Estimate boards, required and purchased linear length, physical volume, board feet, waste, and material cost for one size or a mixed lumber list using dimensions you supply.
Piece rows apply the user-entered waste percentage once to quantity before rounding upward. Linear rows apply it once to required length before dividing by the entered stock length.
The calculator treats thickness and width as actual physical dimensions, normalizes units before calculating volume, and does not infer nominal-to-actual conversions.
boards = ceiling(quantity × (1 + waste % ÷ 100))boards = ceiling(required length × (1 + waste % ÷ 100) ÷ stock length)actual thickness × actual width × total lengthphysical volume converted with 1 board foot = 1/12 cubic footTwelve boards entered at 2 in actual thickness, 8 in actual width, and 10 ft length total 120 linear ft and 160 base board feet. At 10% extra, buy 14 boards: 140 ft and about 186.67 purchased board feet.
For 100 linear ft using user-entered 12 ft stock, 10% extra recommends 110 ft. Exact need is 9.17; buy 10 boards for 120 ft with 10 ft leftover.
Thickness and width are never silently translated from nominal labels.
Stock length choices are user-entered estimating assumptions, not supplier guarantees.
The calculation does not optimize cuts, kerf, or offcut reuse.
Base totals describe the entered need. Purchased totals use whole stock boards after the selected waste percentage and rounding.
Each row may be priced per board, purchased linear unit, or purchased board foot. Tax, delivery, labor, hardware, milling, and finishing are excluded.
A nominal lumber name and its dressed physical size are not interchangeable measurements. Enter the actual thickness and width of the material being estimated; no nominal preset or market-specific conversion is assumed.
This estimator does not select member sizes, spans, spacing, species, grades, connections, or code requirements.
Enter each size by pieces or required linear length, choose stock length and waste, then use the rounded purchase totals.
Divide recommended length after waste by the user-entered stock length and round upward.
It is a volume equal to 144 cubic inches, or one-twelfth cubic foot.
Linear feet measures length; board feet measures volume using actual thickness, width, and length.
Use actual physical dimensions for volume and board-foot results because this calculator does not convert nominal labels.
Yes. Lumber List mode supports independent piece or linear rows.
No. It estimates stock quantity without cut-pattern, kerf, or offcut optimization.
No. Member selection must come from the project design.