What is a board foot of lumber?

A board foot (BF) is a unit of lumber volume equal to 1 inch thick x 12 inches wide x 12 inches long = 144 cubic inches. Formula: BF = (thickness in inches x width in inches x length in feet) / 12. A 2x4 that is 8 feet long = (2 x 4 x 8) / 12 = 5.33 BF.

How do I calculate how much lumber I need?

Calculate the board feet for each piece: BF = thickness(in) x width(in) x length(ft) / 12. Sum all pieces. Add 10-15% for waste and mistakes. For framing lumber, count the number of standard pieces (2x4x8, etc.) needed for your project.

What is the difference between nominal and actual lumber dimensions?

Lumber dimensions are nominal (rough-sawn size) but actual (finished size) is smaller. A 2x4 actually measures 1.5 in x 3.5 in. A 2x6 is 1.5 in x 5.5 in. A 4x4 is 3.5 in x 3.5 in. Nominal dimensions are used for board feet calculations; actual dimensions matter for structural calculations.

How do I convert cubic meters to board feet?

1 cubic meter = 423.776 board feet. 1 board foot = 0.002359 cubic meters. For large lumber purchases, this conversion is useful when comparing metric and imperial lumber volumes in international trade.

Lumber Volume Converter

Convert lumber and timber volume units: board feet (bf), cubic feet, cubic inches, cubic metres, cords, MBF (thousand board feet), and steres.

Lumber Volume Reference

Unit	Abbr.	Equals
Board Foot	bf	144 in³ = 1 ft × 1 ft × 1 in
MBF	MBF	1 000 board feet
Cubic Foot	ft³	12 board feet
Cord	cord	128 ft³ (4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft stack)
Cord Foot		1/8 cord = 16 ft³
Stere	st	1 m³ ? 0.276 cord

Related Volume Converters

Board Feet and Lumber Volume Units

A board foot (bf or bd ft) is the standard unit of lumber volume in North America, equal to 144 cubic inches: a piece of wood 1 foot long × 1 foot wide × 1 inch thick. To calculate board feet: (length in feet × width in inches × thickness in inches) / 12. A 2×4 board 8 feet long contains (8 × 4 × 2) / 12 = 5.33 board feet. Metric lumber volume uses cubic metres (m³) or cubic decimetres (dm³); 1 board foot = 0.002360 m³.

Lumber yards and timber merchants price wood per board foot for hardwoods and per linear foot for standard dimension lumber (2×4, 2×6, etc.). The cubic metre is used in international timber trade and forestry. A cord of firewood = 128 cubic feet (4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft stack). Knowing the volume helps estimate project costs, compare suppliers, and calculate shipping weights (density × volume × safety factor for structural timber ≈ 600 kg/m³).

Lumber Volume Conversions

Board Feet	Cubic Inches	Cubic Feet	m³
1	144	0.0833	0.002360
10	1440	0.833	0.02360
100	14400	8.33	0.2360
1000	144000	83.3	2.360

Lumber Volume Units in the Timber Industry

Lumber volume is measured in board feet in the US and Canada. One board foot equals a piece of wood 1 foot long, 1 foot wide, and 1 inch thick — equivalent to 144 cubic inches or approximately 2,360 cm³. To calculate board feet: (length in feet × width in inches × thickness in inches) ÷ 12. A 2×4 stud 8 feet long contains (8 × 4 × 2) ÷ 12 = 5.33 board feet. International markets use cubic meters for timber. One cubic meter equals approximately 423.8 board feet. Hardwood dealers sell by the board foot; softwood dimensional lumber (2x4s, 2x6s) is sold by the piece. Log volumes use the Doyle, Scribner, or International log rules — different formulas that estimate recoverable board feet from a raw log’s diameter and length. Converting between board feet and cubic meters is essential for international lumber trade contracts and comparative pricing.

Lumber Volume Reference Table

Board feet	Cubic feet	Cubic meters
1	0.0833	0.00236
12	1.0	0.0283
100	8.33	0.236
424	35.31	1.000