Turn a cut list into a practical stock plan
A cut list optimizer assigns individual finished lengths to available stock. It answers a different question from a total-footage estimate: which pieces can actually come from each board, tube, or profile? Enter your usable inventory, list each required part and quantity, and build a plan. BidSimp shows each stock piece, the order of its cuts, exact end marks, and the offcut left over.
This construction cut list calculator handles one-dimensional straight stock such as lumber, baseboard, trim, metal profiles, conduit, and pipe. All cutting happens along the length. It does not nest plywood shapes or FRP panels, calculate angled joints, or select material specifications. The FRP Calculator retains its separate panel-layout and trim-estimating workflow.
Stock lengths and available quantities
Each stock row needs both a length and an available quantity. Two 8-foot boards and one 6-foot board are different inventory from an unlimited supply of either length. The optimizer never silently buys additional stock. Add proposed purchases explicitly if you want to test a buying plan. The result lists used and unused quantities for each stock row.
Longer stock does not always mean less waste. A 6-foot piece may fit two short parts more efficiently than an 8-foot board, while a long required part may reserve the longer stock for itself. Compare the material actually consumed by the plan, its offcuts, and the practical cost of handling or purchasing those lengths.
For an overall trim allowance before individual cuts are known, use the Trim & Baseboard Calculator. Total footage divided by stock length is an estimate; it cannot prove that the required individual lengths fit. The Blocking Calculator also remains separate from this stock-assignment tool.
Keep materials and profiles in separate batches
Use one batch for each interchangeable material, size, profile, finish, grade, or other required specification. A 1 x 3 pine trim board cannot supply an aluminum profile simply because the lengths fit. The optimizer never moves a part into another batch, even when batch names match. Check that every stock row within a batch is compatible with every required piece in that batch.
Part names label cuts within a batch; they do not override the batch's material specification. Add another batch for a different material. Use separate batches for job areas or inventory that must remain separate as well. The labels are supplied by you; the tool does not identify material from a photograph or verify a product's physical properties.
How saw kerf is accounted for
Kerf is the material removed by a separating cut. It defaults to zero so no blade width is assumed. Enter the actual cutting allowance for your setup, using a fraction such as 1/8" or an explicit metric value such as 3 mm. A zero-kerf plan is a lossless reference and must be checked before using a saw.
The plan assumes square end cuts from left to right. Every piece separated from remaining material consumes one full kerf. When the last piece exactly equals the remaining usable length, it uses the existing end and needs no additional separating cut. A full-length piece from untrimmed stock therefore uses zero cutting kerf. A small leftover that cannot accommodate a complete kerf is not accepted as a fit.
For usable stock length U, piece lengths totaling P, n pieces, and kerf k, an exact end-to-end fit uses P + (n − 1) × k = U. Otherwise the plan must satisfy P + n × k ≤ U, and the offcut is the difference. This model does not assume that a blade can partly overhang the stock end to rescue a near fit.
Worked example: two cuts from an 8-foot board
Two 48-inch pieces total 96 inches, but they do not fit an 8-foot board with a 1/8-inch kerf. Two pieces of 47 15/16 inches do fit: 47 15/16 + 1/8 + 47 15/16 = 96. There is one separating kerf and no offcut. This example assumes no end trim and acceptable existing ends. Never shorten the required parts just to force a fit unless the design allows that change.
End trim, offcuts, and material waste
End trim is an allowance removed from each end before the listed cuts. Entering 1/4 inch removes 1/2 inch from every used stock piece. The allowance includes the saw kerf for the trimming operation, so it is not charged a second time. A nonzero end trim must be at least the entered kerf. The usable length is stock length − 2 × end trim.
Trim both ends, then establish zero at the trimmed starting face. The listed end marks include the kerf between earlier pieces and the next piece. Put the blade on the waste side of each marked end according to your actual setup. These marks describe a mathematical sequence, not saw-specific operating instructions.
