BuildMeasureMEASURE · PLAN · BUILD
Board Foot Calculator
Calculate lumber volume in board feet, add a waste allowance, and estimate your material cost.
YOUR NEXT PROJECT STARTS HERE
Board Foot Calculator
Calculate lumber volume in board feet, add a waste allowance, and estimate your material cost.
Free to useMetric & imperial toolsNo account needed
A little planning. A better build.Measure twice. Build with confidence.
Your workshop toolkit
Small calculations. Better projects.YOUR PROJECT ESTIMATE ● READY
⌁ Built around real projects
Practical inputs, useful results, and formulas you can check.
↔ Your preferred measurements
Clear units on every input. No mystery conversions.
⌑ Keep your plans close
Save estimates in this browser, or print a copy for the workshop.
Before you head to the workshop
How are these estimates calculated?
Board feet = thickness × width × length in inches ÷ 144, multiplied by quantity. Plywood uses total coverage area divided by sheet area, rounded up after your waste allowance. Project cost adds materials and labour. The cut planner fits equal-sized pieces into stock after allowing for each saw cut.
Does a plywood area estimate guarantee a cutting layout?
No. Area alone does not account for part shapes or grain direction. Use the coverage estimate as a starting point and lay out every piece before buying or cutting sheets.
Where are my saved projects stored?
Only in this browser’s local storage. They do not sync across devices and may disappear if you clear browser data. Use Print / PDF to keep a separate copy.
A little know-how goes a long way.
All guides ↗01 / LUMBER BASICS
Board feet, without the head scratching ↗
Understand lumber volume, read dimensions, and work through a real example.
02 / SMARTER PLANNINGHow much extra material should you buy? ↗
Account for kerf, defects, grain direction, and those inevitable offcuts.
03 / PROJECT ESSENTIALSBuild a budget before you build ↗
Keep lumber, hardware, finish, and your time in one practical estimate.