Work out timber quantity instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
Timber is bought by volume, so quantity is cross-section times length times the number of members. Softwood at about 500 kg/m³ gives the handling weight, and one cubic metre equals roughly 424 board feet for anyone working from imperial supplier lists.
Timber volume
m³ = width m x depth m x length x number of members
Board feet
bd ft = m³ x 423.8
m³ = width m x depth m x length x number of members. Timber is bought by volume, so quantity is cross-section times length times the number of members.
Actual, or dressed, size for volume. Nominal sizes are before planing and are typically 3-5 mm larger in each direction, which overstates the volume you receive.
This calculator takes 4 inputs: Length per member, Number of members, Member width, Member depth. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic worked example — replace them with your own site or project figures.