Board Foot Chart for Common Lumber Sizes
This board foot chart gives the board feet in one piece of lumber for the sizes sold most often in the United States. Find the size in the left column, read across to the length, and multiply by the number of pieces. For sizes that are not listed, the board foot calculator works from any thickness, width and length.
Every figure on this page comes from the standard formula: thickness in inches, times width in inches, times length in feet, divided by 12. One board foot equals 144 cubic inches.
Softwood Lumber Board Foot Chart
Softwood framing lumber and boards are tallied on nominal size, so a 2×4 is counted as 2 inches by 4 inches even though the dressed piece is smaller. The chart below uses nominal dimensions and shows board feet per piece.
Nominal size | 8 ft | 10 ft | 12 ft | 14 ft | 16 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1×4 | 2.67 | 3.33 | 4.00 | 4.67 | 5.33 |
1×6 | 4.00 | 5.00 | 6.00 | 7.00 | 8.00 |
1×8 | 5.33 | 6.67 | 8.00 | 9.33 | 10.67 |
1×10 | 6.67 | 8.33 | 10.00 | 11.67 | 13.33 |
1×12 | 8.00 | 10.00 | 12.00 | 14.00 | 16.00 |
2×4 | 5.33 | 6.67 | 8.00 | 9.33 | 10.67 |
2×6 | 8.00 | 10.00 | 12.00 | 14.00 | 16.00 |
2×8 | 10.67 | 13.33 | 16.00 | 18.67 | 21.33 |
2×10 | 13.33 | 16.67 | 20.00 | 23.33 | 26.67 |
2×12 | 16.00 | 20.00 | 24.00 | 28.00 | 32.00 |
4×4 | 10.67 | 13.33 | 16.00 | 18.67 | 21.33 |
4×6 | 16.00 | 20.00 | 24.00 | 28.00 | 32.00 |
6×6 | 24.00 | 30.00 | 36.00 | 42.00 | 48.00 |
To price a stack, multiply the figure by the piece count.
Twenty 2×6 boards at 12 feet come to 20 x 12.00 = 240 board feet.
Hardwood Board Foot Chart (4/4 Stock)
Hardwood is measured on its rough thickness in quarters of an inch and on its actual width. The chart below covers 4/4 lumber, which is 1 inch thick in the rough.
Width | 6 ft | 8 ft | 10 ft | 12 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
4 in | 2.00 | 2.67 | 3.33 | 4.00 |
5 in | 2.50 | 3.33 | 4.17 | 5.00 |
6 in | 3.00 | 4.00 | 5.00 | 6.00 |
7 in | 3.50 | 4.67 | 5.83 | 7.00 |
8 in | 4.00 | 5.33 | 6.67 | 8.00 |
9 in | 4.50 | 6.00 | 7.50 | 9.00 |
10 in | 5.00 | 6.67 | 8.33 | 10.00 |
12 in | 6.00 | 8.00 | 10.00 | 12.00 |
Thicker Hardwood: Use a Multiplier
For stock thicker than 4/4, take the figure from the 4/4 chart and multiply it by the rough thickness in inches.
Thickness | Rough thickness (in) | Multiply the 4/4 figure by |
|---|---|---|
4/4 | 1 | 1 |
5/4 | 1 1/4 | 1.25 |
6/4 | 1 1/2 | 1.5 |
8/4 | 2 | 2 |
10/4 | 2 1/2 | 2.5 |
12/4 | 3 | 3 |
16/4 | 4 | 4 |
The same board foot chart works for thicker stock once you apply the multiplier.
A 6/4 board that is 8 inches wide and 10 feet long holds 6.67 x 1.5 = 10.00 board feet.
The hardwood lumber thickness guide explains what each quarter size measures after surfacing.
Board Feet per Linear Foot
Trim, decking and some dimensional lumber are priced by the linear foot. This chart converts between the two units for nominal sizes.
Nominal size | Board feet per linear foot | Linear feet in 100 board feet |
|---|---|---|
1×4 | 0.333 | 300.0 |
1×6 | 0.500 | 200.0 |
1×8 | 0.667 | 150.0 |
1×10 | 0.833 | 120.0 |
1×12 | 1 | 100.0 |
2×4 | 0.667 | 150.0 |
2×6 | 1 | 100.0 |
2×8 | 1.333 | 75.0 |
2×10 | 1.667 | 60.0 |
2×12 | 2 | 50.0 |
4×4 | 1.333 | 75.0 |
4×6 | 2 | 50.0 |
6×6 | 3 | 33.3 |
Multiply the linear feet you need by the middle column to get board feet.
Sixty linear feet of 2×8 is 60 x 1.333 = 80 board feet.
How to Read the Chart
Follow these steps to use the board foot chart for any order:
- Pick the softwood chart for framing lumber and boards, or the hardwood chart for rough hardwood.
- Find the size in the left column.
- Read across to the length. Round the length up to the next foot if your supplier sells in whole feet.
- Multiply by the number of pieces.
- Multiply the total by the price per board foot to estimate cost.
Suppliers often round each board to the nearest whole board foot when they tally hardwood, so an invoice total can differ slightly from a chart total.
Nominal Size and Actual Volume
The softwood chart follows the trade practice of counting nominal dimensions. The wood you carry home is smaller. A surfaced 2×4 measures 1 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches, so an 8 foot piece holds about 3.5 board feet of actual wood while it is sold as 5.33 board feet. The nominal vs actual lumber sizes page lists the dressed size of every common board.
Keep that gap in mind when you compare the board foot chart with the wood you receive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
NHLA Grading Rules for North American Hardwoods (rules card)