
How to compute board feet. By definition a board foot is one square foot one inch thick. Go here to find out. For instance if the two boards above were oak and you know that the lumberyard charges 18 per board foot for oak in the first example above the cost for the board in the first example should be 90 5 bf x 18 per bf 90. Multiply the thickness of a board in inches by the width of the board in inches by the length of the board in feet and then divide the result by 12.
8in x 8ft x 1in. A single board foot is equivalent to 1 square foot of lumber that is 1 inch thick meaning it has a length of 12 inches a width of 12 inches and a thickness of 1 inch. This board foot calculator is a free to use tool for converting your dimensions into board feet the standard of measurement in the lumber industry. A board foot is a piece of lumber 1 foot 12 inches long 1 foot wide and 1 inch thick which is equal to 144 cubic inches.
Properly managed trees are a renewable resource. If you stack four layers on the truck 4 x 32 the total board footage is 128. While it may seem confusing its actually pretty easy to calculate how many board feet of lumber. Simply input your dimensions and click calculate.
Board feet calculations and tables provide estimates only and may under or over estimate the usable board feet from the actual tree. A board foot is also a common unit of measure for lumber in the usa and canada. If you know the board feet measurement of each board and you know how much the lumberyard charges per board foot you can determine the appropriate cost for that board. Board feet is a measurement of the volume of lumber often used by wholesalers and sawmills in canada and the united states.
How to calculate board footage. We also have a listing of the most common dimensions of lumber and their equivilent board foot measurement. You can also find the board footage of a board if your length dimension is in feet. For example the back of a pickup truck is about 48 inches wide.
If all dimensions are expressed in inches. Board foot insulation is a measurement of how much volume spray foam insulation can cover. Using the formula a single layer of hardwood 96 inches in length in the back of the truck equals approximately 32 board feet. Bdft t w l 12.
How to compute lumber measurement. Calculate board footage using length in feet. We sell most of our lumber by the board foot. Andrew shares his method for quickly calculating board feet to help understand the ordering process.
The amount of lumber is expressed in terms of board feet. A board foot is a volume 1 ft x 1 ft x 1 in so estimate the volume you need to fill before buying your spray foam insulation buy finding the square footage of the space. Woodworkers may calculate board feet by layer.