How to use the timber volume / cost calculator
This calculator helps you calculate timber volume, board feet and material cost from actual member dimensions. It is intended for quantity takeoffs, early budgets and checks against a measured schedule. Start with the dimensions or quantities for one clearly defined item of work. Enter values in the units shown beside each field; millimetres and metres are not interchangeable.
Use actual section dimensions for geometric volume. Nominal sizes can differ from finished dimensions. Board feet are converted from actual volume, not a supplier’s nominal tally.
Worked example
Twenty 3 m members at 100 mm × 50 mm contain 0.3 m³. At 600 per m³, material cost is 180 before wastage and delivery.
Before you order
Compare the result with your drawings and supplier information. Keep the original net quantity separate from allowances, and round purchasing quantities only at the ordering stage. Check whether delivery, labour and related materials belong elsewhere in your estimate. If the drawing or specification changes, update the inputs and record the revised basis instead of reusing an earlier total.
For the concepts behind this calculation, read Unit Rate, Wastage Factor, Takeoff (Quantity Takeoff).