Free tool
Board foot & material calculator
Turn a cutting list into board feet, cubic metres, estimated weight and an approximate cost. Add a line per board and let it total up.
Your boards
Hardwood is usually sold in board feet even in metric countries, because the thickness is nominal.
One board foot is 144 cubic inches: a piece 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide and 12 inches long. Hardwood is priced on nominal thickness, so a board sold as 1 inch may finish at 3/4 inch after surfacing.
Reference
Species densities used for the weight estimate
| Species | Density (kg/m³) | Janka (lbf) | Price band | Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Oak | 710 | 1360 | $$ | Suitable |
| Black Walnut | 640 | 1010 | $$$ | Interior only |
| Hard Maple | 705 | 1450 | $$$ | Interior only |
| Cherry | 580 | 950 | $$$ | Interior only |
| Ash | 675 | 1320 | $$ | Interior only |
| Pine (Scots) | 510 | 540 | $ | Interior only |
| Poplar | 450 | 540 | $ | Interior only |
| Birch Plywood | 680 | 1260 | $$ | Interior only |
| MDF | 750 | 700 | $ | Interior only |
| Teak | 655 | 1070 | $$$$ | Suitable |
Species values are typical published averages. Individual boards vary with growth rate and moisture content. See the full wood database →
Buying wisely
Board feet, waste and why you always come up short
Add for waste before you shop
A cutting list is the finished parts. The boards you buy must also cover saw kerfs, jointing and planing, trimming defects, and the part you will inevitably cut short. Twenty percent is a reasonable allowance in sound stock; thirty percent is realistic if the boards have knots or significant sapwood.
Thickness is nominal, width and length are actual
This single convention trips up more first purchases than anything else. You are charged for the thickness the mill sold the board as. You measure the actual width and the actual length, taking the width at the narrowest point because a tapered edge will be ripped off.
Nest small parts into big offcuts
Rough out your parts on paper across the board sizes you expect to find. Long parts want long boards and small parts should be nested into the offcut of the big ones. Taking a cutting list into the timber yard is how you avoid buying three boards when two would do.
- Clean, defect-free stock: +20%
- Typical hardwood with some defects: +25%
- Rough or knotty stock: +30–35%
- First time doing this joint type: add another +10%
Kiln-dried stock is priced higher and is ready to work. Air-dried and green stock is cheaper but will move substantially as it dries, so it is not suitable for furniture straight off the stack.