How to Figure Board Feet in Raw Lumber

Board feet refers to the unit of measure applied to determine the volume of lumber. One board foot is equivalent to the volume of a piece of board that is 1-foot long, 1-foot wide and 1-inch thick, or 144 cubic inches. Board feet is abbreviated as BF or FBM for "foot, board measure." Raw or untreated lumber that is freshly milled must be properly cured before it is ready for use. Raw lumber typically come in planks that have variable width and length, but are usually 2-inches thick and can be measured in board feet.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Calculator

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Lay the raw lumber flat on the floor. Using a measuring tape, measure its thickness, width and length. Make note of all the measurements. Make all measurements in inches and round the figures to the nearest inch.

   • 2

     Write down the formula for measuring board feet. Board feet (BF) is computed by multiplying the lumber's thickness by its width, then multiplying the resulting figure by the lumber's length, and then dividing the product by 144.

   • 3

     Calculate the BF on a calculator. As an example, the board feet of lumber measuring 2-inches thick, 12-inches wide and 36-inches long is 6 BF (2 x 12 x 36 / 144 = 6).