Cut List
Plan how many boards a cut list needs including kerf.
About Cut List
Every cut removes blade width as kerf, so the needed stock is the parts plus kerf, divided by board length and rounded up. Ignoring kerf silently adds a hidden half-inch per cut that can run you out of lumber partway through a project.
Formula
Cut List
Boards = (part count x (cut + kerf)) / stock length, rounded up
- kerf
- Saw blade width removed on every cut
Worked example
With the default values below, Cut List returns Total Cut Length of 288.0. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Number of partsminimum 1
- 12
- Cut lengthminimum 1 in
- 24 in
- Blade kerfminimum 0 in
- 0.125 in
- Stock lengthminimum 1 in
- 96 in
Results
- Total Cut Length
- 288.0 in
- Boards Needed
- 4
- Waste
- 94.5 in
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Cut List
- 3Total Cut Length= 288.0 in
- 4Boards Needed= 4
- 5Waste= 94.5 in
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 1 decimal place, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Cut List calculated?
Boards = (part count x (cut + kerf)) / stock length, rounded up Every cut removes blade width as kerf, so the needed stock is the parts plus kerf, divided by board length and rounded up.
Why does Cut List matter?
Ignoring kerf silently adds a hidden half-inch per cut that can run you out of lumber partway through a project.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 4 inputs: Number of parts, Cut length, Blade kerf, Stock length. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.