Plywood is calculated in which unit?

• A. Board feet
• B. Square feet
• C. Cubic feet
• D. Linear feet

Answer: (B)

Plywood is calculated by area because it’s sold in flat sheets with standard sizes, and the amount you need is determined by how much surface the panels will cover. A typical sheet covers a fixed area (about 32 square feet for a 4 by 8 sheet), so you estimate by square feet or by counting sheets. Using board feet would treat plywood as a volume measured by thickness, width, and length, which isn’t how sheet stock is priced or planned. Cubic feet would be even more about volume, not surface area, and linear feet measures length only, not the panel’s area. So square feet is the natural unit for plywood calculations.