calculated by using this simple formula. Step 4: Remember to allow for waste when calculating how many board feet you will need. The higher the grade of lumber you buy, the less waste you will have. With the high grade lumber, a rough estimate of waste should be around 15% while the lower grade estimate about 30% waste. If you are able to calculate board feet, it will help you when ordering or buying wood for any do-it-yourself project and for checking on contractors estimated amounts. You should always be able to know what you are paying for any amount of building material. This simple formula will be able to help you.


How do I find the board feet in at 40x48 pallet?

There is insufficient information in the question to properly answer it. You need to specify size, including thickness, of the lumber and the height of the stack. Please restate the question.


How calculate feet into sq feet?

to calculate square feet you need a 2d shape


How many lin ft in a 1in x6 in -12 ft?

linear feet is exactly what it sounds like... the length of the board, 12 feet. board feet is based on a board 1x12 by I ft, so this would be 6 board feet because it is 1/2 the with for calculating board feet.


How many board feet in 6' by5'?

Board feet can be determined when you have 3 dimensions for the board, but not with just two.

Related questions

What is the difference in board feet and linear feet?

Board feet is the unit measure of rough lumber. Linear feet is the unit measure of S4S lumber. (smooth 4 sides)


Why do you need to know board feet?

Most lumber is sold by the board ft.


How to Calculate Board Feet In Lumber?

Most do-it-yourselfers at some point in time have to figure out how much board feet of lumber they will need for a given project. Figuring out board feet of lumber can be confusing for someone who has never had to do it before, or at least not very often. Here is an explanation on how to calculate how many board feet of lumber in a few short steps. Step 1: Gather together a calculator, a pen and some paper. You will need these for the math. Step 2: You will need to know that a board foot is a piece of wood one inch thick, one foot long and one foot wide, and that lumber is calculated by its rough size. This means a 2 x 4 is actually 1 ½ inches thick. Step 3: Learn the formula (Thickness x Width x Length) / 144, so you can calculate your board feet. Any lumber can be calculated by using this simple formula. Step 4: Remember to allow for waste when calculating how many board feet you will need. The higher the grade of lumber you buy, the less waste you will have. With the high grade lumber, a rough estimate of waste should be around 15% while the lower grade estimate about 30% waste. If you are able to calculate board feet, it will help you when ordering or buying wood for any do-it-yourself project and for checking on contractors estimated amounts. You should always be able to know what you are paying for any amount of building material. This simple formula will be able to help you.


What is bd ft?

It is probably 'board feet,' which is a measurement of lumber volume.


How many board feet to build a 3000 square foot house What would the average total cost of the lumber be?

30,000 board feet. Today $350 per thousand board feet, it will cost $10,500.


How much lumber is imported into the U.S.?

The United States imported 21 billion board feet of lumber in 2003, mostly from Canadian lumbering operations.


How do you Calculate board feet to linear board feet?

BF = nominal thickness" (t) x nominal width" (w) x linear feet'(LF)/ 12" then BFx12"/ (t)x(w)= LF so if you have 200 BF of 2x4 200'x12"/2"x4"= 2400/8= 300 LF of lumber


Lumber bd ft conversion?

According to F.W. Honerkamp Co. Inc., the aswer is as follows: The unit of measurement for hardwood lumber (bd.ft. or BF). A board foot is the amount of lumber in a board one foot long, one foot wide, and one inch thick before milling. The formula for determining the board feet in a board is: (Width in inchesx length in feet x thickness in inches) / 12 = BFFor example:a board 8" wide, 12' long and 1" thick would contain 8 board feet.(8" wide x 12' long x 1" thick) / 12= 8 board feet.


How many board feet of lumber can you get out of a regular sized pine tree?

Cubic Feet = Area (ft) X Height (ft) / 4


What is does linear footage mean?

Linear footage as referred to in wood or lumber is the length as you see it.For instance a 2 x 4 x 8, is 8 feet long. - In theoretical board feet this is actually 5.333 board feet or practically, 5.0 board feet. ( because a 2x4 is not really that dimension, but 1.5x3.5. )


How much lumber was sold in the U.S in 2002?

demand for lumber in 2002 reached an all time high of 56.3 billion board feet, beating the previous record set in 1999 at 53.3 billion.


How much lumber to build a 2400 sq ft house?

Usually, 2,400 square foot, single-family home requires about 16,000 board feet of framing lumber . Furthermore, over 14,000 square feet of other wood is also required.