Firewood Cord Calculator
$
A full cord is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood (4 ft x 4 ft x 8 ft).
Cords1.000
Stack Volume (cu ft)128.0
Value at Cord Price$250.00
Firewood is sold by the cord, a legally defined unit equal to 128 cubic feet of tightly stacked wood, traditionally a pile 4 feet high, 4 feet deep, and 8 feet long. This calculator measures any neatly stacked pile by its length, height, and depth in feet, computes the cubic footage, and divides by 128 to tell you what fraction of a cord you have and what it is worth at a given per-cord price.
Formula
cords = (length x height x depth) / 128
- length
- Stack length, feet
- height
- Stack height, feet
- depth
- Stack depth / log length, feet
- 128
- Cubic feet in one full cord
How it works
- Stack the wood neatly and measure the length, height, and depth (the depth usually equals the log length) in feet.
- Multiply the three dimensions to get the stacked volume in cubic feet, then divide by 128 to get the number of cords.
- Multiply the cord count by your price per full cord to value the pile or to check a delivery against what you paid.
Worked example
A pile stacked 8 ft long, 4 ft high, with 16-inch (1.33 ft) logs.
- Volume = 8 x 4 x 1.33 = 42.56 cubic feet.
- Cords = 42.56 / 128 = 0.333 of a cord.
- This is a classic "face cord" or "rick" — one-third of a full cord.
0.333 cord; at $300 per full cord, about $100 of wood.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a full cord and a face cord?
- A full cord is 128 cubic feet (4 x 4 x 8 ft). A face cord, or rick, is one stack 4 ft high and 8 ft long but only one log deep, so its depth and volume depend on log length, often about a third of a full cord.
- Does loosely thrown wood count the same?
- No. The 128-cubic-foot definition assumes wood neatly stacked with rows parallel and tight. A loose, tossed pile contains far more air gaps, so the same dumped volume holds noticeably less actual wood.
- How long should the logs be?
- Common firewood lengths are 16 inches (three pieces make a 48-inch deep full cord) or 24 inches. Enter the actual log length as the depth so the cubic footage reflects what you have.
- How much does a cord weigh?
- It depends heavily on species and moisture. A cord of seasoned hardwood like oak can weigh 3,500 to 4,500 lb, while softwoods such as pine are far lighter. This tool reports volume in cords, not weight.