What is a cord of firewood?

A standard cord is a tightly stacked pile of wood measuring 4 feet wide, 4 feet high, and 8 feet long — a total of 128 cubic feet. Because logs are irregular, actual solid wood is roughly 80–90 cubic feet; the rest is air space between pieces.

A face cord (also called a rick) is one row of 16-inch logs stacked 4 feet high and 8 feet long. It equals about one-third of a full cord. When someone advertises a "cord," always confirm whether they mean a full cord or a face cord.

Which wood species produces the most heat?

Dense hardwoods produce the most BTUs per cord. Osage orange and black locust lead the list, followed by hickory (~25 million BTU/cord) and white oak (~25 million BTU/cord). Eastern white pine produces roughly 14–15 million BTU/cord — about half as much as the top hardwoods.

Why do BTU values differ between species?

BTU output per cord is primarily driven by wood density. Denser wood packs more carbon-based fuel into the same volume. Moisture content also matters — properly seasoned wood (below 20% moisture) burns significantly hotter than green wood regardless of species.

How accurate is the BTU estimate?

The BTU values listed are for well-seasoned wood (~20% moisture content). Green or wet wood can deliver 25–50% less heat. The calculator gives a theoretical maximum; actual output depends on stove efficiency, wood seasoning, and burning technique.

How do I measure an irregular woodpile?

Measure the longest dimension for length, the widest point for width, and the average height. For stacked piles, use the stacked height rather than log length to get an accurate volume.

Firewood Cord Calculator

Name: Firewood Cord Calculator
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter your firewood pile dimensions and wood species to instantly calculate cords and estimated BTU heat output.

Pile Dimensions & Species

Pile Length (ft)

A standard cord is 8 ft long.

Log Length / Pile Width (ft)

Standard: 4 ft (48 in). Face cord logs are typically 16 in (1.33 ft).

Stacked Height (ft)

A standard cord is 4 ft high.

Wood Species

Price per Cord ($) (optional)

Results

Fill in the inputs and click Calculate.

Quick Reference

Full cord4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft = 128 cu ft

Face cord (rick)1.33 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft ≈ 42.7 cu ft

Face cords per full cord3 face cords

Solid wood per cord~80–90 cu ft

Summary

Enter your firewood pile dimensions and wood species to instantly calculate cords and estimated BTU heat output.

How it works

Enter the length, width, and height of your firewood pile in feet.
Select the wood species from the dropdown.
Click Calculate to compute the pile volume in cubic feet.
The calculator divides the volume by 128 to get full cords.
It multiplies cords by the species BTU-per-cord value to give total heat output.
Review the face cord count and cost estimate (optional) in the results panel.

Use cases

Verify you received the correct amount of wood when buying a cord.
Plan how many cords to buy before a heating season.
Compare heat output of hardwood vs. softwood species.
Estimate heating costs by combining cords with local wood prices.
Split large woodpile inventories into seasonal budgets.
Confirm whether a stacked pile meets a quoted face-cord measurement.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: 2026-05-29 · Reviewed by Nham Vu