Board Feet To Cubic Metres Converter
Convert board feet of timber to cubic metres, or work from thickness, width, length and board count, with waste allowance, order volume and price checks included.
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Converted Timber Volume
100 board feet equals 0.2360 cubic metres before waste.
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Direct Board Foot To Cubic Metre Answer
One board foot is 1/12 of a cubic foot. Because the international foot is exactly 0.3048 metres, one cubic foot is exactly 0.028316846592 cubic metres. Divide that by 12 and one board foot is 0.002359737216 m3. In the other direction, one cubic metre is about 423.776 board feet.
That direct answer is enough for a label conversion, but timber buying often needs more. A furniture maker, joiner or hobby woodworker may start with rough boards measured in inches and feet, then order from a UK yard that prices by cubic metre. A buyer importing North American hardwood may receive board-foot pricing and need a metric project estimate. This converter keeps both paths in one place.
Board Foot Formula And Method
A board foot is the volume of a board 12 inches wide, 12 inches long and 1 inch thick. That is 144 cubic inches, or 1/12 cubic foot.
m3 = board feet x 0.002359737216
board feet = m3 x 423.7760007
board feet from size = thickness in x width in x length ft x quantity / 12
The size formula uses length in feet because 12 inches of length have already been built into the divisor. If your length is in inches, convert it to feet first or use cubic inches divided by 144.
Why Board Feet And m3 Often Disagree In Quotes
Board feet and cubic metres are both volume units, but timber quotes can still differ. A board-foot figure may be based on rough sawn hardwood, while a UK merchant may quote the machined or supplied metric size. Surfacing, kiln drying, defects, waney edge, sapwood removal and straight-line ripping can remove usable volume. That loss is not part of the unit conversion, so it belongs in the waste allowance.
Nominal softwood sizes can also confuse the comparison. A “2 x 4” label is not usually the finished size. NIST notes that lumber measures need clear labelling because a named size and an actual size may differ. For joinery costing, ask whether the board footage is based on nominal, rough or actual measured dimensions.
Board Feet To Cubic Metres Table
| Board Feet | Cubic Metres | Cubic Feet | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BF | 0.00236 m3 | 0.0833 ft3 | Definition check for a small board. |
| 10 BF | 0.02360 m3 | 0.8333 ft3 | Small craft or turning blank order. |
| 25 BF | 0.05899 m3 | 2.0833 ft3 | Small cabinet, shelves or sample pack. |
| 50 BF | 0.11799 m3 | 4.1667 ft3 | Modest hardwood board selection. |
| 100 BF | 0.23597 m3 | 8.3333 ft3 | Common project comparison amount. |
| 250 BF | 0.58993 m3 | 20.8333 ft3 | Larger joinery or furniture batch. |
| 423.776 BF | 1.00000 m3 | 35.3147 ft3 | Metric reverse conversion anchor. |
Worked Timber Examples
Multiply 100 by 0.002359737216. The answer is 0.2359737216 m3, usually displayed as 0.2360 m3 for buying notes.
Board feet are 1 x 8 x 10 x 6 / 12 = 40 BF. Converted volume is 0.0944 m3 before waste.
Multiply 1 by 423.7760007. A one cubic metre metric pack is about 423.78 BF before any merchant rounding.
Waste, Defects And Order Quantity
Theoretical conversion is exact, but timber ordering is not. A 15% allowance is a common starting point for straight boards with ordinary cutting waste. Increase it for colour matching, knots, sapwood removal, bookmatching, wide-board selection, curved components, heavy machining, resawing or uncertain moisture movement. Decrease it only when you have a precise cutting list and can inspect the boards before buying.
The calculator shows both theoretical m3 and order m3 after waste. If the order quantity looks too high, inspect the cut list rather than reducing the unit factor. The factor is fixed; the uncertainty is in the boards, the grade and the amount of usable timber after machining.
Reverse Metric To Board Feet Table
| Cubic Metres | Board Feet | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| 0.01 m3 | 4.24 BF | Small turning or sample piece. |
| 0.05 m3 | 21.19 BF | Small shelf or box project. |
| 0.10 m3 | 42.38 BF | Compact hardwood project bundle. |
| 0.25 m3 | 105.94 BF | Metric quote close to 100 BF plus waste. |
| 0.50 m3 | 211.89 BF | Larger furniture stock purchase. |
| 1.00 m3 | 423.78 BF | Full cubic metre comparison. |
When To Use Board Feet, Cubic Metres Or Linear Metres
Use board feet when reading North American hardwood pricing, sawmill invoices or project notes written around BF, BDFT, bd ft or FBM. Use cubic metres when comparing metric hardwood packs, timber import invoices, joinery stock holdings or UK merchant volume pricing. Use linear metres only when thickness and width are fixed, such as mouldings or decking of a known profile. A linear metre alone is not a volume unless the cross-section is known.
Checklist Before Buying
- Ask whether the board-foot price uses rough, surfaced, nominal or actual dimensions.
- Check moisture content and whether boards are kiln dried, air dried or still moving.
- Record thickness in inches, width in inches and length in feet if using the traditional board-foot formula.
- Add waste for defects, sapwood, trimming, matching grain and machining to final size.
- Compare price per BF and price per m3 after the same waste allowance.
- Keep a copy of the calculation with the quote so later substitutions are easy to spot.
FAQ
How many cubic metres are in one board foot?
One board foot is 0.002359737216 cubic metres. For quick work, 100 board feet is about 0.236 m3.
How many board feet are in one cubic metre?
One cubic metre is about 423.776 board feet. This uses the exact international foot definition of 0.3048 metres.
Is a board foot the same as a square foot?
No. A square foot is area. A board foot is volume and includes thickness. A 1 ft by 1 ft board that is 1 inch thick is one board foot.
Should I use nominal or actual timber sizes?
Use whatever basis the supplier uses for pricing, then note it. For rough hardwood, actual rough board size is common. For some softwood and surfaced stock, nominal naming can differ from actual size.
Does the conversion change for different wood species?
No. Species affects density, weight, price, colour and machining, but board feet to m3 is a volume conversion. Oak and walnut use the same factor.
Can I use this for logs?
Only with caution. Log rules estimate recoverable lumber and include assumptions about taper, saw kerf and waste. This page converts measured board feet or board dimensions, not standing tree volume.
Sources
- National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2025). NIST Handbook 130: Uniform Laws And Regulations In The Areas Of Legal Metrology And Fuel Quality. NIST. https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.HB.130-2025
- National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2017). Making Sure That Lumber Measures Up. NIST. https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2017/03/making-sure-lumber-measures
- National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2008). Guide For The Use Of The International System Of Units (SI), NIST Special Publication 811. NIST. https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.811e2008