Craft Quantities
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Board Foot Lumber Cost Calculator

Calculate total lumber cost from a board foot quantity and price per board foot.

Lumber is timber in the UK and Australia.

  • Answers as you type
  • Every formula cited
  • Calculated in your browser
SettingsSettings for this calculationUS
Market
Imperial · sales tax
The total board feet needed, from the Board Feet Calculator.

Board feet is a volume measure (1 board foot = 144 cubic in), commonly used for pricing hardwood and specialty lumber.

Your supplier's price per board foot for the specific species and grade.

Hardwood prices vary enormously by species (poplar is much cheaper than walnut or exotic species) and grade.

Board feet

100 board feet

High confidence

Figures that depend on a rate wait for yours — this page does not assume one.

Then change the inputs to see how far the answer moves.

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How this was calculated

Formula source(s)

  • Total cost = board feet x price per board foot — hardwood and specialty lumber are commonly priced this way, unlike dimensional softwood which is usually priced per piece

Inputs used

Board Feet
100
Price per Board Foot
Final result100 board feet

What this calculation does not cover

  • It prices the board feet you asked for, not the board feet a yard will tally. Hardwood is measured in the rough, before surfacing, and the tally rounds: thickness is counted at the full quarter (4/4, 5/4, 8/4) and anything thinner than an inch is still counted as an inch, with widths taken to the nearest inch. A cut list bought as surfaced 4/4 is billed on the rough measure, so the ticket runs above this figure on the same lumber.
  • Everything on the invoice that is not lumber sits outside this. Surfacing and straight-line ripping are usually charged per board foot on top of the material price, and delivery, a minimum order quantity and sales tax are charged per order — on a small hardwood order those move the total more than a change of species would.

Computed in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded. Presented in US customary units and US trade terminology. Where a formula follows a published standard, that standard and its edition are cited beside it on this page; where none governs, the page says so. Local amendments override model codes — verify against the code in force where you build.

Sources checked 2026-09-06 · in the site-wide review of 2026-09-06 · v1.0.1

Regulatory standards & verification citations1
  1. Total cost = board feet x price per board foot — hardwood and specialty lumber are commonly priced this way, unlike dimensional softwood which is usually priced per piece
Cite this page

Your workspace

Most jobs need more than one number. Add the calculators you need next and they open right here, underneath this one — your figures stay on screen and nothing is lost to a page change.

Now that you have the number

These guides cover the work this quantity is for — the first ones run this calculator inside the section that raises the question.

Called something else where you work? Timber / lumber · Nominal size (the 2x4 problem) — the term in each market, how close the equivalence really is, and the standard that governs it.

How to calculate board foot lumber cost in 3 steps

  1. Board FeetThe total board feet needed, from the Board Feet Calculator.
  2. Price per Board FootYour supplier's price per board foot for the specific species and grade.
  3. Total lumber costThe tool computes the total lumber cost from those figures and shows the formula, its sources, and a confidence rating alongside it.

Frequently asked questions

Why is hardwood priced per board foot instead of per piece?
Hardwood boards come in irregular widths and lengths (often rough-sawn), so pricing by volume (board feet) rather than a fixed per-piece price accounts fairly for the actual material content of each board.
Does this account for waste from cutting to final dimensions?
No — this is a straight cost calculation from a known board foot quantity. Add extra board feet for waste before pricing if you haven't already built in a waste allowance from the Board Feet Calculator.
Does kiln-dried vs. air-dried lumber affect price per board foot?
Yes — kiln-dried lumber is generally more expensive due to the processing involved, though it's also more dimensionally stable and ready to use sooner than air-dried lumber, which needs more time to reach a stable moisture content.
Preliminary estimate, not certified engineering. This tool produces an indicative quantity calculation for planning purposes only — it is not a certified structural analysis, a guaranteed material takeoff, or a substitute for building department approval. Always verify measurements on-site and have a licensed contractor or structural engineer review any load-bearing, code-sensitive, or safety-critical work before purchasing materials or starting construction. Spotted an arithmetic or standards error? Report it to contact@craftquantities.com with your inputs — a confirmed fix gets a permanent check of its own, so the same mistake cannot come back.