Written by Caleb Thompson · · Updated · 4 min read
How to Read a Cut List
The cut list turns lumber into a set of pieces. Here is how to read it and work through it in order.
A cut list is the plan converted into pieces — every board with its length, width and thickness, and how many of each you need. Reading it in the right order is the difference between a straight build and a head-scratching one.
The columns
A cut list typically lists Qty (how many), Part (the name, like 'shelf' or 'apron'), and Dimensions — often written as thickness × width × length, with length always last. When you see a single number it is the length; the width and thickness are dictated by the stock the plan tells you to buy.
Read it before you buy
Check the cut list against the board sizes before you spend anything. Add a little overage for your worst cut, and look for parts you can group on the same board so you buy one piece of stock instead of three. Nothing wastes a trip to the lumberyard faster than a list you did not read twice.
Cut in the order listed
The plan's cut order matters. Long, rough lengths first, then the crosscuts that use off-cuts, then the small pieces that fit into the waste. Many plans sequence cuts so that one board's offcut becomes the next piece. Cut in that order and you keep the offcuts you need and waste the ones you do not.
Mark as you go
Tick each piece off the list the moment it is cut. A pencil line on the board and a tick on the page means you never cut a piece twice or skip one entirely. That is the entire discipline of a cut list.