Calculate timber volume and board feet

Total a metric timber cut list as cubic metres, a geometric board-foot equivalent, and optional volume cost.

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Input
Output
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How it works

Every row multiplies actual length × width × thickness × quantity after millimetres become metres, and the selected offcut allowance increases the sum. NIST’s 0.002359737 m³ conversion produces board feet, while cubic-metre price produces the optional cost.

Formula
1 geometric board foot = 0.002359737 m³
  • NIST cautions that commercial board feet often use nominal dimensions, whereas this conversion uses the actual millimetres entered.
  • Waste is required from the cutting plan and price defaults to zero only to omit a market-dependent cost.

Worked example

Ten 2.4m studs, 100mm x 50mm
With 10% for offcuts and mistakes, at £800 per cubic metre
Input
											Pieces: [{"lengthMm":2400,"widthMm":100,"thicknessMm":50,"quantity":10}]
Price per m3: 800
Waste percent: 10
Output
												Total volume m3: 0.12
Volume with waste m3: 0.132
Board feet: 56
Estimated cost: 105.6

When to use this

Framing lists total studs and joists, cabinet cut lists sum finished components, and metric timber quotes can be compared with North American board-foot volume.

Edge cases

  • A cut-list row with quantity ten contributes ten times its individual piece volume, not one stock board.
  • Nominal 2×4 and dressed timber dimensions differ, so board feet from entered metric dimensions may not match a lumber-yard tally based on nominal sizes.
  • The percentage allowance increases aggregate volume but does not solve whether pieces can be nested into available stock lengths without additional offcuts.

References