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How to Figure Out the Board Feet of Wood From Standing Timber

Timber from trees is used for the construction of houses and other buildings. The amount of wood that is obtained from a tree is determined by calculating the number of board feet it contains. This is done by taking measurements of the tree that you then enter into an equation. To do this, you first need to find a tree or stand of timber that is large enough for you to measure.

Things You'll Need

Measuring tape
100-foot tape measure

Instructions

- 1
  Measure up the tree 4 1/2 feet from the ground with the measuring tape. Measure the circumference of the tree at this location. Make a note of the circumference.
- 2
  Divide the circumference of the tree by 3.14 to calculate the diameter and note the measurement.
- 3
  Measure the height of the tree with the 100-foot tape measure. Make a note of the measurement.
- 4
  Write down the equation used to calculate the area of a cross section of the tree, which is (A = radius squared x 3.14).
- 5
  Multiply the radius (half the diameter) of the tree by itself. Multiply this number by 3.14 to obtain the area of the cross section.
- 6
  Multiply the area by the height of the tree to obtain cubic feet. Multiply the cubic feet by 12 to calculate the number of board feet in the tree.

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