How to measure board feet
A board foot is a piece of wood 12 inches long, 12 inches wide and 1 inch thick, which is 144 cubic inches. Lumberyards use it to price hardwood and bulk softwood, so knowing it lets you compare quotes and avoid ordering too much.
Board feet = thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 12
Worked example
You need twelve 2x6 boards, each 10 feet long. One board is 2 × 6 × 10 ÷ 12 = 10 board feet, so twelve boards are 120 board feet. At $1.80 a board foot the stack costs $216.
Common sizes
| Board | 8 ft | 10 ft | 12 ft | 16 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2x4 | 5.33 | 6.67 | 8.00 | 10.67 |
| 2x6 | 8.00 | 10.00 | 12.00 | 16.00 |
| 2x8 | 10.67 | 13.33 | 16.00 | 21.33 |
| 2x10 | 13.33 | 16.67 | 20.00 | 26.67 |
| 1x6 | 4.00 | 5.00 | 6.00 | 8.00 |