NHLA Hardwood Lumber Yield & Tally Calculator

Commercial hardwood lumber is sold in random widths and lengths. Calculate Surface Measure (SM), Board Footage (BF), and minimum clear cutting yields across FAS, No. 1 Common, and No. 2A Common grades per National Hardwood Lumber Association standards.

Bundle Board Tally (Random Widths & Lengths)

Width (Inches)Length (Feet)Pieces

Yield & Footage Summary

Gross Lumber Footage

108.4 BF

108.4 sq. ft. Surface Measure across 18 boards

Clear Face Yield (No. 1 Common)

72.3 BF

Guaranteed 66.67% clear defect-free wood

Expected Cutting Waste / Offcuts

36.1 BF

Factor in when purchasing raw lumber for your final dimensioned parts.

Min. board size: 3" wide x 4' long

Min. cutting size: 4" x 2' or 3" x 3'

Max cuttings allowed: SM ÷ 3

Official NHLA Grading Yield Reference Rules

GradeMin. Yield %Min. Board DimensionsMin. Cutting DimensionsDefect Standards
FAS (Firsts & Seconds)83.33%6" wide x 8' long4" x 5' or 3" x 7'Extremely clean; few small defects allowed outside clear cuttings
FAS 1-Face (F1F)83.33%6" wide x 8' longBest face grades FAS (83.3%), reverse face grades #1 Common (66.7%)Back face allows sound defects and knots
Selects83.33%4" wide x 6' longSame as F1F with smaller minimum board size allowanceIdeal for shorter or narrower furniture parts
No. 1 Common66.67%3" wide x 4' long4" x 2' or 3" x 3'Medium knots, pith outside cuttings, color streaks
No. 2A Common50%3" wide x 4' long3" x 2'Frequent knots, wane, checks; clear cuttings required for cabinet doors and flooring
No. 2B Common50%3" wide x 4' long3" x 2' (Sound cuttings)Sound defects allowed in cuttings (sound knots, bird pecks, worm holes)