How many 15" × 20" pieces can you cut from a 4×8 sheet?
You can cut 14 pieces of 15" × 20" from one 4×8 sheet (48" × 96") with a 1/8" saw kerf and rotation allowed — 91% of the sheet ends up in parts. Sizes like this are typical for drawer bottoms.
The layout is 12 parts run lengthwise and 2 are turned across to use the strip that's left. At 91% this is an efficient size for the sheet — under 9% goes to kerf and offcut.
Kerf and grain
The 1/8" kerf doesn't cost a part here: 14 fit with or without it. There's still 7-3/4" × 15" left over after the last cut.
Rotation is doing real work. With the grain locked, so every part's 20" side runs along the sheet's 96" length, only 12 fit — the other 2 come from turning parts across the sheet. That's fine for paint-grade plywood, MDF or melamine; for show faces with visible grain, plan on 12 per sheet.
| Saw kerf | Rotation allowed | Grain-locked (no rotation) |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8" | 14 · 91% | 12 · 78% |
| None (theoretical) | 14 · 91% | 12 · 78% |
How many sheets for a batch?
| Pieces needed | 4×8 sheets | Last sheet |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 1 | 10 of 14 — room for 4 more |
| 25 | 2 | 11 of 14 — room for 3 more |
| 50 | 4 | 8 of 14 — room for 6 more |
Same 1/8" kerf, rotation allowed. A part-filled last sheet is the place to nest drawer bottoms, shelves or anything else from the same material.
FAQ
How many 15x20 pieces can you cut from a 4×8 sheet?
You can cut 14 pieces of 15" × 20" from one 4×8 sheet (48" × 96") with a 1/8" saw kerf and rotation allowed — 91% of the sheet ends up in parts. The layout is 12 parts run lengthwise and 2 are turned across to use the strip that's left.
Does grain direction change how many 15" × 20" pieces fit?
Rotation is doing real work. With the grain locked, so every part's 20" side runs along the sheet's 96" length, only 12 fit — the other 2 come from turning parts across the sheet. That's fine for paint-grade plywood, MDF or melamine; for show faces with visible grain, plan on 12 per sheet.
How many 4×8 sheets do I need for 25 pieces at 15" × 20"?
2 sheets. At 14 per sheet, the last one carries 11 parts, leaving room for 3 more.
How this was worked out
EZNESTING's nesting engine (the same one the optimizer runs, in its default least-waste guillotine mode) was given more 15" × 20" parts than could possibly fit on one 48" × 96" sheet, with a 1/8" kerf between parts and none at the factory edges. The parts it placed are the answer. That count is checked against simple grid layouts in both orientations (best of those: 14), so the page never shows less than a straight grid would give. No edge trim is assumed; if you skim 1/4" off a factory edge, re-run it in the optimizer with trim set.
Nearby sizes
- 12" × 24" from a 4×8 sheet — 10 per sheet
- 14" × 24" from a 4×8 sheet — 10 per sheet
- 11-1/4" × 30" from a 4×8 sheet — 12 per sheet
- 12" × 30" from a 4×8 sheet — 10 per sheet
Try any size in the sheet yield calculator, or lay out a full cut list with the plywood cut list optimizer, the 4×8 plywood cut calculator or the nesting optimizer.