Lumber Cost Estimator

Build a line-item material list with individual species prices to get a full project lumber budget.

#DescriptionThickness (in)Width (in)Length (ft)Qty$/BFBoard FeetCost
16.67$83.33
22.00$36.00

Thickness and width in inches · Length in feet · Fractions like 3/4 supported

Total board feet8.67 BF
Total cost$119.33
Avg price / BF$13.77/BF

Add 10–15% to your estimate for defects, planing, and jointing waste.

Budgeting tips

Hardwood is priced by the board foot (1″ × 12″ × 12″). Rough-sawn lumber is sold at nominal thickness (4/4 = 1″, 5/4 = 1¼″, 8/4 = 2″), but the actual milled dimension will be slightly less.

Always add a waste allowance of 15–20% for hardwoods (defects, miscuts) and 10% for sheet goods. If you're buying pre-dimensioned lumber, multiply the board-foot count by the rough-to-finished conversion factor for your species.