Volume Lumber Converter

This converter turns timber and firewood volumes between the units the trade uses: cubic meters and feet, board feet for sawn lumber, cords for firewood, cunits for pulpwood, railway ties, and square feet of panels at a given thickness.

The two most used:

• A board foot is a piece 1 foot long, 1 foot wide and 1 inch thick, 144 cubic inches. It is counted from the nominal size: board feet = thickness (in) * width (in) * length (ft) / 12.
• A cord is a stack of firewood 4 feet high, 4 feet deep and 8 feet long, 128 cubic feet including the air between the logs.

How to convert lumber volumes

Type a value into any field, and every other unit is calculated at once. For example, twenty 2×6 boards, 8 feet long:

1. Board feet: each is 2 * 6 * 8 / 12 = 8 board feet, so twenty make 160.

2. In cubic meters: divide by 423.776.

   160 / 423.776 = 0.3776 m³

3. In cubic feet: divide by 12.

   160 / 12 = 13.33 ft³

Common conversions

Board feet use nominal sizes, so the real wood in a planed board is less: a "2×6" is actually about 1.5 × 5.5 inches.

Lumber volume units

Meter³: Cubic meter is the standard unit for measuring lumber volume in the metric system. It represents the amount of wood that can fit within a cubic meter. The conversion factors for cubic meter are as follows:

1 Meter³ = 35.3147 Foot³
1 Meter³ = 61023.7441 Inch³
1 Meter³ = 423.7760 Board feet
1 Meter³ = 0.2759 Cord
1 Meter³ = 0.4414 Cord (80 ft³)
1 Meter³ = 2.2072 Cord feet
1 Meter³ = 0.3531 Cunit
1 Meter³ = 24.9280 Pallet
1 Meter³ = 10.5944 Cross tie
1 Meter³ = 6.7266 Switch tie
1 Meter³ = 3.3902 [1000 feet² 1/8-inch panels]
1 Meter³ = 1.6951 [1000 feet² 1/4-inch panels]
1 Meter³ = 1.1301 [1000 feet² 3/8-inch panels]
1 Meter³ = 0.8476 [1000 feet² 1/2-inch panels]
1 Meter³ = 0.5650 [1000 feet² 3/4-inch panels]

Foot³: Cubic foot is a widely used unit for measuring lumber volume in the United States and other countries using the Imperial system. It represents the volume of wood that can fit within a cubic foot.
Conversion factor: 1 Foot³ = 12 Board feet = 0.02832 Meter³

Inch³: Cubic inch is a smaller unit used for precise measurements of lumber volume. It represents the volume of wood that can fit within a cubic inch.
Conversion factor: 1 Inch³ = 1/1728 Foot³ = 0.0000164 Meter³

Board feet: Board feet is a common unit used in the lumber industry to measure the volume of sawn wood. It represents a volume measurement that considers the nominal dimensions of the wood.
Conversion factor: 1 Board foot = 1/12 Foot³ = 144 Inch³ = 0.00236 Meter³

Cord: Cord is a unit used to measure firewood and represents a stack of wood with specific dimensions.
Conversion factor: 1 Cord = 128 Foot³ = 3.6246 Meter³

Cord (80 ft³): Cord of 80 ft³ is a variation of the cord unit, where the volume of wood is limited to 80 cubic feet.
Conversion factor: 1 Cord (80 ft³) = 80 Foot³ = 2.2653 Meter³

Cord feet: A cord foot is a one-foot length of a cord stack, 16 ft³.
Conversion factor: 1 Cord foot = 1/8 Cord = 16 Foot³ = 0.4531 Meter³

Cunit: Cunit is a unit used in the timber industry to measure the volume of wood chips or sawdust.
Conversion factor: 1 Cunit = 100 Foot³ = 2.8317 Meter³

Pallet: Pallet is a unit used in the logistics industry to measure the volume of wood that fits on a standard pallet.
Conversion factor: 1 Pallet = 17 Board feet = 0.0401 Meter³

Cross tie: Cross tie is a unit used in the railroad industry to measure the volume of wood used for securing railway tracks.
Conversion factor: 1 Cross tie = 40 Board feet = 0.0944 Meter³

Switch tie: Switch tie is also a unit used in the railroad industry to measure the volume of wood used for securing railway switches.
Conversion factor: 1 Switch tie = 63 Board feet = 0.1487 Meter³

1000 feet² (1/8-inch panels): 1000 feet² of 1/8-inch panels is a unit used in the construction industry to measure the volume of wood panels with a thickness of 1/8 inch.
Conversion factor: 1000 feet² of 1/8-inch panels = 125 Board feet = 0.295 Meter³

1000 feet² (1/4-inch panels): 1000 feet² of 1/4-inch panels is a unit used in the construction industry to measure the volume of wood panels with a thickness of 1/4 inch.
Conversion factor: 1000 feet² of 1/4-inch panels = 250 Board feet = 0.59 Meter³

1000 feet² (3/8-inch panels): 1000 feet² of 3/8-inch panels is a unit used in the construction industry to measure the volume of wood panels with a thickness of 3/8 inch.
Conversion factors: 1000 feet² of 3/8-inch panels = 375 Board feet = 0.885 Meter³

1000 feet² (1/2-inch panels): 1000 feet² of 1/2-inch panels is a unit used in the construction industry to measure the volume of wood panels with a thickness of 1/2 inch.
Conversion factor: 1000 feet² of 1/2-inch panels = 500 Board feet = 1.18 m³

1000 feet² (3/4-inch panels): 1000 feet² of 3/4-inch panels is a unit used in the construction industry to measure the volume of wood panels with a thickness of 3/4 inch.
Conversion factor: 1000 feet² of 3/4-inch panels = 750 Board feet = 1.77 m³

Frequently asked questions

What is a face cord?

A stack 4 feet high and 8 feet long, but only one log deep, usually 16 inches. That is a third of a full cord, about 42.7 cubic feet. Sellers' definitions vary, so ask for the dimensions.