If you've ever priced reclaimed lumber, you've probably encountered the term 'board foot' — and if you're used to buying 2x4s at the hardware store, it might seem unnecessarily complicated. But once you understand the concept, it actually makes a lot of sense.
A board foot is a unit of volume. One board foot equals a piece of wood that is 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches long — or 144 cubic inches. The formula is simple: Thickness (inches) × Width (inches) × Length (feet) ÷ 12 = Board Feet.
So a board that's 1 inch thick, 6 inches wide, and 8 feet long is: 1 × 6 × 8 ÷ 12 = 4 board feet. A 2-inch-thick board that's 10 inches wide and 12 feet long is: 2 × 10 × 12 ÷ 12 = 20 board feet.
Why does the lumber industry use board feet instead of linear feet? Because it accounts for the actual volume of wood. A 1x4 and a 1x12 are the same length, but the 1x12 contains three times as much wood. Board feet makes pricing fair regardless of width.
When you're ordering reclaimed lumber, here are a few practical tips: always specify whether your dimensions are nominal or actual (reclaimed lumber is often true to nominal), remember that thicker stock costs more per board foot, and factor in a 10-15% waste allowance for any project — reclaimed wood may need end-trimming or defect removal.
We're always happy to help you calculate quantities. Just tell us your project dimensions and we'll figure out the board footage for you. That's part of our service — we want to make buying reclaimed lumber as straightforward as possible.