Board feet, lineal feet or pieces — which do I need?

Hardwood is sold by the board foot, a volume unit. Softwood framing lumber is usually sold by the piece or the lineal foot. Sheet goods are sold by the sheet. Each calculator here works in the unit that matches how the material is bought.

How much waste should I allow on sheet goods?

About 10% for a simple rectangular floor or wall. A roof with hips and valleys, or a wall with many openings, produces more unusable offcuts — allow 15% or more.

Does the Lumber Calculator count corners and openings?

No — it gives the field member count for a straight run. Add studs for corners, partition intersections and openings separately, or use the Framing Calculator, which does it all.

Lumber & Wood Calculators

This category covers dimensional lumber and sheet goods — the framing and structural wood on a job, priced and ordered in a few different units. The Board Foot Calculator converts a piece or a stack into board feet, which is how hardwood is sold. The Lumber Calculator counts repetitive framing members (studs, joists, rafters) across a run at a set spacing and gives the total lineal feet. The Plywood Calculator turns a floor, wall or roof area into 4×8 sheets with a cutting allowance, and the Decking Calculator produces a full deck-board, joist and fastener take-off from the deck dimensions and board size. For a complete wall framing take-off including corners and openings, use the Framing Calculator; to size a beam or joist, use the structural calculators in the Framing category.

4 calculators · all live