A regulation pair is a weekend project with basic tools. The dimensions are fixed, so the only real craft is in the surface and the legs.
To build a regulation pair of cornhole boards you need two 2-by-4-foot half-inch plywood tops, 2x4 lumber for the frames and legs, a 6-inch hole saw, and hardware for folding legs. Each board is 24 by 48 inches with a 6-inch hole centered 9 inches from the top edge, a front edge 3 to 4 inches high, and a back edge 12 inches high. Expect roughly $100 in materials and 4 to 6 hours of work plus finishing time.
| Tops | 2 sheets, ½ in plywood, 24 × 48 in |
| Frames | 2x4 lumber, ripped to depth |
| Hole | 6 in hole saw, 9 in from top edge |
| Leg hardware | ⅜ in carriage bolts + washers |
| Materials cost | About $100 for the pair |
| Build time | 4–6 hours plus finish drying |
For the pair: two pieces of half-inch plywood cut to 24 by 48 inches, four 2x4s for frames and legs, eight carriage bolts with washers and nuts, wood screws, glue, filler, sandpaper, primer, and paint or polyurethane.
Each frame is built from two 48-inch side rails and two shorter cross pieces so the finished frame matches the 24-by-48-inch top exactly. Cut the frame pieces slightly long and trim to fit rather than trusting the plywood to be perfectly square.
Assemble each frame as a simple rectangle with the cross pieces inside the long rails, glued and screwed. Add a center brace across the middle — it's the difference between a board that thuds and one that flexes underfoot.
Glue and screw the plywood top to the frame, countersinking every screw head below the surface. Fill the holes, let the filler cure, then sand the whole face flat. Any proud screw head becomes a bag-catching bump that ruins the slide.
Mark the center of the hole 9 inches down from the top edge and centered between the sides — 12 inches from each edge on a 24-inch-wide board. Drill the 6-inch hole with a hole saw, backing the cut with scrap so the underside doesn't tear out.
Sand the rim of the hole smooth and slightly ease the top edge so bags drop cleanly instead of catching.
Legs go in the two back corners, bolted through the frame so they pivot and fold flat for storage. Round the top end of each leg where it pivots, or it will bind against the frame.
Set the leg length so the back edge of the finished board sits 12 inches off the ground while the front edge rests at 3 to 4 inches. Cut the bottom of each leg at an angle so it sits flat on the ground at that tilt — easiest done by holding a leg in position, marking the floor line, and cutting to the mark.
The finish is what separates a good board from a frustrating one. Sand progressively finer, prime, then apply several thin coats of paint, sanding lightly between them.
Finish with a few coats of clear polyurethane — semi-gloss or gloss. That's the layer bags actually slide on, and a properly slick, level surface is the whole point. Let it cure fully before the first game; a soft finish scuffs immediately.
Half-inch plywood cut to 24 by 48 inches for each board. Thinner sheets flex and kill the slide; thicker ones just add weight.
Roughly $100 in materials for a regulation pair, depending on plywood grade and how much paint and polyurethane you already have.
The 6-inch hole is centered between the side edges with its center 9 inches down from the top edge of the board — 12 inches in from each side on a 24-inch-wide top.
Primer, several thin coats of paint sanded between coats, then a few coats of clear polyurethane in semi-gloss or gloss. The polyurethane is the surface bags slide on, so let it cure fully before playing.
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