Woodworking Cut List Optimizer

About this calculator

The woodworking cut list optimizer works out how many stock boards are needed to produce a given quantity of equal-length cuts, accounting for saw kerf — the small strip of material (typically 1/8 in / 3 mm for a table saw blade) actually removed and lost with every cut. It fits as many cut pieces plus their kerf allowances as possible onto each stock board's length, then reports the number of boards required and the leftover waste per board.

Ignoring kerf is a classic beginner's mistake: on a long cut list, the accumulated width of dozens of saw cuts can silently eat up enough material that the last board comes up short by exactly one piece. Woodworkers, cabinet makers, and small workshop or sawmill operators use this optimizer before cutting to buy the correct number of boards and minimize offcut waste, rather than guessing and running short mid-project.