Board Foot Calculator
One nominal 2×4×8 is 5.33 board feet. Ten pieces are 53.33. The dressed 1.5×3.5 size of that stick is 3.50, which is not what a board-foot price uses.
Last updated . Thickness and width start in inches. Length starts in feet. The price box starts empty.
Board feet use the nominal thickness, width, and length. Divide by 144 when those sides are inches. Multiply by the number of pieces.
Deck boards and joists: deck calculator. Fence pickets: fence material calculator.
Board feet
A nominal 2×4 is about 1.5 in by 3.5 in after it is dressed. Board feet are billed on the nominal size you type, not the dressed size. Leave the price blank and this page does not invent one.
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How a board foot is calculated
One board foot is 144 cubic inches, which is also 1/12 cubic foot. A nominal 2×4×8 is 2 × 4 × 96 ÷ 144 = 5.33 board feet. The volume line is 5.33 ÷ 12 = 0.44 ft³, and 0.44 ft³ is 0.01 m³ at two decimals. Ten pieces are 53.33 board feet, 4.44 ft³ · 0.13 m³.
Mills dress a 2×4 down to about 1.5 in × 3.5 in. Using those actual numbers gives 3.50 board feet for the same 8 ft stick. A board-foot invoice uses the nominal 5.33. Type a price only when you have one. At 3 per board foot, one stick is 16.00. Empty, the cost line does not invent a price.
Nominal and actual on an 8 foot stick
| Size you type | Pieces | Board feet | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 × 4 × 8 ft | 1 | 5.33 | 0.44 ft³ · 0.01 m³ |
| 1.5 × 3.5 × 8 ft | 1 | 3.50 | 0.29 ft³ · 0.01 m³ |
| 2 × 4 × 8 ft | 10 | 53.33 | 4.44 ft³ · 0.13 m³ |
Worked example
Enter 2 in, 4 in, and 8 ft. Leave pieces at 1 and leave the price blank. Board feet read 5.33. Volume reads 0.44 ft³ · 0.01 m³. Cost reads Type a price per board foot.
Board foot questions
How many board feet in a 2x4x8?
Leave thickness at 2 in, width at 4 in, length at 8 ft, and pieces at 1. Board feet read 5.33. Volume reads 0.44 ft³ · 0.01 m³. The formula is 2 × 4 × 96 ÷ 144. Ninety-six is the 8 foot length in inches.
Should I type the nominal size or the actual size?
Type the nominal size if you are matching a board-foot price. A dressed 2×4 is about 1.5 in by 3.5 in. Those actual numbers on one 8 ft piece read 3.50 board feet and 0.29 ft³ · 0.01 m³. The sold 5.33 uses 2 and 4, not 1.5 and 3.5.
How many board feet in ten 2x4x8s?
Set pieces to 10 and leave 2 in, 4 in, and 8 ft. Board feet read 53.33. Volume reads 4.44 ft³ · 0.13 m³. That is 10 × 5.33. One board foot is 1/12 cubic foot, so 53.33 ÷ 12 is 4.44.
How do I add a price?
Type 3 in the price box and leave pieces at 1. Cost reads 16.00. That is 5.33 × 3. Leave the box empty and the cost line reads Type a price per board foot. Three is a number you typed, not a lumber price.
What if I enter the length in inches?
Set the length unit to inches and type 96. Leave thickness at 2 in, width at 4 in, and pieces at 1. Board feet still read 5.33. Volume still reads 0.44 ft³ · 0.01 m³. Inches and feet are the same stick.
What is the formula?
Board feet = thickness × width × length ÷ 144 when every side is in inches. With length in feet, the same stick is thickness × width × feet ÷ 12. Pieces multiply the result. The page converts the units you pick before it divides.
Does this count deck boards or fence pickets?
No. A deck’s board count, joists, and fasteners are the deck calculator. Fence posts, rails, and pickets are the fence material calculator. This page is one size, in board feet, with a price only after you type one.