Enter up to three lines of lumber, each with quantity, size, length and price. Prices can be per piece, per board foot or per linear foot. The calculator totals the order, adds tax if you enter a rate, and shows what each line works out to per board foot and per linear foot so you can compare sizes and stores.
Lumber cost calculator
How it works
- Board feet per piece = nominal thickness × nominal width × length (ft) ÷ 12
- Price per piece = your price (per piece), or price × board feet (per board foot), or price × length (per linear foot)
- Line cost = price per piece × quantity; Total = sum of lines × (1 + tax %)
Board feet use nominal sizes, the way lumber is tallied.
Worked example
Twenty 8 ft 2x4s at $4.50 each and six 12 ft 2x8s at $14 each (example prices only):
- Prices are: Per piece
- Line 1: quantity: 20
- Line 1: size: 2x4
- Line 1: length: 8 ft
- Line 1: price: $4.5
- Line 2: quantity (0 to skip): 6
- Line 2: size: 2x8
- Line 2: length: 12 ft
- Line 2: price: $14
- Line 3: quantity (0 to skip): 0
- Line 3: size: 4x4
- Line 3: length: 8 ft
- Line 3: price: $0
- Sales tax: 0%
The calculator gives:
- Total cost: $174.00
- Line 1: 20 × 2x4 × 8 ft: $90.00 ($4.50 each, $0.84/BF, $0.56/LF)
- Line 2: 6 × 2x8 × 12 ft: $84.00 ($14.00 each, $0.88/BF, $1.17/LF)
- Totals: 202.7 board feet, 232 linear feet
- Average: $0.86 per board foot before tax
The 2x4s cost $90 and the 2x8s $84, $174 in all. Per board foot, the 2x4s are $0.84 and the 2x8s $0.88.
Notes and limits
- Prices here are only examples. Lumber prices change often and vary by region and store; enter your own.
- Per-board-foot comparisons use nominal sizes, which is how the trade counts them, not the actual dressed size.
- Compare lengths as well as sizes: the price per board foot can differ between lengths of the same size.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compare lumber prices?
Convert each price to cost per board foot (price ÷ board feet in the piece). The calculator shows it for every line.
How much lumber is in a 2x4x8?
5.33 board feet on nominal sizes, 8 linear feet.
Does this include delivery or waste?
No. Add extra pieces for waste in the quantities, and delivery separately.
Sources
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material (FPL-GTR-282), board foot and lumber size definitions
- American Softwood Lumber Standard, NIST Voluntary Product Standard PS 20 (nominal and minimum dressed sizes of softwood lumber)
Last reviewed: 25 September 2026. The calculation is covered by automated tests with known answers taken from the sources above. Found an error? Please let us know.