Firewood Cord Calculator

How it's calculated

The calculator multiplies your stack's length, height, and depth — all three in feet — into a total volume in cubic feet, with no waste factor added, since firewood isn't cut to fit the way a sheet of drywall or a yard of gravel is. That volume is then divided two independent ways: by 128 (a full cord's legally defined size) to get full cords, and by 32 times your log length in feet (a face cord's 4×8 face times however deep one log reaches) to get face cords. Neither count is rounded up to a whole unit — cords are bought in fractional and partial quantities, like tons or cubic yards, not packaged units like a box or a bag — and neither is computed from the other; both come straight from the same total volume.

Worked example

A stack 12 ft long, 4 ft high, and 4 ft deep: volume = 12 × 4 × 4 = 192 cubic feet. In full cords, that's 192 ÷ 128 = 1.5 cords — unambiguous, since a full cord's size is legally fixed. In face cords, the answer depends entirely on log length: at 16-inch logs (32 × 16/12 = 42.67 ft³ per face cord), that's 192 ÷ 42.67 = 4.5 face cords. At 12-inch logs (32 ft³ per face cord), the same 192 cubic feet is 6 face cords. At 18-inch logs (48 ft³ per face cord), it's 4 face cords. Same physical pile of wood, same 1.5 full cords — but "how many face cords" swings from 4 to 6 depending on a number that's easy to leave unstated.

Full cord vs. face cord — and why log length matters

A cord means two different things, and the difference can be a factor of two to four depending on what's being compared. A full cord is 128 cubic feet — legally defined in most US states, unambiguous, the number this calculator's "full cords" figure is always built on. A face cord (also called a rick in some regions) is a stack 4 ft high and 8 ft long, as deep as the pieces are long — not standardized at all, since log length varies by supplier and by what a customer asked for. Best Burn Firewood, a firewood supplier, puts a face cord at 16-inch logs at about 42.7 cubic feet — almost exactly a third of a full cord — and notes that when a customer calls asking for "a cord," they follow up roughly half the time to confirm which one is actually meant, because the two get used interchangeably despite being very different quantities. Confirm which unit a seller means before agreeing to a price. This calculator reports both, specifically so you don't have to guess.

Log length is the only reason a face cord figure means anything at all, which is why this calculator treats it as a required, prominent input rather than a buried option. Utah State University Extension notes that firewood pieces are commonly cut 12 to 18 inches long, and that range alone swings a face cord from 32 cubic feet (12-inch logs) to 48 cubic feet (18-inch logs) — a 50% difference for the exact same 4×8 face. A full cord's 128 cubic feet doesn't move with log length at all, which is part of why it's the less ambiguous of the two units.

A cord is defined by stacked volume — wood laid in rows with the gaps between pieces included as part of the measured volume, not wood dumped in a loose heap. A loose-dumped pile takes up noticeably more space than the same wood neatly stacked, since a random pile has larger, more irregular air gaps than an ordered row. That means a truck bed that looks full of loosely thrown logs may not actually hold a full cord's worth of wood once it's stacked — measure after stacking, or agree on the terms (loose-thrown volume versus stacked cord) with the seller before the wood arrives.

As a rough reference, Utah State University Extension puts a full-size pickup with a standard bed at about half a full cord — 64 cubic feet — when loaded level with the top of the bed, not heaped above it. That's a ballpark for sizing a delivery or a self-haul trip, not a substitute for actually measuring what arrives. The same source notes that a randomly piled stack holds more air and less wood than a neatly stacked one — a sloppy stack can look like more wood than it is, for the same reason a loose-dumped pile does.

Species and moisture content change how much a stack of firewood weighs — sometimes substantially — but neither changes its volume, which is exactly why firewood is sold by the cord rather than by the ton. A cord of dense hardwood and a cord of lighter softwood take up the same 128 cubic feet even though one is considerably heavier; wetter, unseasoned wood is heavier than the same wood dried, without being worth any more. Selling by volume keeps the price tied to a fixed, measurable quantity instead of one that shifts with moisture content alone. This calculator reports cords and cubic feet only, not a weight, for that reason — no verified per-species weight figures back a number here, and weight isn't the unit firewood is priced by regardless.

