Lumber Cut List Optimizer — Minimize Waste with Kerf and Cut Order

The Lumber Cut List Optimizer is designed to minimize waste while keeping the plan simple enough to follow at the saw. Enter your unit system, list stock board lengths, and add every required piece with quantity. The planner applies kerf between cuts and can add an optional trim allowance per piece so you can burn the factory end and still hit target lengths. Results show a cut sequence for each board, total used length, and waste.

For a fast setup, choose long to short as your preferred cut order. Starting with the longest parts reduces the risk of stranding inches that cannot be used later. If you are working with many small, repeated parts, short to long can sometimes produce a similar yield; feel free to try both and compare the totals.

Kerf is the width of material removed by the blade. A common assumption is 0.125 inches for a typical table-saw blade, while some thin-kerf blades are closer to 0.094 inches. In metric, 2 to 3 millimeters is a reasonable starting point. If you notice cumulative errors when dry fitting, check that the kerf you entered matches the blade on the saw you actually use for the cuts.

Trim allowance lets you add a small buffer to each piece. Many woodworkers add 2 to 3 millimeters or around a sixteenth of an inch so they can square the end or clean up tear-out without falling short. The optimizer adds this amount to every requested part before packing, which keeps the plan honest in the real shop where every board needs a clean edge.

If any single piece is longer than your longest board, the planner will stop with a clear message. The fix is to choose longer stock, redesign the part as a glue-up, or split the requirement into two shorter pieces that can be joined mechanically. Offcut handling is also explicit: you set an offcut threshold, and any remainder at or above that length is listed as reusable for future projects.

After optimization, walk through the plan and label boards. A wax pencil or tape label next to each cut position helps prevent mix-ups when you move from the outfeed table to the bench. If your material has visible defects or grain you want to preserve, you can still follow the sequence while nudging individual cuts a little to land knots or checks inside offcuts.

• The plan assumes no kerf is required before the first cut on any board; kerf is applied only between consecutive cuts.
• Trim allowance is added per piece before packing to reflect real-world squaring. If you do not need it, leave the field at zero.
• Stock lengths should be measured, not only taken from labels. Actual boards may be slightly short or long; enter what you have.
• Species and moisture content are not modeled. If movement matters, leave extra trim and sneak up on final length at the bench.
• Group and batch identical parts. Cutting all pieces of the same length in one go reduces fence changes and setup time.
• Set the offcut threshold to match your shop habits. If you routinely reuse eight-inch pieces, keep the threshold at or below that value.
• Long to short yields the best results for mixed projects like cabinets and benches. Short to long can be handy for slat walls or lath-style builds.
• When boards have defects, treat them as shorter stock or add a manual note on the printout to skip a region before you cut.