Lumber is sold by the board foot — a unit of volume used in the US and Canada. One board foot = 144 cubic inches. This calculator converts your board dimensions into board feet so you can order the correct amount from a lumber yard.
Total Board Feet:
Linear Feet:
How to Use This Tool
Enter how many boards you need.
Enter the width in inches (standard 2x4 actual width is 1.5 inches).
Enter the thickness in inches.
Enter the length in feet.
Click Calculate to get board feet and linear feet.
The Formula
Board Feet = Width (in) x Thickness (in) x Length (ft) / 12. Linear Feet = Number of Boards x Length per Board.
Why It Matters
You are building bookshelves 6ft wide, 7ft tall, 12 inches deep. You need 8 pieces of 2x10 for shelves (cut to 6ft), 2 pieces for sides (cut to 7ft), and 2x4s for internal supports.