Free firewood cord calculator: enter stack length, height, and log depth to get cubic feet, full cords, face cords, and cubic metres.
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Measure the stack length and height in feet and the log depth in inches, which is the short side of the stack. The calculator turns those three numbers into cubic feet, divides by 128 for full cords, and works out face cords from the 8 foot by 4 foot face of a standard row. Always measure a delivered stack before the truck leaves, because a face cord priced as a full cord is the classic firewood trap.
A full cord is a volume, not a shape: 128 cubic feet of tightly stacked wood. The traditional shape is 8 feet long, 4 feet high, and 4 feet deep, but any stack that multiplies to 128 cubic feet is one full cord. Stack volume is length times height times depth, with depth in inches divided by 12 to get feet. An 8 foot by 4 foot stack of 16 inch logs is 8 times 4 times 1.333, which is 42.67 cubic feet, or 0.33 full cords. A 16 foot by 4 foot stack at 4 feet deep is 256 cubic feet, or exactly 2 full cords.
Stack the wood so pieces are parallel, touching, and compact, then measure length along the ground, height from the ground to the top of the stack, and log depth from the front face to the back of a log. Enter those three numbers and read cubic feet, full cords, face cords, and cubic metres. If the stack is uneven, measure height at several points and use the average. Never accept a quoted cord count without dimensions: a pile, a truckload, and a rick are not legal units in most places.
A full cord is 128 cubic feet. A face cord is one 8 foot by 4 foot face, one log deep, so its volume depends entirely on log length: 12 inch logs give 32 cubic feet, or one quarter cord; 16 inch logs give 42.67 cubic feet, or one third cord; 24 inch logs give 64 cubic feet, or one half cord. A rick is a regional word for the same face cord idea, and its size also varies by region and log length. That is why this calculator asks for log depth instead of trusting the words cord, face cord, or rick on their own.
On a standard 4 foot high by 8 foot long face, the cord fraction follows log depth: 12 inches is 0.25 cords, 16 inches is 0.33 cords, 18 inches is 0.38 cords, 24 inches is 0.50 cords, and 48 inches is 1.00 cord. Doubling the stack length doubles the result, and doubling the height does the same. Three rows of 16 inch logs side by side make one full cord, and two rows of 24 inch logs do the same. Use those fractions to check a delivery in seconds, before unloading.
Seasoned hardwood, dried 6 to 12 months to about 15 to 20 percent moisture, burns hotter and cleaner than green wood, which wastes much of its heat drying itself in the stove and builds creosote in the chimney. A cord of air-dried hardwood weighs roughly 2,000 to 5,000 pounds depending on species and moisture, so check floor, trailer, and vehicle limits before hauling. As a rough planning guide, a wood-heated home in a cold climate uses 2 to 3 cords per heating season, while a fireplace used for supplement uses 1 to 2 cords.
Measure the stack on the truck or as soon as it is stacked, while the driver is still there. Compare the measured full cords with the advertised quantity, and convert any face cord price to a full cord equivalent by dividing the price by the cord fraction: a 150 dollar face cord of 16 inch logs is really 450 dollars per full cord. Keep the stack off the ground, covered on top but open at the sides for airflow, and allow seasoned wood time to dry further if it arrives damp.
Buying by pile or truckload without dimensions is the biggest mistake, followed by confusing a face cord with a full cord. Measuring a loose, cross-stacked pile as if it were tightly stacked overstates the wood, because air gaps between round logs can be 10 to 20 percent of the gross volume. Using maximum height on a sloping stack, or measuring log length instead of stack depth, also distorts the answer. Measure tight, level, and in feet, and the cord math stays honest.
A full cord is 128 cubic feet of tightly stacked wood, traditionally 8 feet long, 4 feet high, and 4 feet deep. Any stack that multiplies to 128 cubic feet is one cord, whatever its shape.
A cord is a fixed volume of 128 cubic feet. A face cord is one 8 foot by 4 foot row, one log deep, so a 16 inch face cord is about one third of a cord, while a 24 inch face cord is one half cord.
In most regions, yes: a rick is a face cord, one 8 foot row of shorter logs. It is not a legal unit, so always confirm the log length and stack size and convert to cubic feet before paying.
Measure stack length, height, and log depth in feet, multiply them for cubic feet, and divide by 128. An 8 by 4 foot stack of 16 inch logs is 42.67 cubic feet, or 0.33 cords.
It depends on log length: 4 face cords of 12 inch wood, 3 of 16 inch wood, and 2 of 24 inch wood make one full cord. Divide 128 by the face cord volume for any other log length.
Plan 2 to 3 cords for a wood-heated home in a cold climate and 1 to 2 cords for a fireplace supplement. Seasoned wood burns far hotter and cleaner than green wood.
Buy seasoned wood at 15 to 20 percent moisture when you can. Green wood wastes up to a third of its heat drying in the stove and builds creosote in the chimney.
An air-dried hardwood cord weighs about 2,000 to 5,000 pounds depending on species and moisture, with oak at the heavy end. Green wood weighs considerably more.