BIZOMAT MAKEOS · Materials
Lumber Board Feet and Volume
How many board feet and cubic metres are in this timber order, and what does it cost?
Board feet (feet board measure) and cubic volume of sawn timber from thickness, width, length and quantity, with cost from a price per board foot or per cubic metre, and weight from density.
Open the calculatorRuns in your browser. No account needed.
How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | mm | Thickness (use nominal sizes if the price is on nominal measure). |
| Width | mm | Width. |
| Length | m | Length of each piece. |
| Number of pieces | Number of pieces. | |
| Price given | choice | Whether the price is per board foot or per cubic metre. |
| Price | $ | Unit price. |
| Timber density at its moisture content | kg/m³ | Density of the timber (from a wood density calculation). |
What each input means
Open an input to see what it is, its units, the worked example and the common mistakes, with a small diagram.
What this means: Thickness
- What it is
- The thickness of each piece of timber. The tool converts it to inches for board feet and uses it for the volume in cubic metres.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 1000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 50.8 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Board feet, volume, cost and weight are all directly proportional to it.
- Get it right
- Use nominal sizes if your supplier prices on nominal measure, or actual dressed sizes if priced on actual measure.
What this means: Width
- What it is
- The width of the face of each piece of timber, on the same nominal or actual basis as the thickness.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 2000 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 152.4 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Board feet, volume, cost and weight are all directly proportional to it.
- Get it right
- Match the basis your supplier prices on; dressed sizes are smaller than nominal ones.
What this means: Length
- What it is
- The length of each piece of timber, which the tool converts to feet for the board-foot count.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in m: metres. The form accepts 0.000001 m to 100 m. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 3.048 m as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Board feet, volume, cost and weight are all directly proportional to it.
- Get it right
- This is in metres while thickness and width are in millimetres.
What this means: Number of pieces
- What it is
- How many pieces of this size are in the order. All pieces are taken as the same size.
- Units and format
- Enter a plain number with no unit. The form accepts 1 to 10000000. Use a whole number. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 10 as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- All totals are directly proportional to the number of pieces.
- Get it right
- For mixed sizes, run each size separately and add the results.
What this means: Price given
- What it is
- Whether the supplier’s price is per board foot or per cubic metre, which decides how the price is applied.
- Units and format
- Choose one of 2 options from the list: Per board foot; Per cubic metre.
- Example
- The form opens with “Per board foot” selected as a worked example. Choose the option that matches your case.
- Get it right
- Choose the basis on the supplier’s quote or price list, not the one you would prefer.
What this means: Price
- What it is
- The supplier’s unit price for the timber, on the basis chosen above: per board foot or per cubic metre.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in $: an amount of money; use one currency for every money input. The form accepts $0 to $1000000. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with $2.5 as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- The cost is directly proportional to the price.
- Get it right
- Make sure the price and basis match the quote, including whether it is with or without GST.
What this means: Timber density at its moisture content
- What it is
- The density of the timber at its current moisture content, used only to estimate the weight of the order.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in kg/m³: kilograms per cubic metre. The form accepts 0.000001 kg/m³ to 1500 kg/m³. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 500 kg/m³ as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- The weight is directly proportional to it.
- Get it right
- Density changes with moisture content; use the value for green or seasoned timber as delivered.
Method and formulas
- One board foot is 1 in. × 12 in. × 1 ft (144 in³ = 0.00235974 m³).
- Board feet = thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 12 × pieces.
- Cost = board feet × price, or cubic metres × price; weight = volume × density.
- Example: 10 pieces of 2 × 6 in. × 10 ft is 100 board feet.
Limitations
- Nominal and actual (dressed) sizes differ; use the basis your supplier prices on.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Order timber for crates, pallets, patterns or jigs
- Compare prices quoted per board foot and per cubic metre
- Estimate timber weight for shipping
Who it is for
- Buyers
- Packaging and crating supervisors
- Pattern makers
What you get
- Board feet
- Cubic metres
- Cost and weight
Interpreting the result
- Convert quotes to the same basis before comparing suppliers.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 3018–3019. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
BIZOMAT tools are screening and decision-support utilities. Verify important financial, engineering, safety, legal or operational decisions using appropriate professional standards and your organisation’s approved data.