How to Make a Woodworking Cut List: Five Details to Record
Record part IDs, quantities, finished sizes, materials and grain or fitting notes. Use a worked example and keep rough allowances separate.
A cut list turns a drawing into a set of identifiable parts. It should tell you what each part is, how many you need and which dimensions describe its finished state. It also needs room for the decisions a number alone cannot explain.
The five details
Woodcraft’s cut-list guide recommends matching part codes to a drawing and recording quantities, finished thickness × width × length, material and relevant notes. It also explains why some dimensions must be fitted to an actual assembly. [1] A compact working list can use these five fields:
- Part name or ID: a short identifier that also appears on the drawing.
- Quantity: the number of identical finished pieces, not the number of boards to buy.
- Finished dimensions: thickness, width and length, with the unit and column order stated.
- Material: enough detail to keep different materials or thicknesses separate.
- Grain and fitting notes: orientation, visible faces or a reminder that a dimension must be confirmed later.
A small example list
The following three rows are an original record-keeping example, not a complete furniture plan. All dimensions are in inches, and size is written in the order thickness × width × length.
| Part | Qty | Finished size (in) | Material | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A — side | 2 | ¾ × 10 × 24 | Measured ¾ in sheet stock | Face grain along 24 in |
| B — shelf | 3 | ¾ × 10 × 18 | Same sheet stock | Confirm width against drawing |
| C — rail | 2 | ¾ × 1½ × 18 | Solid wood | Confirm final length to assembly |
This list contains seven pieces: 2 + 3 + 2. It has three rows because identical pieces share a row. That distinction is useful when checking an import or comparing a drawing with a layout result.
Before using a row, ask what each dimension controls. In row A, the 24-inch dimension also carries a grain instruction. In row C, the note means the 18-inch entry must be confirmed before final sizing; the row is not permission to cut it blindly.
Finished size versus rough stock
A finished dimension describes the part you want at the end. A rough-stock allowance describes extra material reserved for your process. Keep them in separate columns or notes so a later reader can tell which number is the target.
For a hypothetical 18-inch finished part, a chosen ½-inch length allowance produces an 18½-inch rough blank. That is arithmetic for an explicit assumption, not a recommended allowance for every material or operation. If your layout already includes the same extra length, do not add it again.
Parts that must fit the assembly
Woodcraft describes relative dimensioning: some part sizes are established from the actual adjoining parts. [1] Mark these rows “fit to assembly” and identify the dimension to recheck. Once measured, replace the provisional value and record that it has been confirmed.
A list becomes easier to trust when it distinguishes confirmed numbers from decisions still waiting on the build. Keep the drawing and list together, and use the same IDs on the physical parts.
Review before layout
- Check the piece total against the drawing.
- Confirm units and the thickness–width–length column order.
- Keep different materials and stock thicknesses separate.
- Preserve grain orientation when rotation would change the appearance.
- Enter kerf and trimming allowances in the layout, while keeping finished sizes clear.
Keep the numbers with your project
WoodShop Toolkit lets you enter parts and stock, include grain direction, kerf and edge trim, and inspect a cut layout. A clear list is still the starting point: software cannot infer an unstated fitting requirement.
Explore WoodShop Toolkit’s woodworking calculators and real app screens.
Android release is in preparation. Explore the features and screenshots above. iOS: Coming soon.
Sources and scope
- Woodcraft — How to Make a Cut List, by Paul Anthony. Part identification, finished dimensions, material/grain notes and relative dimensioning. Our sample rows and allowance calculation are original examples.
Sources checked October 18, 2026. Calculations and example project records are AppMaven’s own illustrations. They describe the stated assumptions and are not a complete construction plan.