What is a board foot?
Also called: board feet, bd ft, BF, FBM
A board foot is a unit of lumber volume equal to 144 cubic inches, a board 1 in thick, 12 in wide and 12 in long (about 0.00236 m³). Pallet board feet = thickness × width × length in inches ÷ 144, summed over every part.
In depth: Board feet and pallet weight
Pallet lumber is bought and priced by the board foot, so the board-foot total is the main driver of material cost. The formula:
board feet = thickness (in) × width (in) × length (in) ÷ 144
For metric parts, calculate cubic meters (mm × mm × mm ÷ 10⁹); 1 board foot is about 0.00236 m³, and 1 m³ is about 424 board feet.
Worked example: GMA-style 48 × 40
| Group | Parts | Board feet |
|---|---|---|
| Top deck | 5 × 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in + 2 × 5/8 × 5-1/2 × 40 in | 4.9 |
| Bottom deck | 3 × 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in + 2 × 5/8 × 5-1/2 × 40 in | 3.7 |
| Stringers | 3 × 1-3/8 × 3-1/2 × 48 in | 4.8 |
| Total | 13.5 |
This matches a published PDS example. PDS does not subtract the notches.
Why it matters
Board feet times price per board foot gives lumber cost, and board feet times weight per board foot gives an estimate of pallet weight: PDS examples show about 4.4 lb/bf for green mixed hardwood and 3.2 lb/bf for green SPF. Board feet on a spec sheet are net: they exclude saw kerf, trim and rejects, so the lumber purchased is somewhat more.
On a spec sheet
PDS shows a volume per component group ("4.9 bd ft") and a total new lumber volume ("13.5 bd ft" or "0.0409 cubic meters"). Use the board feet calculator to check a design.
Frequently asked questions
How many board feet are in a pallet?
A GMA-style 48 × 40 stringer pallet has about 13.5 board feet using actual dimensions. Heavier or larger designs run higher.
How many board feet are in a cubic foot?
12. A cubic foot is 1,728 cubic inches, and a board foot is 144.
Do pallet board-foot counts use nominal or actual sizes?
Pallet spec sheets such as PDS use actual dimensions. Lumberyards selling dimension lumber often use nominal sizes, which gives a larger number for the same board.
Related
- CalculatorsBoard feet and pallet weightBoard feet and estimated weight of a wood pallet from its cut list, by species and moisture, starting from any template.
- GlossaryActual dimension (pallet and lumber)An actual dimension is the measured size of a pallet or component at manufacture. Pallet spec sheets state component sizes as actual dimensions, for example a 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in deckboard.
- GlossaryCut stock (pallet components)Cut stock is lumber already sawn to the finished thickness, width and length of pallet parts, such as 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in deckboards, ready for nailing. It is also called pallet stock or shook.
- GuidesHow much does a pallet cost? New, used, plastic and custom pricesIn the US in 2026, a new 48 × 40 in wood stringer pallet typically costs about $10–25, a used Grade A about $6–14 and a Grade B about $3–8. Heat treatment adds about $1–3. Plastic pallets run roughly $40–200 and metal $150–600 or more. These are estimates that move with lumber, resin and freight markets; get quotes.
- GuidesHow much does a pallet weigh? Weights by type, material and moistureA standard 48 × 40 wood stringer pallet weighs about 30 to 60 lb (14 to 27 kg). New green hardwood pallets sit at the top of that range and dry ones near the bottom. A EUR pallet weighs about 25 kg (55 lb), pooled 48 × 40 block pallets about 60 to 70 lb, and plastic pallets 14 to 70 lb depending on type.
- Sizes48 × 40 pallet (GMA): dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 40 in pallet (1219 × 1016 mm) is the North American standard, also called the GMA pallet. The typical build is a partial 4-way stringer pallet about 4.75 in tall with 7 top and 5 bottom deckboards on 3 notched stringers. Pooled 48 × 40 block pallets (CHEP, PECO) share the same footprint.
More in Materials
- GlossaryBark (on pallet lumber)Bark is the outer layer of a tree trunk. ISPM 15 requires wood packaging to be made from debarked wood, allowing only small remnants: pieces under 3 cm wide of any length, or wider pieces with a surface area under 50 cm².
- GlossaryCant (pallet lumber)A cant is a log that has been sawn flat on two or four sides. In the pallet industry it usually means the low-grade center of a hardwood log, left after grade lumber is cut from the outside, which is resawn into pallet parts.
- GlossaryComposite block (pallet)A composite block is a pallet block made from wood chips, particles or fibers bonded with resin under heat and pressure. It does not split like solid wood and, as processed wood, is exempt from ISPM 15 on its own.
- GlossaryCorrugated fiberboard (pallets and slip sheets)Corrugated fiberboard is a board made of a fluted paper medium glued between flat paper liners. It is used for boxes, and in pallet work for corrugated paper pallets, slip sheets, tier sheets and pallet runners.
- GlossaryDouglas-fir (pallet lumber)Douglas-fir is a dense, strong softwood from western North America, also grown in Europe. It is species class 11 (Douglas-fir–larch) in the Uniform Standard and PDS, and class 33 in the European species list.
- GlossaryGalvanizing (steel pallets and fasteners)Galvanizing is coating steel with zinc to protect it from corrosion. Steel pallets are often hot-dip galvanized after fabrication, and galvanized nails, staples and hinges are used where wood pallets or collars see moisture.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 263 words.