How Many Board Feet In a 2x6x10
6.875 board feet
- Actual size: 1.5" x 5.5" (nominal 2x6")
- Length: 10 ft
Methodboard feet = (thickness x width x length in feet) / 12, using the ACTUAL dressed dimension.
Using the nominal 2x6" number instead of the actual dimension would overstate this by a meaningful margin — see /reference/nominal-vs-actual-2x4/.
A 10-foot 2x6 contains 6.875 board feet — 1.25 times the 5.5 board feet in an 8-foot length of the same cross-section, the identical 10/8 length ratio that connects every pair of 8-foot and 10-foot boards at a fixed cross-section on this site.
Why this one specifically
2x6 at 10 feet is common rafter and deck-joist stock where the extra 2 feet over standard 8-foot lumber matters for the span being covered — the board-foot count here is usually a step in totaling a full deck or roof framing takeoff rather than a standalone question.
What moves the number
Only the cross-section's actual dimension (1.5" x 5.5") and the length itself affect this figure — species doesn't change board feet at all, since board feet is a pure volume measurement; it only affects weight and cost, which are separate calculations layered on top of this number. Confirm which convention a supplier uses for rafter stock specifically, since some specialty rafter and truss-chord material is sold at rough rather than dressed dimensions.
Compare against the 8-foot length of the same cross-section, or the 2x8x10 for the next width up at the same 10-foot length, and run other lengths through the board foot calculator.