A CFT calculator for a whole load, not one piece
Most wood calculators do one size at a time. This one is built for the way timber is actually loaded: pick the wood, pick the size, tap each length as the pieces go on the vehicle, and the cubic feet add up line by line and as a running total for the load. What you end up with is a size list - a cutting list - which is simply the timber you need written as sizes: how wide and how thick in inches, how long in feet, and how many pieces. That is all a sawmill needs to quote you.
The volume of each line is worked out the way our own slips do it:
CFT = width (in) × thickness (in) × length (ft) × pieces ÷ 144
The 144 is there because two sides are in inches and one is in feet. If you would rather measure all three sides in inches, divide by 1728 instead - the answer is the same. Each line is rounded down to four decimals, then the lines are added, so the total never reads higher than the timber actually is.
Want the maths explained step by step, or round logs measured by girth? See the wood CFT calculator guide.
How it works
- Choose the wood - teak, mahogany, manjiyam, or pick Other and tell us in the notes.
- Pick the size - tap a common size (width × thickness), or add your own.
- Tap the lengths - each tap adds a piece. The CFT for that line appears beside it.
- Send it - your name and mobile, then the list reaches us and opens in WhatsApp with everything filled in.
Your list is kept on your own phone as you build it, so a lost signal at the loading point does not lose your work. You can change the wood or the size at any time from the bar at the bottom without losing what you have counted.
Working out a lorry load
Loading is rarely one size. A load might be door frame sections in one size, planks in another and battens in a third, in several lengths each. Add them all: the sheet keeps every size separate, shows the CFT per line, and gives you the pieces and the cubic feet for the whole load at the bottom of the screen. Read it out against the vehicle before it leaves, and send the same list to us so the quote and the load are the same document.
Conversions people ask for:
- 1 CFT = 0.0283 CBM (cubic metre); 1 CBM = 35.315 CFT.
- 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 foot = 30.48 cm.
- A piece 1 ft × 1 ft × 1 ft is 1 CFT - so 12″ × 12″ × 12″ = 1728 cubic inches = 1 CFT.
Weight is a different question: it depends on the species and how seasoned the timber is, so ask us rather than assuming a figure for your load.
Sizes people ask for most
Useful starting points if you are not sure what to ask for:
| Typically used for | Width × thickness | Length | CFT per piece |
|---|---|---|---|
| Door frame section | 5″ × 3″ | 7 ft | 0.72 |
| Door frame, lighter | 4″ × 2½″ | 7 ft | 0.48 |
| Window frame section | 4″ × 2½″ | 5 ft | 0.34 |
| Plank / board | 6″ × 1″ | 8 ft | 0.33 |
| Cot rail | 4″ × 2″ | 6½ ft | 0.36 |
| Table top plank | 12″ × 2″ | 6 ft | 1.00 |
| Reaper / batten | 2″ × 2″ | 10 ft | 0.27 |
More on what we cut and how it is quoted: wood cutting and sizing.
What happens after you send it
- The list is saved with a reference number, so nothing is lost in a chat thread.
- We check the sizes against what is in the yard and what needs cutting.
- You get a rate per CFT for each wood and grade, and the total - see what decides that rate.
- Delivery is quoted to your town if you want it. We supply across Tamil Nadu and into Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Common questions
Do I need an account to use it?
No. Nothing to install and no sign-in. Your name and mobile number are all we need to quote you.
How is the CFT worked out?
For sawn timber: CFT = width (in) x thickness (in) x length (ft) x pieces / 144. If you measure all three sides in inches instead, divide by 1728 - it is the same volume. Every line here is worked out that way and rounded down to four decimals.
Can I use it for a full lorry load?
Yes. Add as many sizes and lengths as you are loading, up to 200 lines, and the running total shows the pieces and the CFT for the whole load.
Can I send sizes in centimetres or metres?
The sheet works in inches and feet, as the trade does here. Put metric sizes in the notes box and we will convert them: 1 inch is 2.54 cm, 1 foot is 30.48 cm, and 1 CFT is 0.0283 CBM (1 CBM is 35.315 CFT).
What about round logs instead of sawn sizes?
Logs are measured by girth and length, not width and thickness. Use our wood CFT calculator guide for those, or send us the girths on WhatsApp.
Is the CFT here what I will be billed?
The volume is worked out exactly the way we work it out, so the figures should match. The final bill depends on the sizes actually cut and the rate for the wood and grade you choose.
For round logs, the wood CFT calculator guide has the girth formula and worked examples.
Prefer to talk?
Send the list on WhatsApp or call +91 63744 65254. You can also come to the yard in Tenkasi and pick the timber yourself.