Cut List Calculator
Enter your parts and the stock you can buy. The optimizer lays them out with your saw kerf and tells you how many boards or sheets to buy, with a cutting diagram.
Boards to buy
4× 8′ 0"
- Yield
- 77%
- Parts
- 9
Cutting diagram
Longest parts are placed first, each into the board or strip where it leaves the smallest leftover, which is the same thing a good sawyer does by eye. Every gap between parts is one saw kerf.
Board 1 · offcut 4 7/8"
Board 2 · offcut 17 7/8"
Board 3 · offcut 7 3/4"
Board 4 · offcut 54 7/8"
Ask the shop
Stuck on a detail? Ask a question about this job. Your current inputs and results are sent along so the answer fits your numbers. AI answers can be wrong, so double-check anything structural with your building department.
Questions people ask
What is a cut list?
A cut list is the list of every part in a project with its finished size and quantity. A cut list optimizer then arranges those parts on the boards or sheets you can buy so you need as few as possible and waste the least.
How much should I allow for the saw kerf?
A full-kerf table saw blade removes about 1/8" per cut; thin-kerf blades about 3/32"; a circular saw 1/16"–1/8"; a track saw about 1/16"–3/32". Measure your own blade if precision matters. The calculator adds one kerf between every pair of parts.
Should I add trim allowance?
Yes, for rough or construction lumber: board ends are often checked or out of square, so allow ½"–1" per board. For sheet goods, factory edges are usually clean, but a ½" rip off one edge gives you a straight reference edge.
Why keep grain direction on plywood?
Visible panels such as cabinet sides and doors look best with the face grain running the long way, and plywood is stiffer along the face grain. Lock grain direction for those parts; turn it off for hidden parts like cabinet backs, drawer bottoms and shop jigs to fit more on each sheet.
How accurate is this optimizer?
It uses first-fit-decreasing (boards) and guillotine shelf packing (sheets), which are fast and nearly always within one board or sheet of the best possible, and every cut is a straight through-cut you can make on a table saw or track saw. Hand-tuning can sometimes save a little more on complex sheet layouts.