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Lumber & Materials

Cord of Wood Calculator

Full cords, face cords and stacked volume from the dimensions of a woodpile.

Your measurements

The stack
The depth of the stack — 16 in is the standard firewood length for most stoves.
Wood
Green wood can weigh half as much again as seasoned wood of the same species.

Your result

Sample values

0.67

Full cords

85.3

Cubic feet stacked

2

Face cords

2,867

Pounds, seasoned oak

A 16 ft by 4 ft stack of 16 in logs.

For reference

Measure Value
Full cord 128 ft³ — 4 × 4 × 8 ft
This stack 85.3 ft³
Face cord at 16 in 42.7 ft³
Seasoned oak, per cord about 4,300 lb

How to use this calculator

Measure the stack as it sits: overall length, overall height, and the length of the logs, which is the depth of the stack. Stack it tight and square before measuring, since a loosely thrown pile measures far larger than the wood it contains.

Compare what you are buying against a full cord of 128 cubic feet. Most firewood is sold by the face cord or the truckload, neither of which is a fixed quantity, which is exactly why the comparison matters.

Formula

Stacked volume = Length × Height × Log length

Full cords = Volume ÷ 128

Face cords = Volume ÷ (32 × Log length in feet)

Full cord
128 ft³, stacked 4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft
Face cord
4 ft × 8 ft face, at whatever log length

A face cord is only a fixed fraction of a cord once the log length is known.

Worked example

A stack 16 ft long and 4 ft high, cut to 16 in logs.

  1. 16 in ÷ 12 = 1.333 ft of depth
  2. 16 ft × 4 ft × 1.333 ft = 85.3 ft³
  3. 85.3 ÷ 128 = 0.67 full cords
  4. Each 8 ft × 4 ft face at 16 in = 42.7 ft³
  5. 85.3 ÷ 42.7 = 2 face cords

0.67 of a full cord, or 2 face cords

Understanding your results

The face cord is where firewood buyers lose money. A face cord is a stack four feet high and eight feet long at whatever length the logs happen to be cut. At 16 in that is a third of a cord; at 12 in it is a quarter. Two sellers can quote the same price for a face cord and be selling quantities that differ by a third.

Weight varies enormously with species and moisture. Seasoned oak runs around 4,300 lb per cord; the same cord green is closer to 5,500, and a cord of pine is barely half the oak figure. If you are paying for delivery by weight, or carrying it yourself, that difference is worth knowing.

Questions

About this calculator

Ask something else

A tightly stacked pile measuring 128 cubic feet, traditionally 4 ft high by 4 ft deep by 8 ft long. It is the only firewood measure with a legal definition in most places, which is why it is worth converting any quote back to it.

No, and the difference is large. A face cord is a 4 by 8 ft face at whatever depth the logs are cut. At the common 16 in length that is one third of a full cord. Always ask what length the wood is cut to before comparing prices.

Six months to a year for most species split and stacked off the ground under cover, and closer to two years for dense oak. Season it below 20% moisture — wet wood wastes much of its energy boiling off water and coats the flue with creosote.

No. Loosely thrown wood contains roughly a third air by volume, so a truck bed that looks full holds far less than its dimensions suggest. Stack it before measuring, or expect to receive noticeably less than a dimensioned quote implies.

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Estimates, not specifications. Results are based on the values you enter and on typical material properties. Densities, coverage rates and product sizes vary between suppliers, so confirm quantities against your supplier's data before ordering. Structural work must be signed off by a qualified professional and meet your local building code.