Glossary
Board foot
Also called: bf, bd ft, BF, board feet, FBM
Reviewed
A board foot is a volume of wood equal to 144 cubic inches (1 in x 12 in x 12 in). Pallet board feet are calculated as thickness x width x length in inches divided by 144, using actual dimensions; a GMA-style 48x40 pallet contains about 13.5 board feet.
How to calculate board feet
Board feet = (thickness x width x length in inches) / 144, summed over every part. For a GMA-style 48x40:
| Part | Calculation | Board feet |
|---|---|---|
| Top deck | (5 x 0.625 x 3.5 x 40 + 2 x 0.625 x 5.5 x 40) / 144 | 4.9 |
| Bottom deck | (3 x 0.625 x 3.5 x 40 + 2 x 0.625 x 5.5 x 40) / 144 | 3.7 |
| Stringers | 3 x 1.375 x 3.5 x 48 / 144 | 4.8 |
| Total | 13.5 |
Metric designs use cubic meters instead (thickness x width x length in mm / 1,000,000,000).
What the number includes
PDS and palletdesign.ai use actual specified dimensions and do not deduct notches. The total is the wood in the finished pallet, not the lumber bought: saw kerf, trim and culls are extra.
Why board feet matter
Lumber is priced per thousand board feet (MBF), so board feet drive most of a pallet's material cost. They also give weight: at about 4.37 lb per board foot for green mixed hardwood (nails included), 13.5 bf comes to roughly 59 lb. See the board feet guide and pallet cost.
Questions
- How many board feet are in a pallet?
- A GMA-style 48x40 stringer pallet contains about 13.5 board feet. Heavier designs with thicker boards or more stringers run 17 board feet or more.
- Do board feet include the notches?
- No deduction is made. The standard practice, used by PDS and palletdesign.ai, counts the full stringer volume.