How is Hardwood Lumber Measured?
In professional sawmills like Beiler's Sawmill, hardwood lumber is measured using two industry standards: the board foot for calculating volume and the quarter system for indicating the thickness of rough-sawn stock. Understanding both is essential for accurately pricing and purchasing lumber. One board foot is a unit of volume equivalent to a piece of wood 12 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 1 inch thick
Board feet is commonly abbreviated as BF, FBM, or MBF.
How To Calculate Lumber Board Feet
Sawmills and buyers of lumber often use board feet as a standard unit of wood measurement. Below is the formula used to calculate how many board feet a piece of lumber is.
Width (in) x Thickness (in) x Length (in) / 144 = Board Feet
OR
Width (in) x Thickness (in) x Length (ft) / 12 = Board Feet
This formula can also be used to calculate multiple boards at once. It's safe to say that most customers at a sawmill don't just purchase one piece of lumber. If a customer is buying in bulk for a particular board type, you can calculate it with the formula below:
Pieces x Width (in) x Thickness (in) x Length (ft) / 12 = Board Feet
When calculating board feet, if the numbers seem high then check your formula to ensure you used the correct measurements (feet or inches) for each dimension. Then ensure you divided by 12 or 144. You divide by 144 when all of the lumber dimensions are in inches.
The Quarter System: The Lumber Says 5/4. What does that Mean?
The quarter system is used for measuring rough cut lumber. It simply refers to how many 1/4 inches the rough wood stock equals. To put it simply, rough cut lumber is labeled as:
- 5/4 stock = lumber that is 1 1/4" wide
- 6/4 stock - lumber that that is 1 1/2" wide
- 7/4 stock - lumber that is 1 3/4" wide
- 8/4 stock - lumber that is 2" wide
- 10/4 stock - lumber that is 2 1/2" wide
You get the point - every 1/4 is just a quarter inch.
Please keep in mind that the quarter system is only used for roughsawn lumber. Finished lumber, like you might buy at a big box hardware store, is usually finished. That's why why you buy a 2x4, it's really only 1.5" x 3.5". This is because the board is finished. During the finishing process, lumber is dried and planed, which reduces it a half inch. If you need an actual 2" thick piece of lumber, you'll likely need to buy it rough sawn.
Ready To Buy Hardwood Lumber? Contact Us Today.
Beiler's Sawmill is a leading supplier of domestic hardwood lumber to those in the Lancaster, PA area and beyond. Review our website and fill out our contact form if you have a need for rough-sawn lumber!