SawTallyOpen the appThe board-foot tally sheet
Counting what you cut, so you bill what you cut · last checked September 25, 2026.
Most custom sawyers still tally on a scrap board or a paper sheet, then add it up at the end and hope it's close. A running board-foot tally — per job — means your invoice is the exact lumber you cut, not a guess that leaves money on the table.
The formula
Board feet = thickness (in) × width (in) × length (ft) ÷ 12 × pieces
Use the rough-sawn (nominal) size you actually cut. A 2×8 twelve feet long is (2 × 8 × 12) ÷ 12 = 16 board feet. Ten of them is 160.
What a good tally sheet tracks
- Each board's thickness, width, length and count
- The board feet for that line, and a running total
- Which job / customer it belongs to
- Your rate so the total dollars are right there
Why paper falls short at the mill
A paper sheet gets sawdust on it, blows off the deck, and still needs adding up. Worse, a wrong total either shorts you or overcharges the customer. And at the end of the season you've got a stack of sheets you'll never turn into a real profit number.
From tally to invoice in one tap
SawTally is a board-foot tally sheet built for the mill deck: tap the size, punch the length, and the running total updates. Apply your rate and it prints or emails the invoice on the spot — then rolls every job into your season income and profit. It works offline and stays on your phone. Free to start.
Board-foot figures are calculated from the standard formula; confirm against your buyer's measurement. Not financial advice.