🪵 Firewood Cord Calculator
Estimate full cords, face cords, stacked volume, loose-pile volume, solid wood volume, heat value, weight, and moisture adjustment for real firewood stacks.
📌 Wood Pile Presets
Load a common firewood pile, then adjust stack dimensions, piece length, split size, void factor, species, moisture, and loose-to-stacked conversion.
⚙ Stack And Wood Inputs
📊 Species And Cord Comparison Grid
🌲 Selected Species Data
📋 Firewood Reference Tables
| Cord measure | Stacked dimensions | Stacked volume | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full cord | 8 ft x 4 ft x 4 ft | 128 ft³ | Legal base measure for stacked firewood volume in many places. |
| Face cord | 8 ft x 4 ft x piece length | 42.7 ft³ at 16 in | Three 16 inch face cords equal about one full cord. |
| Half cord | Commonly 8 ft x 4 ft x 2 ft | 64 ft³ | Useful for shed bays and smaller seasonal stacks. |
| Quarter cord | Often 4 ft x 4 ft x 2 ft | 32 ft³ | Matches many porch racks and short storage areas. |
| Loose cord estimate | Stacked equivalent x factor | 147 to 186 ft³ | Depends on split size, crookedness, and how the pile was tossed. |
| Species | Million BTU per cord | Dry weight per cord | Burn character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory | 27.5 | 4,300 lb | Very dense, strong coals, slow burn. |
| White oak | 26.4 | 4,200 lb | Long steady heat after proper drying. |
| Black locust | 27.9 | 4,400 lb | High heat, dense splits, excellent coaling. |
| Hard maple | 24.0 | 3,750 lb | Reliable hardwood with clean steady heat. |
| Douglas fir | 20.7 | 3,100 lb | Strong softwood heat with more sparks. |
| White pine | 15.9 | 2,250 lb | Fast lighting, lower heat per cord. |
| Pile condition | Void factor | Loose factor | Best use in calculator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tight straight splits | 30% to 34% | 1.15x to 1.20x | Uniform pieces, careful rows, square rack. |
| Normal split firewood | 34% to 40% | 1.20x to 1.28x | Most hand-stacked hardwood and softwood piles. |
| Chunky mixed splits | 38% to 45% | 1.28x to 1.35x | Large stove wood, knots, twisted grain, mixed lengths. |
| Rounds and crooked wood | 42% to 52% | 1.35x to 1.45x | Unsplit rounds, branch wood, rough loose loads. |
| Preset stack | Typical dimensions | Approx cords | Common adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single face cord | 8 ft x 4 ft x 16 in | 0.33 cord | Use entered piece length for non-16 inch wood. |
| Pickup loose load | 6 ft x 4 ft x 2 ft loose | 0.29 to 0.33 cord | Divide loose volume by the selected loose factor. |
| Two-row shed bay | 8 ft x 4 ft x 32 in | 0.67 cord | Depth should include both rows, not one piece length. |
| Full cord rack | 8 ft x 4 ft x 4 ft | 1.00 cord | Check that the top is level and not crowned high. |
💡 Firewood Measuring Tips
A cord of firewood are a legal unit of measurement for wood. One cord equal 128 cubic feet of wood when measure when the firewood is neatly stacked. Many individuals will purchase firewood that are measured in cord.
However, the firewood may not be neat stacked when it is purchased. Firewood that is purchased in loose heaps will contain less actual firewood than an neatly stacked cord of firewood due to the fact that loose heaps contain more air than firewood that is neatly stack. Thus, an individual must know that a cord only measure 128 cubic feet of firewood if the firewood are neatly stacked.
How to Measure Firewood and Buy the Right Wood
Another unit of firewood that may be purchase is known as a face cord. A face cord contain one third of the amount of firewood of a full cord when the firewood is measured at 16 inches in length. If the firewood is not 16 inches in length, the amount of firewood that are contained within a face cord will mathematical change.
Additionally, loose pickup loads of firewood may appear to be large amount of firewood being moved, but once the firewood is dropped off and allowed to settle into a pile, the firewood will contain less space taken up by the firewood. The reason for this is that a pile of firewood that is crooked and round will contain more air within the firewood than a pile of firewood that is straight and split by the saw. Thus, an individual must account for the amount of air that is contained within a face cord of firewood when the firewood are stacked.
The type of firewood that is purchase can also impact the amount of heat that are give off by the firewood. The species of firewood will impact the amount of heat give off by the firewood. For instance, dense hardwood species, like hickory and oak, contain more energy within a cord of firewood than softwood, and will leave a coal bed after burning that can last for a longer period of time than firewood made of softwoods.
Additionally, softwoods will light quick when stacked in a firewood pile, but will burn faster than hardwoods. Thus, an individual must understand the species of firewood when using a firewood calculator to properly determine the amount of heat that will be give off by the firewood. One more factor that will impact the firewood is the moisture content of the firewood.
The moisture content will impact the amount of heat that is given off by the firewood. If firewood contain thirty percent of the water that is necessary to properly burn the firewood, the firewood will need to dry out before it can release the heat that it can provide. Thus, firewood calculators account for the moisture content of firewood so that an individual know that firewood will not always burn the same within a given season.
The weight of firewood may also be impact by the moisture content. For instance, green maple wood will weigh more than seasoned ash wood due to the fact that the green maple firewood has more water within it. Thus, the extra weight of the water within the firewood will impact the cost of transportation of the firewood, as well as the amount of heat that it will provide once the water within the firewood has evaporated.
The size of the splits of firewood will also impact the amount of firewood that is contained within a pile of firewood. Large splits of firewood will leave gaps between the piece of firewood. Thus, firewood that is split into small split will pack into the firewood pile better than firewood that is split into large splits.
However, small split are more difficult for an individual to handle. Thus, if the split width of firewood is entered into a firewood calculator, the calculator will provide an estimate of the number of individual piece of firewood that are within the firewood pile. This can help an individual to determine if the firewood will last the winter or if it will run out quick.
Many people make mistake when measuring firewood. For instance, the outside of a wooden rack may be measured rather than the firewood itself. Additionally, individuals may purchase a face cord of firewood but fail to measure the length of the firewood.
Finally, an individual may think that a stack of firewood is a cord of firewood but there may be gap within the firewood or the top row of firewood is not even with the other rows. One last mistake that may be made is purchasing firewood but not asking whether the price for the firewood also include the delivery of the firewood to the individual in question.
