Lumber Cost Calculator
Price out a full project. Add boards by species, dimension, and price per board foot — get total board feet and cost at a glance.
Most real projects mix species, sizes, and prices. Add a row for each group of boards, enter your dimensions and price per board foot, and the calculator totals everything up.
Thickness and width are in inches; length is in feet — the same way lumber is quoted at the yard. Leave the $/BF field blank on any row to get board feet without a cost estimate.
Lumber Cost
4.00 bf
Project total
4.00bf
Board foot formula
BF = (T × W × L) / 144, where T and W are in inches and L is in inches. Since this calculator takes length in feet, it uses BF = (T × W × L_ft) / 12.
Tips for accurate estimates
- Add a waste factor. Most projects need 15–25% extra for defects, miscuts, and grain matching. You will miscut something. Multiply your total by 1.2 as a baseline.
- Use rough dimensions. Hardwood is sold rough or S2S. Enter the rough thickness (e.g. 1″ for 4/4, 1.25″ for 5/4) since that's what you're paying for.
- Price per species. Add one row per species if you're mixing — walnut and poplar aren't priced the same.
- One row per board size. If you need a mix of 8′ and 10′ boards, use separate rows — averaging the length averages your accuracy away.
Common hardwood thicknesses
| Quarter designation | Rough thickness |
|---|---|
| 4/4 | 1″ |
| 5/4 | 1.25″ |
| 6/4 | 1.5″ |
| 8/4 | 2″ |
| 10/4 | 2.5″ |
| 12/4 | 3″ |
Useful gear
- Tape measure — measure twice at the yard; boards are never exactly the length on the tag
- Digital calipers — verify actual thickness on the spot — your cost calc is only as good as your inputs
- Lumber marking crayon — mark your selections before the yard pulls them; they tend to swap boards
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