Board Feet to Linear Foot Calculator

For a nominal 2×6 specifically, the thickness × width (2 × 6 = 12) happens to equal the divisor of 12 in the formula, so board feet and linear feet come out numerically equal — that coincidence doesn’t hold for other board sizes.

Yes — enter the nominal thickness and width for whatever size you’re converting (1×4, 2×4, 2×8, 2×10, etc.) and the formula adjusts automatically.

Use whichever dimension your supplier’s board foot pricing is based on — most lumber yards price by nominal size, but confirm this with your supplier if you need an exact match to their invoice.

Suppliers sometimes quote lumber in board feet while a project plan or cut list is measured in linear feet (or vice versa), so this conversion helps you compare a quote against your own measurements.

No — it only converts between the two units. Use the lumber cost calculator or board feet calculator with your own price to estimate cost.

Hardwood and specialty lumber is traditionally priced by board foot since board width and thickness can vary between pieces, while standard dimensional softwood lumber (like construction-grade 2×4s) is more often priced simply by the linear or running foot at a fixed nominal size.

Yes — enter the actual thickness and width in inches, including decimals if needed (such as 1.5 inches for the actual dimension of a nominal 2-inch board), and the formula adjusts accordingly.