Cord of Wood Calculator

NIST Handbook 130 & USFS Firewood Measurement Standards

A Cord is the only legal unit of firewood measurement recognized in the US and Canada (the terms 'rick', 'face cord', or 'truckload' are not legally recognized units of sale without exact cubic dimensions):

• 1 Full Cord: 4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft = 128 Cubic Feet (contains ≈ 85 cu ft solid wood and ≈ 43 cu ft air space).

• Full Cords = Length (ft) × Height (ft) × Log Length (ft)128

• Face Cord / Rick: A single 4ft × 8ft rack with 16" log cut length.

• Pickup Truck Bed (6.5 ft bed): Holds ≈ 40--48 cu ft stacked level (0.33--0.38 Full Cord).

How to Use This Calculator

Enter your Stack Length (Feet) (e.g. 8), Stack Height (Feet) (e.g. 4), Log Cut Length / Depth (Inches) (e.g. 48 (or 16 for face cord)), Firewood Species & Heat Value — choose from White Oak (26.4M BTU / 4,200 lbs per cord), Sugar Maple (24.0M BTU / 3,800 lbs per cord), Hickory & White Ash (24.2M BTU / 3,900 lbs), Price per Full Cord () (e.g. 325.00), and Common Firewood Benchmark — choose from Custom Stack Dimensions, 1 Full Cord (4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft = 128 cu ft), 1 Face Cord / Rick (4 ft × 8 ft × 16" = 42.7 cu ft). Results update instantly as you type — adjust any value to compare scenarios.

The Formula

NIST Standard: 1 Full Cord = 128 cubic feet of tightly stacked wood

Face cord (Rick) = 4ft x 8ft x 16-inch log = 42.67 cu ft = 1/3 full cord

Worked Example

A homeowner buying 1 Face Cord receives 42.7 cubic feet of wood, which is exactly one-third (0.33) of a full legal cord.

Understanding Your Result

This calculation gives a precise result based on the inputs you provided. For practical decisions, consider whether the result changes meaningfully with slight variations in your inputs — if a 5–10% change in input causes a significant output change, gather more precise input data before deciding. Use this tool to quickly compare multiple scenarios side by side.