# How much firewood is in my stack?

Firewood calculator: turns the length, height and piece length of a stacked pile into cords, face cords (ricks), cubic feet and cubic metres, with the cost at a price per cord.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/construction/firewood-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/construction/firewood-calculator.json
- Version: 24a1c07daa00

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Stack length 8 ft, Stack height 4 ft, Piece length 16 in, Stacks 1): Your stack is 0.333 cords (1 face cords, 42.67 ft³).

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| l | Stack length | How long the stack is along the ground. |
| h | Stack height | How high the wood is stacked. |
| d | Piece length | How deep the stack is: the length of one split piece. |
| n | Stacks | How many stacks of this size. |
| p | Price per cord | The price of one full cord. Leave empty to skip the cost. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| cords | Full cords | The stacked volume ÷ 128 ft³. |
| faceCords | Face cords (ricks) | The face (length × height × stacks) ÷ 32 ft², a 4 × 8 ft face of any piece length. |
| cubicFeet | Cubic feet | Length × height × piece length × stacks. |
| steres | Cubic metres (steres) | The stacked volume in cubic metres; one stere is 1 m³ of stacked wood. |
| cost | Cost | Full cords × the price per cord. |

## Method

Cubic feet = length × height × piece length × stacks; cords = cubic feet ÷ 128; face cords = length × height × stacks ÷ 32 ft²; steres = the volume in m³.

## Assumptions

- The wood is stacked tightly in straight rows, as a cord is defined; loose, thrown wood takes more room.
- A face cord (rick) is any 4 × 8 ft face, whatever the piece length, so its share of a cord depends on the piece length.

## Worked examples

1. l = 2.4384, h = 1.2192, d = 1.2192, n = 1 gives cords = 1, cubicFeet = 128, faceCords = 1, steres = 3.624556. Source: Wikipedia, Cord (unit) (a cord is 128 ft³, 4 ft high × 8 ft wide × 4 ft deep; a face cord or rick is 4 × 8 ft of 16 in wood, one third of a cord; 1 stere = 1 m³), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cord_(unit) (retrieved 2026-10-03).
2. l = 2.4384, h = 1.2192, d = 0.4064, n = 1, p = $300.00 gives cords = 0.333333, faceCords = 1, cubicFeet = 42.666667, cost = $100.00. Source: Wikipedia, Cord (unit) (a cord is 128 ft³, 4 ft high × 8 ft wide × 4 ft deep; a face cord or rick is 4 × 8 ft of 16 in wood, one third of a cord; 1 stere = 1 m³), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cord_(unit) (retrieved 2026-10-03).
3. l = 6.096, h = 1.524, d = 0.4572, n = 2 gives cubicFeet = 300, cords = 2.34375, faceCords = 6.25. Source: Wikipedia, Cord (unit) (a cord is 128 ft³, 4 ft high × 8 ft wide × 4 ft deep; a face cord or rick is 4 × 8 ft of 16 in wood, one third of a cord; 1 stere = 1 m³), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cord_(unit) (retrieved 2026-10-03).

## FAQ

### How big is a cord of firewood?

A full cord is 128 cubic feet of tightly stacked wood: a pile 4 ft high, 8 ft long and 4 ft deep.

### What is a face cord or a rick?

A face cord, also called a rick, is a stack 4 ft high and 8 ft long, one piece deep. With the usual 16 in pieces it is 42.67 ft³, one third of a full cord. With 24 in pieces it is half a cord.

### How do I measure a woodpile in cords?

Multiply the length by the height by the piece length, all in feet, and divide by 128. A pile 20 ft long, 5 ft high and 18 in deep is 20 × 5 × 1.5 = 150 ft³, or 1.17 cords.

### How many face cords are in a cord?

128 ÷ (32 × piece length in feet). With 16 in pieces that is 3 face cords; with 12 in pieces, 4; with 24 in pieces, 2.

### What is a stere?

A stere is 1 cubic metre of stacked wood, the unit used in metric countries. One cord is 3.62 steres, and one stere is about 0.276 cords.

### Does loosely thrown wood count as a cord?

No. A cord is measured stacked. Thrown wood has more air between pieces, so the same wood takes more room; Maine, for example, defines a loose thrown cord of 12 to 16 in wood as 180 ft³.

## Sources

- Wikipedia, Cord (unit): a cord is 128 ft³ (4 × 4 × 8 ft); a face cord or rick is 4 × 8 ft of 16 in pieces, one third of a cord; 1 stere = 1 m³ ≈ 0.276 cords; Maine’s loose thrown cord, retrieved 2026-10-03. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cord_(unit)
- NIST Special Publication 811 (2008), Appendix B: 1 ft = 0.3048 m exactly, 1 in = 0.0254 m, retrieved 2026-10-03. https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811