Calculate board feet and piece count for framing or decking.
A board foot is a unit of lumber volume: 1 foot wide × 1 foot long × 1 inch thick = 1 board foot. Formula: BF = (Thickness × Width × Length) ÷ 12. Lumber is priced and sold by the board foot for hardwoods; dimensional lumber (framing) is typically sold by the linear foot.
Nominal vs. actual dimensions: a 2×4 measures 1.5"×3.5" in reality. For board foot calculations, use actual dimensions for hardwood and nominal dimensions for dimensional framing lumber pricing.