The results separate finished parts, cutting kerf, end-trim loss, and remaining offcuts. Stock utilization is finished-part length ÷ used-stock length × 100%. Non-product material is kerf plus trim plus offcuts. Offcuts may still be useful, so they are not automatically treated as scrap. Unused whole stock is reported as inventory and does not reduce the utilization of the stock actually used.
Worked example: mixed trim lengths with finite stock
The sample uses two 8-foot boards and one 6-foot board of matching pine trim. It requires four 45-inch stiles and two 30-inch rails, with 1/8-inch kerf and 1/4-inch trim at each end. One practical assignment puts two stiles on each 8-foot board and two rails on the 6-foot board.
Each 8-foot board has 95 1/2 usable inches. Its two stiles use 90 inches plus 1/4 inch of cutting kerf, leaving 5 1/4 inches. The 6-foot board has 71 1/2 usable inches; its rails use 60 inches plus 1/4 inch of kerf, leaving 11 1/4 inches. Across all three boards: 264 inches of stock = 240 inches of parts + 3/4 inch of kerf + 1 1/2 inches of trim + 21 3/4 inches of offcuts. Utilization is approximately 90.9%.
Exact fractions and metric cutting lists
Enter feet and inches as 8' 6 3/8", inches as 45 1/4", or explicit metric units such as 1200 mm, 120 cm, or 1.2 m. Bare numbers follow the Inches or Millimeters setting. Changing that setting changes the meaning of unlabelled inputs, so recheck the entries and rebuild the plan.
The engine retains exact fractional values and converts compatible units before checking fits. It does not round the required cuts or repeatedly add rounded lengths. Result lengths are exact, rather than rounded tape references. If a converted value has an unusual fractional denominator, choose millimeters or retain the original exact measurement. Display percentages and drawing proportions are approximate visual aids; the printed lengths and cut checks remain exact.
For example, a 1000 mm stock piece can supply two 499 mm parts with a 2 mm kerf and no end trim: 499 + 2 + 499 = 1000. The final piece uses the existing end. The Construction Calculator can help with other fractional calculations and dimensional conversions.
Efficient solutions and the limits of optimization
The optimizer compares several deterministic packing orders. Lists of up to 22 pieces per batch also receive a bounded branch search of up to 40,000 nodes. It favors complete assignments, then less total stock length consumed, then fewer stock pieces. This produces an efficient candidate plan; it does not promise mathematically minimum waste or a globally optimal solution.
If no complete plan is found, every unplaced piece is listed and copy and print remain disabled. An incomplete search result does not always prove that the inventory is mathematically impossible to arrange. Add suitable stock, review the list, or investigate another arrangement. A piece that cannot individually fit any stock in its own batch receives an explicit validation error.
One plan supports up to six material batches, 12 stock rows and 40 part rows per batch, and 400 stock pieces and 400 required pieces in total. Lengths are limited to 10,000 feet, decimal input to six places, and unusually complex combinations of fraction denominators may be rejected. The tool runs in your browser without login, payment, account storage, or a database. Reloading clears the list; copy or print a completed sheet before leaving.
Common mistakes to check before cutting
- Measure actual usable stock, including damaged ends and defects. Nominal length alone may not be enough.
- Keep different profiles, sizes, finishes, grades, and materials in separate batches. Label parts clearly before making multiple similar cuts.
- Enter finished cut lengths. This release does not calculate miters, scarf joints, bevels, grain matching, threading, couplings, or joinery allowances.
- Check kerf, end trim, material specifications, workholding, and saw setup before cutting. A mathematically valid plan does not certify a safe cutting method.
- Rebuild after editing any input. Use the exact cutting sheet rather than measuring positions from the diagram.
Record field dimensions in the Field Measurement Pad, use the Jobsite Layout Calculator for cumulative spacing marks, and review how to find blocking on construction drawings when defining the parts your project requires.