How many board feet are in a 2×6×8?
A 2×6×8 is 8 board feet — 2 × 6 × 8 ÷ 12 — because a 2×6 works out to exactly one board foot per linear foot, so the length in feet is the board footage.
How to work it out
- 2 in × 6 in × 8 ft ÷ 12 = 8 bd ft per board
- 8 × 1 board = 8 board feet
That one-board-foot-per-foot shortcut makes the 2×6 handy for mental math: twelve 2×6×8s are 96 board feet, and a 2×6×16 is 16. The only other everyday size where the two numbers match is the 1×12.
Adjust for your project
More options: Waste allowance · The yard quotes a price… · Price (optional) …
- Board feet per board
- 8 board feet
- Volume (at the size entered)
- 0.667 cu ft (0.019 m³)
- Total length of boards (before waste)
- 8 ft
- Softwood construction lumber is tallied on nominal size (2×4 = 2 × 4 in), even though it measures 1½ × 3½ in. Hardwood is tallied on rough thickness (4/4 = 1 in) even after surfacing.
Board feet in an 8 ft board, 2× lumber by width
| Nominal size | Board feet per board | Volume (at the size entered) |
|---|---|---|
| 2×4 | 5.33 board feet | 0.444 cu ft |
| 2×6 | 8 board feet | 0.667 cu ft |
| 2×8 | 10.67 board feet | 0.889 cu ft |
| 2×10 | 13.33 board feet | 1.111 cu ft |
| 2×12 | 16 board feet | 1.333 cu ft |
What to know about a 2×6×8
- Where eight-footers go. At 8 ft a 2×6 is mostly blocking, short deck joists, stair treads, headers over small openings and the studs of a 2×6 exterior wall (precut to 92-5/8 in for the plates). Its real face is 5½ in wide — see what is the actual size of a 2x6.
- Easy price checks. Because board feet equal feet here, a piece price ÷ 8 is the price per board foot, and a yard’s MBF price ÷ 125 is what one 2×6×8 costs — 1,000 board feet is exactly 125 of them.
- Real wood vs billed wood. The dressed 1½ × 5½ in board holds 5.5 board feet, about 69% of the billed 8. Use the smaller figure only for weight or shipping.
If you are pricing 2×6 decking, the 12x16 deck board count shows how many boards a typical deck takes; multiply by the board length in feet to get its board feet. A 2×4×8, by comparison, is only 5.33 board feet.
Different size? Use the full Board Foot Calculator.
What you’ll need
- 25 ft tape measureBudget price
A 25 ft tape with a stiff blade and a readable 1/16 in scale covers everything from cut lists to deck layout.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Framing squareBudget price
The tool for laying out stair stringers and rafters: rise on one leg, run on the other.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Circular saw (7¼ in)Mid-range price
The most versatile first power saw: crosscuts framing lumber, rips boards and, with a straightedge, breaks down plywood sheets.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Frequently asked questions
How many board feet are in a 2×6×12?
A 2×6×12 is 12 board feet — one per foot.
How many board feet are in a 2×6×16?
A 2×6×16 is 16 board feet (2 × 6 × 16 ÷ 12).
How many board feet are in twelve 2×6×8 boards?
Twelve 2×6×8s are 96 board feet, about a tenth of an MBF.
Other common sizes
- How many board feet in a 2x4x8 — 5.33 board feet
- How many board feet in a 4x4x8 — 10.67 board feet
- Board feet in a 4/4 hardwood board, 8 in × 8 ft — 5.33 bd ft (yard tally: 5)
- Board feet in an 8/4 slab, 24 in × 8 ft — 32 board feet
Sources
- NIST, Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-20, American Softwood Lumber Standard (Rev. 1, 2021) (opens in a new tab) — Nominal and dressed sizes of softwood lumber; board measure on nominal size.
- American Hardwood Export Council, The Illustrated Guide to American Hardwood Lumber Grades (opens in a new tab) — Board foot, surface measure and quarter (4/4, 8/4) thicknesses under the NHLA rules.
- National Hardwood Lumber Association, Rules for the Measurement & Inspection of Hardwood & Cypress (2019) (opens in a new tab) — Paragraphs 16 and 18: board feet = surface measure × standard thickness, with standard thicknesses under 1 in measured as 1 in.