Free Firewood Calculator
Turn any firewood stack's dimensions into cords and face cords, compare prices per cord, or find the stack size you need for a given number of cords. Built for anyone buying, selling, or heating with wood.
This free firewood calculator converts a stack's length, height, and depth in feet into cubic feet, full cords (128 cubic feet each), and face cords (about one third of a full cord), compares stack prices per cord, and can work backwards to show how long a stack must be to hold a target number of cords.
The longest side of the stack, in feet.
Measured from the ground to the top of the stacked logs.
How far the stack extends back, in feet (often the log length).
What the seller is asking for this stack, to compare cost per cord.
The number of full cords you want the stack to hold.
A standard full cord is a stack 4 feet high, 4 feet deep, and 8 feet long.
Length assumes a stack 4 feet high with 16 inch logs, the standard face-cord depth.
Estimates for comparing firewood prices and planning purchases, not a guarantee of any seller's measurements. See Terms of Use.
Cord math: what 128 cubic feet actually means
A full cord is not an estimate; it is a legal unit of measure. By definition, one cord is a stacked pile 4 feet high, 4 feet deep, and 8 feet long. Multiply those dimensions and you get 128 cubic feet of stacked wood, bark to bark. Because firewood is sold by volume, not by weight, that 128 figure is the yardstick every honest sale is measured against.
A face cord is where the confusion usually starts. It is a stack face 4 feet high and 8 feet long, with logs cut to a typical 16 inches, which works out to about 42.7 cubic feet: roughly one third of a full cord. The word rick means the same thing across much of the South and Midwest, but it is a regional term with no legal definition, so confirm the log length before you pay.
Stacked versus loose changes the math. A stacked cord assumes logs are neatly piled with little air between them. Wood thrown loosely into a truck bed has far more empty space: about 180 cubic feet of thrown wood equals one stacked cord. A heaped pickup bed is not a cord, so ask for stacked dimensions measured with a tape before you pay.
Cords measure volume, not dryness. Freshly cut green wood is heavy with water, hard to light, and wastes much of its heat boiling off its own moisture. Seasoned firewood has been split, stacked off the ground, and air-dried 6 to 12 months until moisture drops below 20 percent, so it burns hotter and cleaner. Two stacks can each measure exactly one cord yet heat differently, so buy seasoned wood and verify it with a moisture meter.
Firewood calculator questions
What is a full cord of firewood?
A full cord is a stacked pile measuring 4 feet high, 4 feet deep, and 8 feet long, for a total of 128 cubic feet of stacked wood. It is a legal unit of measure in most states, which means a seller advertising a full cord must deliver 128 cubic feet of stacked logs.
What is a face cord, and what is a rick?
A face cord is one face of a full cord stack: 4 feet high and 8 feet long, with logs usually cut to 16 inches. It holds about 42.7 cubic feet, roughly one third of a full cord. A rick is a regional word for the same thing, but it has no legal definition, so confirm the dimensions before buying.
Why does a truckload of firewood not equal a cord?
Because loose, thrown wood contains far more air than a stacked pile. About 180 cubic feet of thrown wood equals one stacked cord of 128 cubic feet, so a heaped pickup bed typically holds well under half a cord. Buy by measured stacked dimensions, not by truckload.
How long does firewood need to season?
Most firewood needs 6 to 12 months of seasoning: split, stacked off the ground, with air flowing around it. It is ready when its moisture content drops below 20 percent, which you can check with an inexpensive moisture meter. Seasoned wood burns hotter and produces less creosote than green wood.