How Is Hardwood Lumber Sold?
Commercial hardwood is sold by the board foot, with thickness named in quarters (4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 8/4). Board feet = thickness × width × length (all in inches) ÷ 144, using nominal rough thickness even after the board is surfaced. At Fells Hardwood Supply in Hutto you buy volume from the rack — dimensions vary (widths and lengths aren’t fixed sticks like a big-box 2×4).
Board feet (the pricing unit)
BF = Thickness (in) × Width (in) × Length (in) ÷ 144
One board foot is conceptually 1" × 12" × 12". A board 1" × 6" × 96" is (1 × 6 × 96) ÷ 144 = 4 board feet. Add boards up, then add a waste buffer before you settle the ticket.
Thickness in quarters (4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 8/4)
Quarters name rough thickness. 4/4 is about 1" rough and typically finishes near 13/16" or 3/4" after jointing and planing — it is not a finished 1" board. 5/4 ≈ 1¼", 6/4 ≈ 1½", 8/4 ≈ 2" rough. Buy starting thickness for the finished size you need after milling.
Follow-up: Why does S2S still use 1" in the math for 4/4?
Surfacing removes wood that was part of the original blank. Dealers price nominal rough thickness so everyone tallies the same way — you’re paying for the wood it took to make that blank.
Follow-up: Board foot vs linear foot?
Board foot is volume. Linear foot is length of a piece with a fixed cross-section. Hardwood dealers quote board feet; don’t convert home-center stick thinking into dealer pricing.
Follow-up: Will my 4/4 always finish at 3/4"?
Often, if the blank is reasonably straight. Cup, twist, or a skip-planed start can leave you thinner — choose boards (and starting thickness) with the finished target in mind.
Related: Rough / S2S / S3S / S4S terms · Should I buy S4S or S2S? · How much wood do I need? · All FAQs
Fells Hardwood Supply — Hutto, TX — serving Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, and the greater Austin metro.