How to convert cubic feet to board feet
A board foot is the lumber industry's standard volume unit: a piece of wood 1 foot long, 1 foot wide, and 1 inch thick. Since 1 inch is 1/12 of a foot, one board foot equals 1/12 of a cubic foot. To convert cubic feet to board feet, multiply by 12.
board feet = ft³ × 12
Worked examples
Example 1: 10 ft³ of rough oak
10 × 12 = 120 board feet.
Example 2: 0.5 ft³ of finished walnut
0.5 × 12 = 6 board feet.
Example 3: 50 ft³ of pallet stock
50 × 12 = 600 board feet.
| Cubic feet → board feet | Conversion factor | Worked example |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1 ft³ | × 12 | 1.2 BF |
| 1 ft³ | × 12 | 12 BF |
| 10 ft³ | × 12 | 120 BF |
| 100 ft³ | × 12 | 1,200 BF |
| 500 ft³ | × 12 | 6,000 BF |
Common uses
- Buying rough lumber from sawmills
- Pricing custom hardwood and exotic species
- Estimating wood for furniture and cabinetmaking
- Tracking wood inventory by cubic feet and converting for sale
Where this conversion comes up
Board feet is the volumetric unit for hardwood lumber and dimensional softwoods. Sawmills and specialty wood suppliers price by board feet; cubic feet is what you have from log dimensions or finished stock.
- Lumber and firewood orders — board feet for construction, cords for firewood.
- Comparing prices between yards that quote in different units.
- Estimating waste from rough-sawn boards versus surfaced lumber.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing board feet with linear feet. 1 board foot = 144 cubic inches = 1/12 cubic foot. A board foot already specifies a thickness.
- Using nominal lumber sizes. A “2×4” is actually 1.5×3.5 inches. For volume calculations, use the actual dimensions.
- Mixing softwood and hardwood pricing. Softwoods are usually sold in linear feet; hardwoods in board feet. The same volume converts the same way, but the pricing convention differs.
Expert tips
- Multiply cubic feet by 12 to get board feet. 1 ft³ = 12 board feet, since 1 board foot = 1 ft × 1 ft × 1 inch = 1/12 ft³.
- For hardwood ordering, board feet is the standard unit. Walnut, oak, maple, and cherry are priced per board foot at lumber yards. See the wood / lumber calculator.
- For softwood (construction lumber), nominal sizes mislead. A 2×4×8 is nominally 64 board feet but actually contains 5.33 board feet of usable wood. Always use actual dimensions.
- For firewood, cords are the unit, not board feet. 1 cord = 128 ft³ of stacked wood. Use the linked converter on the wood calculator page.