---
title: "How to Calculate Board Feet (and Log Scaling Rules)"
description: "The board foot is how lumber is bought and sold. The formula takes a minute; the scaling rules and pricing traps take a bit more."
image: "https://nestingcalc.com/og-default.png"
url: "https://nestingcalc.com/guides/how-to-calculate-board-feet/"
locale: "en"
---

# How to Calculate Board Feet (and Log Scaling Rules)

The board foot is how lumber is bought and sold. The formula takes a minute; the scaling rules and pricing traps take a bit more.

## What a board foot is

A board foot (BF) is a volume unit: a piece 12 inches wide, 12 inches long and 1 inch thick — 144 cubic inches. It does not matter what the shape is; any stack of wood can be converted to board feet. Lumber in North America is priced per board foot, so every estimate starts here.

## The formula

BF = thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 12 — or, with the length in inches, ÷ 144. A 2×6 board 8 feet long is 2 × 6 × 8 ÷ 12 = 8 BF using nominal dimensions. Hardwood is usually sold by actual (true) measured width and thickness, while dimension softwood trades on nominal sizes — know which convention your supplier uses.

## Log scaling: Doyle, Scribner, International

Whole logs are measured with log rules that estimate recoverable lumber. Doyle ((d−4)² × L ÷ 16) heavily undervalues small logs — sellers love it, buyers don't. International 1/4-inch is the most generous and most consistent; Scribner sits in between. The same log can 'shrink' 30% just by switching rules, so agree on the rule before the truck loads.

## Rough vs surfaced: where volume disappears

Rough-sawn lumber is measured before planing and drying. Surfaced (S4S) stock has lost thickness and width — a '1-inch' board is 3/4 inch after surfacing. If you buy rough and dress it yourself, budget the planing loss; if you buy dressed, pay for the board feet you actually receive, not the nominal count.

## Let the calculator do the scaling

The [Board feet calculator](https://nestingcalc.com/board-feet-calculator/) converts any mix of boards to board feet, applies the common log rules, and prices the result — including the waste percentage for your own cutting list.

[Board feet calculator](https://nestingcalc.com/board-feet-calculator/) [Open the linear cutting calculator](https://nestingcalc.com/linear-cutting-calculator/)

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