Cut List Optimiser — Minimise Timber Waste

The optimiser uses a "first-fit decreasing" algorithm: it sorts all pieces from longest to shortest, then tries to fit each piece onto an existing stock length before opening a new one. This approach typically achieves near-optimal results for most woodworking projects.

UK sawn softwood is sold in 0.3m (300mm) increments, typically from 1.8m up to about 6.3m — so 1.8m, 2.1m, 2.4m, 2.7m, 3.0m, 3.3m, 3.6m, 3.9m, 4.2m and longer. The most widely stocked lengths are 2.4m, 3.0m and 3.6m. Some species and profiles come in other lengths. Choose the stock length that best matches your longest piece to minimise waste. You can also mix stock lengths by running the optimiser separately.

With good optimisation, aim for less than 15% waste from linear cuts. Simple projects with few different lengths can achieve under 10%. Projects with many different lengths tend to produce more waste (20-30%). Always save large offcuts for future use.

Yes, always include saw kerf (typically 3mm per cut). This calculator adds kerf to each piece length automatically. Forgetting kerf accumulates errors: 10 cuts x 3mm = 30mm, which can mean running short on the last piece.