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Board foot & log scale calculator
Tally sawn lumber, or scale a log by Doyle, Scribner and International 1/4-inch side by side. No sign-up.
Diameter is measured inside the bark on the small end. Doyle under-scales small logs; International 1/4-inch is closest to real sawn yield. Which rule should you use?
How board feet are calculated
One board foot is a piece 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide and 1 foot long. The formula is:
Board feet = thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 12 × pieces
Use the nominal (rough-sawn) thickness and width you actually cut. A 1×6 eight feet long is (1 × 6 × 8) ÷ 12 = 4 board feet.
Log rules estimate what a log will yield
Before a log hits the mill, a log rule estimates the board feet of lumber inside it. The three common rules disagree on purpose — see the Doyle vs Scribner vs International guide for which to quote from.