Wood Technology & Processes

Determining Lumber Costs by Board Feet

Small quantities of lumber and hardwood are sometimes priced by the board foot. Calculating the cost of materials in this fashion is quick and easy. Once you have the information about quantity and price, multiply the number of board feet by the cost per board foot.

Large quantities of lumber and hardwood are more commonly priced per thousand. This term is shorthand for per thousand board feet. The standard abbreviation for this term is per/m. Calculating the cost of materials per/m is similar to standard board foot calculations. However, be sure to check your work. It is easy to misplace decimal points when making these calculations.

Practice Exercise

Hint: When you are calculating a price for materials, include shipping costs. These are not usually included in the board foot costs.

1.		Your custom woodworking shop is running low on materials, so you decide to purchase 800 bf of hard maple for future use. The price is $6.72 per board foot. How much will this order cost?
			A)	$3,376
			B)	$4,376
			C)	$5,376
			D)	$6,376
2.		You have been asked to estimate the cost of teak that will be used in the construction of a custom powerboat. Teak costs $13.50 per board foot. The project requires the following quantities: three boards measuring 1" × 4" × 6'' and five boards measuring 2" × 6" × 10'. What is the total cost of these materials?
			A)	$756
			B)	$256
			C)	$162
			D)	$812
3.		When you begin estimating lumber costs for an upcoming project, you find a specialty lumber supplier on the Internet. The supplier will sell 4/4 poplar for $3.35 per board foot. You need 2,000 bf of material. Shipping costs to your location total $274. What would be the total cost of your order? Need a Hint?
			A)	$6,700
			B)	$5,274
			C)	$6,974
			D)	$5,300
4.		A mill offers to sell 1 × 6 pine directly to your company for $530 per/m board feet. However, you must purchase an entire railroad freight car of the material. A freight car can hold 98,000 bf of lumber. Shipping costs are $4,420. How much will this order cost?
			A)	$519,400
			B)	$51,940
			C)	$15,194.
			D)	$56,360
5.		An upcoming project requires 155 board feet of poplar. Poplar costs $3.35 per board foot. The project also requires a quantity of walnut trim. The trim will be cut from ten boards that are 1" × 4" × 6' long. Walnut costs $7.50 per board foot. What is the total cost of materials?
			A)	$519.25
			B)	$150.00
			C)	$669.25
			D)	$336.15