Firewood Cord Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

How big is a cord of firewood?

A full cord is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood, traditionally a neat 4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft pile. The 128 cu ft includes wood plus the air gaps in a tight stack.

What is a face cord?

A face cord (rick) is one 4 ft high × 8 ft long stack of whatever length the pieces are cut to - often 16 in. A 16 in face cord is about a third of a full cord (16 ÷ 48).

How many cords will I burn in a season?

A home heated mainly by wood often uses 3–6 full cords per winter, depending on climate, insulation, and stove efficiency. Estimate by stove burn rate × heating hours, then convert to cords.

How do I check I got a full cord?

Stack the wood tightly and measure length × width × height in feet, then divide by 128. A 4 × 4 × 8 ft tight stack equals exactly one cord; loosely thrown wood overstates the true volume.

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This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only. Results are based on assumptions and may not reflect actual outcomes. Consult qualified professionals in relevant fields before making important decisions based on these results.

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How This Calculator Works

Firewood is sold by the cord, a legally defined volume of 128 cubic feet of stacked wood - the classic 4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft pile. The trouble is that almost nobody's actual stack matches those dimensions, and unscrupulous sellers exploit the confusion with vague "truckloads" and "face cords" that hold far less. This calculator measures your real stack - its visible length and height plus the depth of the split pieces - and tells you exactly what fraction of a true cord you have, so you can check a delivery against what you paid for. It also estimates the rough dry weight and approximate piece count by wood species, and offers seasoning guidance, because freshly cut "green" wood is half water and burns poorly until it has dried.

Formula / Method

Stack volume in cubic feet = length (ft) × height (ft) × (piece depth in ÷ 12). Cords = volume ÷ 128, because a full cord is 128 cubic feet of neatly stacked wood. A stacked cord is mostly wood but includes air gaps, so the solid wood is roughly 80 cu ft (≈ 80% of the stacked volume); weight = cords × the species dry-weight-per-cord (oak ≈ 3,700 lb, maple/birch ≈ 3,300 lb, pine/fir ≈ 2,500 lb, all air-dried). Piece count ≈ solid volume ÷ 0.08 cu ft per average split. A "face cord" is one row 4 ft high and 8 ft long but only as deep as the pieces - so a 16-inch face cord is just one-third of a real cord. Any non-positive dimension skips the calculation, so no NaN appears.

Worked Example

A stack 8 ft long, 4 ft high, with pieces cut 16 in (1.33 ft) deep. Volume = 8 × 4 × 1.33 ≈ 42.7 cubic feet, which is 42.7 ÷ 128 = 0.33 cord - exactly one "face cord," or a third of a full cord. If a seller called that "a cord" you would be paying triple. In oak it weighs roughly 0.33 × 3,700 ≈ 1,230 lb dry and contains on the order of 425 average splits. To get a full cord at 16-inch depth you would need three such rows stacked front to back, or a single row 24 ft long.

Common Mistakes

Confusing a face cord (one row, piece-deep) with a full cord (128 cu ft) - the single most common firewood overcharge.

Measuring loosely thrown wood as if it were neatly stacked; a tossed pile has far more air and holds maybe 30% less wood per cubic foot.

Burning green wood - freshly cut wood is 40–50% water, wastes most of its heat boiling that water off, and coats the chimney with creosote.

Buying by "truckload" or "rick" - undefined terms that vary by region and seller; always convert to cords.

Ignoring species - a cord of pine has barely more than half the heat of a cord of oak, so price per cord is not the whole story.

Tips & FAQ

How long does firewood need to season? Most hardwoods need 6–12 months of drying after splitting, and dense oak often wants a full 1–2 years to drop below the ~20% moisture content that burns cleanly; softwoods like pine can be ready in 6 months. Split it, stack it off the ground with the top covered but the sides open to airflow, and check with a cheap moisture meter - the cut ends should read under 20%. How can I tell seasoned wood? It is lighter than it looks, the bark loosens, the ends show radial cracks, and two pieces knock together with a hollow ring rather than a dull thud. Which species burns best? Dense hardwoods - oak, hickory, maple, ash, birch - pack the most heat per cord and burn long; softwoods light fast and are great kindling but burn quickly and leave more creosote if not fully dry. How much do I need for a winter? A home heated mostly by wood often burns 3–6 cords a season; an occasional weekend fireplace might use under a cord. Why measure piece depth? Because that depth is what turns a tidy-looking single row into a fraction of a cord - it is the dimension sellers most often leave vague. Stack on pallets or rails to keep the bottom row off wet ground, cover only the top so trapped moisture can escape, and always check a delivery's real cubic footage against the cord you paid for before the truck leaves.

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