Common mistakes

• –Assuming "a cord" and "a face cord" are the same size, or close enough. A full cord is a legally defined 128 cubic feet; a face cord depends on log length and commonly runs 32-48 cubic feet — as little as a quarter of a full cord. Confirm which one a price quote actually means before agreeing to it.
• –Getting a face cord quote with no log length attached. A face cord's size is meaningless without knowing how long the pieces are — ask, or use this calculator's log-length field to see how much that one number changes the answer.
• –Measuring a loose-dumped pile as if it were a stacked cord. A cord is defined by stacked volume; the same wood thrown loose occupies noticeably more space, so a truck bed that looks full loose may come up short once it's actually stacked.
• –Piling firewood randomly instead of stacking it in neat rows before measuring. A randomly piled stack holds more air and less wood than a neat one, which overstates how much wood is actually there.
• –Agreeing to a price before confirming units. Even a firewood supplier that sells both full and face cords reports following up on roughly half of their "a cord" orders to check which one the customer meant — ask before you pay, not after the wood is stacked in your yard.
• –Expecting this calculator to report a weight, or assuming heavier wood is a better deal. Species and moisture change weight, not volume, which is exactly why firewood is priced by the cord instead of the ton — this calculator reports cords and cubic feet only.

Where the figures come from

128 cubic feet needs no citation beyond these two sources — it's the legal definition of a full cord in most US states, the same category as a 4×8 sheet being exactly 32 square feet. Face cord sizing is different: Utah State University Extension notes pieces are commonly cut 12 to 18 inches long, putting a face cord at 32 to 48 cubic feet across that range; Best Burn Firewood, a firewood supplier, cites 42.7 cubic feet specifically at 16-inch logs — about a third of a full cord — and notes they follow up on roughly half their "a cord" orders to confirm which unit a customer means, since the two terms get used interchangeably despite the size difference. This calculator's face-cord figure is computed directly from whatever log length you enter (4 ft × 8 ft × log length), not read off a lookup table, so it stays accurate for any log length, not just the three most commonly cited ones.

• Utah State University Extension — Forestry: Wood Heating
• Best Burn Firewood — How Much Firewood Is in a Cord?

Read more in our methodology.

FAQ

What's the difference between a full cord and a face cord?

A full cord is a legally defined 128 cubic feet, generally stacked 4 ft high, 8 ft long, and 4 ft deep. A face cord is 4 ft high and 8 ft long but only as deep as one log is long — not standardized, and commonly 32 to 48 cubic feet depending on log length, roughly a quarter to a third of a full cord. The two terms get used interchangeably in casual conversation despite being very different quantities — confirm which one a price quote means.

Why does log length matter for a face cord but not a full cord?

A face cord's depth is defined as however long one log is, so a longer log makes a physically deeper — and larger — face cord. A full cord's 128 cubic feet is a fixed legal definition regardless of how the wood inside it is cut, so log length has no effect on that number at all.

What's a rick of firewood?

Another name for a face cord, used interchangeably with it in some regions — a stack 4 ft high, 8 ft long, and as deep as the pieces are long. It carries the same log-length dependence and the same need to confirm the actual size with whoever's using the term.

How much firewood does a pickup truck hold?

As a rough reference, a full-size pickup with a standard bed holds about half a full cord — 64 cubic feet — loaded level with the top of the bed rather than heaped above it. That's a ballpark for planning a delivery or a haul, not a substitute for measuring the actual stacked wood.

Why does a loosely thrown pile look full but come up short once stacked?

A cord is defined by stacked volume, and loose-dumped wood has larger, more irregular gaps between pieces than a neatly stacked row does — it takes up more space for the same amount of actual wood. Stack it, or agree on loose-versus-stacked terms with the seller, before assuming a truck bed's worth is a full cord.

Does this calculator account for wood species or moisture content?

No — species and moisture affect a stack's weight, not its volume, and firewood is sold by volume for exactly that reason. This calculator reports cords and cubic feet only; there's no verified weight figure behind a number here, and weight isn't what you're being priced on regardless.

Should I stack my firewood before measuring it?

Yes. A cord is defined as stacked volume, and a randomly piled stack holds more air and less wood than a neatly stacked one — measuring a sloppy pile will overstate how much wood you actually have. Stack it in even rows first, then measure length, height, and depth.