Board 1 · Offcut 5.125 in
- Long shelf: 42.000 in
- Short shelf: 24.000 in
- Short shelf: 24.000 in
Part-separation cuts: 3; end-squaring cuts excluded. Confirm the allowances before marking or cutting.
Lumber Cut List Planner
Plan lumber cuts with finished lengths, quantities, blade kerf and end trims. Compare stock lengths and prices, see board diagrams, and export a printable cut list.
Board shopping list
Buy 3 boards of 96.000 in for this plan
Boards needed
3
Stock purchase cost
$36.00
Board prices only; excludes delivery, taxes and tools
Finished material yield
91.7%
Finished part length divided by purchased stock length
Finished pieces
8
Total offcuts
21.500 in
Separate from saw loss and end trims
Saw kerf plus end trim loss
2.500 in
Minimum board count verified for the entered lengths and allowances. The tool does not optimize grain matching, defects, joint allowances or offcut reuse across jobs.
Compare stock lengths
120.000 in stock boards
3
Alternative stock cost
$51.00
Alternative minus primary cost
$15.00
Positive favors the primary stock price
Each plan uses only its own stock length. This comparison does not mix sizes in one purchase. The alternative minimum board count is verified.
Board-by-board cutting plan
Left-to-right part order is shown below. Gray ends are trims; gaps include blade loss and the remaining offcut. Diagrams are proportional to the entered stock length.
Board 2 · Offcut 11.250 in
- Long shelf: 42.000 in
- Long shelf: 42.000 in
Part-separation cuts: 2; end-squaring cuts excluded. Confirm the allowances before marking or cutting.
Board 3 · Offcut 5.125 in
- Short shelf: 24.000 in
- Long shelf: 42.000 in
- Short shelf: 24.000 in
Part-separation cuts: 3; end-squaring cuts excluded. Confirm the allowances before marking or cutting.
How this calculator works
Usable stock is purchased length minus one trim allowance at each end. A packing order fits finished lengths with kerf between adjacent pieces. A final part cut consumes up to one additional kerf from the remaining stock; an exact full-length fit needs no final cut. Offcuts exclude all counted saw loss and trims.
The planner tries four part orders with best-fit placement. Lists of up to 30 pieces can also use a bounded search. It only claims a minimum when the board count matches a capacity lower bound or the small-list search finishes proving no smaller count. Larger or search-limited lists are labeled as plans whose minimum is not proven. Lengths are stored in inches; millimeters use 25.4 mm per inch.
All pieces share a material and cross-section. Account for defects, grain direction, sanding, joinery and actual measured stock in your finished lengths and trim allowances. A mathematical cutting layout does not establish structural suitability or a safe cutting sequence.
DIY material planning
Turn finished part dimensions into a board shopping list
Adding part lengths alone understates material needs when a saw removes wood between cuts. Plan the finished lengths, quantities, actual blade cut width and end trims together, then compare the prices of available board lengths.
How to use this tool
Measure actual stock
Use the usable purchased length and one material/cross-section per plan.
Enter finished parts
Include joinery or finishing allowances in each finished length and use whole quantities.
Allow blade and end losses
Measure the actual kerf and the allowance needed to square each end.
Compare and export
Review each board layout, compare stock prices and download the full CSV before purchasing.
Worked example: eight shelf parts from 8-foot boards
Four 42-inch parts and four 24-inch parts total 264 finished inches. With 96-inch stock, 0.125-inch kerf and 0.25-inch trim at each end, a three-board plan fits the list. At $12 per board, stock costs $36 and finished-length yield is 91.7%.
At $17 per 120-inch board, the alternative also needs three boards and costs $51. Longer stock does not automatically mean a cheaper purchase.
Why two 48-inch parts do not fit one 96-inch board
With zero end trim but a 0.125-inch cut width, two 48-inch finished parts require 96.125 inches including the cut between them. That exceeds the stock. Ignoring blade loss turns a seemingly exact fit into an unusable shopping list.
A cutting plan and a proven minimum are different
Fast packing can produce a valid layout without finding the fewest possible boards. The tool labels whether a capacity bound or completed small-list search proves the minimum count. It does not describe a heuristic result as guaranteed optimal.
Sources and further reading
Frequently asked questions
Does this optimize plywood sheets?
No. It plans one-dimensional lengths of boards, pipe or similar stock with one material and cross-section. Plywood requires two-dimensional nesting and grain constraints.
Can I compare 8-foot and 10-foot lumber?
Yes. Enter two stock lengths and their per-board prices. Each plan uses one stock length; the tool does not mix sizes in the same purchase.
Are offcuts included as waste?
The tool separates offcut length from blade loss and end trims. Whether an offcut is reusable depends on your next project and its material requirements.