Cord of Wood Calculator
Measure the stack. Know what you paid for.
What you have
1.00 cords
- Cubic feet
- 128.00 ft³
- Face cords (16 in)
- 3.00
- Seasoned weight
- Heat / burn time
- Price reference
| Name | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Full cord | 128 cubic feet, stacked |
| Face cord | Face dimensions and piece length |
| Rick | The seller’s actual dimensions |
What is a cord?
A full cord is 128 cubic feet of neatly stacked wood, air gaps included. The classic picture is a stack 8 ft long, 4 ft deep and 4 ft high, but any shape that adds up to 128 cubic feet is a cord.
How to use the calculator
Measure the outside of each stack: length, depth and height. Working in inches? Flip the unit switch. Got more than one pile? Add each stack separately rather than measuring the gap between them. If the wood was dumped in a loose heap, switch to loose-thrown and pick your piece length.
Cord vs face cord vs rick
A cord is a fixed amount of wood. A face cord is one row, 8 ft long and 4 ft high, as deep as the pieces are long — so with 16 in pieces it’s a third of a cord. “Rick” means whatever the seller says it means, so ask for the dimensions.
Why we don’t count pieces
Two cords can hold very different numbers of splits depending on how big they’re split. Weight swings with species and moisture. Volume is the one number you can check with a tape measure, so that’s what the calculator works from.
What should a cord cost?
It depends a lot on where you live, what’s in the load and whether it’s seasoned. Pick a region above to see what a seller there was asking, or put your own quotes side by side on the price page.
Did you get shorted?
Enter what you paid and how many cords you were promised. The calculator shows how much less wood you got and roughly what that’s worth. Take a photo with the tape in it before you move anything — it makes the conversation with the seller a lot easier.
Frequently asked questions
Do I subtract the gaps between pieces?
No. Measure the outside of a neat stack. The gaps are part of a cord.
Can I add several woodpiles?
Yes. Add each stack and the calculator adds them up.
Does the species change how big a cord is?
No. A cord of oak and a cord of pine take up the same space. Species changes the weight and the heat.
Can I share my result?
Tap Copy result and paste it wherever you like.
Where these numbers come from
- nist.gov, checked
- NIST SP 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI), Appendix B.8, Table B.8 (length conversion factors), checked
- NIST SP 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI), Appendix B.8 Table B.8 and footnote 22, checked
- agriculture.vermont.gov, checked
- maine.gov, checked
- extension.psu.edu, checked
- extension.usu.edu, checked
- Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, 'Firewood' (Fuel Values of Wood From Arkansas Trees, compiled from USDA Forest Service Leaflet No. 559), checked
- forestupdate.frec.vt.edu, checked
- University of Minnesota Agricultural Extension Service, 'Wood as a fuel resource' (Forestry No. 9-1974, L. T. Hendricks), table 'Heat Value of Cordwood', checked
- University of Minnesota Agricultural Extension Division, 'Wood as Fuel' (Special Bulletin 158, Dec. 1932), Table 2, 'Approximate Weights of Wood per Standard Cord, 90 Cubic Feet, Green and Air Seasoned, Based on Figures Published by the Forest Products Laboratory', checked
- maine.gov, checked
- mulchmound.com, checked
- mulchmound.com, checked
- mulchmound.com, checked
- mulchmound.com, checked
- mulchmound.com, checked
- clarksfirewood.com, checked
- brownsarborcare.com, checked
- carspecs.org, checked