MBF is a thousand board feet (M is the Roman numeral). Wholesale markets and futures quote in $/MBF — divide by 1,000 to compare with retail $/BF. A $900/MBF quote is $0.90/BF at the mill, before grading, drying, transport, and retail margin.
| $ / MBF | $ / BF |
|---|---|
| $400 | $0.40 |
| $600 | $0.60 |
| $900 | $0.90 |
| $1,200 | $1.20 |
| $2,000 | $2.00 |
When news stories say "lumber prices tripled," they're quoting $/MBF — the unit of the lumber futures contract traded in Chicago since 1969. The COVID-era spike that made lumber a household topic peaked above $1,600/MBF in May 2021, roughly four times the pre-pandemic norm, before crashing back within a year. In $/BF terms that whole drama played out between about $0.40 and $1.60 at the mill.
The gap between mill price and your receipt is the part that surprises people: grading, drying, trucking, and retail margin mean a $500/MBF futures print never meant fifty-cent 2×4 feet at the store. Wholesale MBF prices are a weathervane for your project budget, not a forecast.
Working up a whole order? The planner totals every part with waste and tax.