Firewood Cord Calculator
A full cord is a stack 4 ft high by 8 ft long by 4 ft deep — 128 cubic feet. Measure the stack you were delivered, enter the three dimensions, and see what fraction of a cord you actually received, what that works out to in face cords, and what it cost you per cord.
Your project
Estimate
0.333cords
Full cords · 1 full cord = 128 ft³ (4 × 4 × 8)
- Stacked volume
- 42.7ft³
- Face cords / ricks
- 1face cords
- Value at your price
- $106.67
Estimates are guidance only and exclude tax, labor, and site conditions unless stated. Confirm with a local pro.
How it's calculated
No black boxes — here is the exact math behind your estimate, so you can check it or adapt it for your own quote.
- 1
Stacked volume (ft³) = stack length × stack height × (log length ÷ 12) - 2
Full cords = stacked volume ÷ 128 - 3
Face cords = full cords × (48 ÷ log length in inches) - 4
Value = full cords × price per full cord
Worked example
A delivered stack 8 ft long and 4 ft high, cut to 16 inch logs, priced at $320 per full cord.
Inputs
- Stack length
- 8 ft
- Stack height
- 4 ft
- Log length
- 16 in
- Price per full cord
- 320 $/cord
Result
- Full cords
- 0.333 cords
- Stacked volume
- 42.7 ft³
- Face cords / ricks
- 1 face cords
- Value at your price
- $106.67
Tools & materials for this project
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- Firewood moisture meter Check a freshly split face for the under-20% reading that means seasoned.
- 8 ft firewood rack An 8 ft × 4 ft rack stacks exactly one face cord, so measuring is easy.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a cord, a face cord, and a rick?
A full cord is the only defined unit: 128 cubic feet of tightly stacked wood, classically 4 ft high × 8 ft long × 4 ft deep. A face cord or rick is 4 ft high × 8 ft long by whatever length the logs are cut to. With the usual 16 inch logs that is 42.7 cubic feet — exactly one third of a cord. Sellers lean on this: "a cord of wood" advertised at $150 is often a face cord, three times the real price per cord. Always ask for the log length and the stack dimensions in writing before you agree.
Is it legal to sell firewood by the face cord?
In most US states, no. NIST Handbook 130, which the majority of states adopt as their weights-and-measures law, requires firewood to be advertised and sold by the cord or a decimal fraction of a cord, and prohibits terms such as rick, face cord, truckload, or pile as a unit of sale. Enforcement sits with your state department of agriculture or weights and measures office, and complaints are taken seriously. You are entitled to a receipt showing the seller, the quantity in cords, and the price. Stack and measure before the truck leaves if you can.
How can I tell if firewood is seasoned?
Seasoned firewood is under 20% moisture content, which usually means split and stacked under cover with open sides for 6–12 months for oak, less for ash or softwoods. Signs: cracks radiating from the end grain, greyed and loose bark, a hollow ring when two pieces are knocked together, and noticeably light weight. Green wood at 40–60% moisture wastes a large share of its energy boiling off water, burns cool and smoky, and lays down creosote in the flue. A $20–$40 pin moisture meter tested on a freshly split face settles the argument.
Does 128 cubic feet mean 128 cubic feet of wood?
No — a cord is a stacked measure, and air between the splits is part of it. Solid wood content in a well-stacked cord is typically 80–90 cubic feet, roughly 70% of the volume; loosely thrown or randomly piled wood can drop to 60% or less, which is why a dumped pile always looks bigger than the same wood stacked. Split size and straightness matter more than species. Weight is the other honest check: a cord of seasoned red oak runs about 3,500–3,800 lb, while seasoned pine is closer to 2,200 lb.
How do I measure a delivery I already received?
Stack it before you pay if the seller will allow it, or immediately after. Stack the wood in rows on level ground with the pieces roughly parallel and the ends aligned, then measure the average height and the total length and enter your log length here. A single tidy row 4 ft high and 8 ft long of 16 inch wood is 0.333 cords, so a genuine full cord is three of those rows. A standard 8 ft pickup bed loaded level to the rails holds about 64 cubic feet, or half a cord — no half-ton pickup legally carries a full cord of hardwood.