Convert a measured firewood stack into full cords and face cords, check whether a seller's price is per cord or per face cord, and estimate how much the wood weighs.
Measure the stack, not the pile: cords are a volume measurement, so loosely thrown wood occupies far more space than the same wood stacked neatly.
A full cord is legally defined as 128 cubic feet of tightly stacked wood, traditionally 4 ft high, 4 ft deep and 8 ft long. Any stack adding up to 128 cubic feet is a cord regardless of its shape, which is why the measurement is length × height × depth rather than a log count.
The number that catches people out is the face cord, also called a rick or a rank. It uses the same 4 ft high × 8 ft long face, but it is only one log deep, so its depth equals the length of the firewood. With common 16 in logs that is about 42.7 cu ft, one third of a full cord.
That single fact is the whole game when buying firewood. If a seller quotes a "cord" price and delivers a face cord, you have received about a third of the wood you expected. Always ask two questions: is the price for a full cord or a face cord, and what is the log length?
| Unit | Dimensions | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Full cord | 8 ft × 4 ft × 4 ft | 128 cu ft |
| Half cord | 8 ft × 4 ft × 2 ft | 64 cu ft |
| Quarter cord | 8 ft × 4 ft × 1 ft | 32 cu ft |
| Face cord, 16 in logs | 8 ft × 4 ft × 1.33 ft | ~42.7 cu ft (⅓ cord) |
| Face cord, 24 in logs | 8 ft × 4 ft × 2 ft | 64 cu ft (½ cord) |
With 16 in logs, one full cord is about three face cords. With 24 in logs a face cord is half a cord, which is why the log length has to be part of the price.
| Log length | Volume of one face cord | Face cords in a full cord |
|---|---|---|
| 12 in | 32 cu ft | 4.0 |
| 16 in | ~42.7 cu ft | 3.0 |
| 18 in | 48 cu ft | 2.7 |
| 20 in | 53.3 cu ft | 2.4 |
| 24 in | 64 cu ft | 2.0 |
A "rick" or "stove cord" usually means a face cord, but the terms are regional and are not legally defined in most places, so the only reliable comparison is volume.
| Wood | Weight per full cord (seasoned) |
|---|---|
| Softwood (pine, fir, spruce) | about 2,400 lb |
| Mixed wood | about 3,000 lb |
| Dense hardwood (oak, hickory, maple) | 3,600 lb or more |
Green, unseasoned wood runs 50% or more heavier than the same cord seasoned, because most of the weight is water. That is a delivery problem, and a heat problem, because a large part of the energy from green wood goes into boiling off that water rather than warming a room.
Seasoning takes six to twelve months of open-air drying for most species, split and stacked with the bark facing up and air moving through. Wood bought in autumn is almost never ready to burn well that winter.
Heat output follows the same pattern as weight: a cord of oak delivers roughly 24 million BTU and a cord of pine about 15 million, so hardwood costs more per cord but not necessarily more per unit of heat.
The cord is a legally defined unit in the United States and Canada: 128 cubic feet of tightly stacked wood, conventionally 4 × 4 × 8 ft. The face cord, rick, rank or stove cord is a regional term with no single legal definition, it is one log deep over an 8 × 4 ft face, which is why the log length has to be stated and why a face cord is about a third of a cord with 16 in logs. Seasonal weights per cord (roughly 2,400 lb softwood, 3,000 lb mixed, 3,600 lb+ dense hardwood, with green wood 50% heavier) and heat content figures are the commonly published firewood values. Measure any delivery before you pay it off, and understand that 128 cubic feet includes the air between the pieces, tight stacking is what makes the difference.
A full cord is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood, conventionally a stack 4 ft high, 4 ft deep and 8 ft long. Seasoned hardwood commonly runs $200–$400 a cord in the US, with softwood lower and kiln-dried or stacked-for-you deliveries higher.
A full cord is 128 cubic feet. A face cord, also called a rick, rank or stove cord, has the same 8 ft × 4 ft face but is only one log deep, so its depth is the log length. With 16 in logs a face cord is about 42.7 cu ft, roughly a third of a cord.
Three, when the logs are the common 16 inch length. With 24 in logs it is two face cords to the cord, and with 12 in logs it is four. The face cord is not a fixed volume, which is why the log length has to be part of any price comparison.
About 2,400 lb for softwood, 3,000 lb for mixed wood, and 3,600 lb or more for dense hardwood, seasoned. Green wood can weigh 50% more because of its water content, which is both a hauling problem and a reason it burns poorly.
Six to twelve months of open-air drying for most species, split to size, stacked with air moving through it and covered only on top. Hardwoods take longer than softwoods. Wood felled and bought in autumn is generally not ready for that winter.
Roughly 24 million BTU for a cord of oak, 20 million for mixed wood and 15 million for pine. Hardwood costs more per cord but delivers more heat per cord, so compare price per million BTU rather than price per cord.