Calculate Coard Feet

Use this advanced calculator to estimate stacked firewood volume in cubic feet and full cords. Enter your pile dimensions, choose a unit, and get a fast result with a visual chart for comparison against one standard cord.

• Calculates cubic feet, full cords, face-cord equivalent, and percent of a full cord
• Supports feet, inches, yards, and meters for practical field use
• Built for homeowners, firewood sellers, arborists, and land managers

Firewood Cord Calculator

How to Calculate Coard Feet Correctly

If you are trying to calculate coard feet, you are almost certainly measuring stacked firewood volume. In most cases, people mean cords or cubic feet of stacked wood. A standard full cord equals 128 cubic feet, typically stacked as 4 feet high by 8 feet long by 4 feet deep. That standard has been used for generations because it gives buyers and sellers a common benchmark for pricing, delivery, and storage.

The most practical formula is simple: Length × Height × Depth = Cubic Feet. Once you know cubic feet, divide by 128 to get full cords. For example, if your stack is 8 feet long, 4 feet high, and 16 inches deep, the depth in feet is 1.333. The total volume is 8 × 4 × 1.333 = about 42.67 cubic feet. Divide that by 128 and you get about 0.33 cords. That stack is often called a face cord when the logs are 16 inches long.

Measuring accurately matters because firewood is often sold in different ways: full cord, half cord, face cord, truckload, rack, or loose volume. Loose volume and stacked volume are not the same. Air gaps between logs, split sizes, and how carefully the wood is stacked all affect the final number. A tightly stacked pile usually represents a more reliable estimate than a loosely dumped load.

Key rule: A legal cord is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood and bark. If a seller uses terms like rack, load, or face cord, ask for the exact dimensions before comparing prices.

The Basic Formula

To calculate coard feet, first convert every dimension into the same unit. Feet are the easiest because the cord standard is based on cubic feet. Then apply the formula:

1. Measure the total stack length.
2. Measure average stack height.
3. Measure average piece depth or log length.
4. Multiply the three values to get cubic feet.
5. Divide cubic feet by 128 to get full cords.

This process works for almost any firewood stack, whether it is in a woodshed, a backyard rack, along a fence line, or in multiple piles. If the pile is uneven, divide it into sections, calculate each section separately, and add the results. This is much more accurate than guessing from the biggest or smallest side.

Why the Depth of the Logs Matters

Many misunderstandings happen because buyers focus only on stack length and stack height. But log depth is critical. An 8 foot by 4 foot stack looks impressive from the front, yet its actual volume changes dramatically depending on whether the logs are 12 inches, 16 inches, 18 inches, or 24 inches long. Firewood sold as a face cord is especially variable because the front face may still be 4 feet by 8 feet, but the depth may differ by region or supplier.

Stack Dimensions	Depth in Feet	Cubic Feet	Full Cords	Common Name
8 ft × 4 ft × 12 in	1.00	32.00	0.25	Quarter-cord equivalent
8 ft × 4 ft × 16 in	1.33	42.67	0.33	Typical face cord
8 ft × 4 ft × 18 in	1.50	48.00	0.38	Large face-cord style stack
8 ft × 4 ft × 24 in	2.00	64.00	0.50	Half cord equivalent
8 ft × 4 ft × 48 in	4.00	128.00	1.00	Full cord

What a Cord Means in Real-World Buying

In the United States, states may regulate firewood sales through weights and measures rules. A “cord” is the recognized volume term, but local enforcement and disclosure rules can vary. From a practical buying standpoint, a full cord is a benchmark that helps you compare prices fairly. If one seller advertises a face cord and another advertises a half cord, you need dimensions to know which deal is better.

Moisture content also matters. Fresh-cut “green” wood can be far heavier than seasoned wood, even if both stacks measure the same number of cubic feet. So volume determines the legal or advertised amount, but burn quality depends on species, moisture, and seasoning time. Hardwood species like oak, hickory, and sugar maple typically contain more heat per cord than lighter softwoods like pine or spruce.

Typical Heat Output by Firewood Species

Energy output varies by species. The table below uses commonly cited approximate heat values in million BTUs per cord for seasoned wood. These numbers are useful because two full cords of different species can provide very different heating performance.

Species	Approx. Million BTUs per Cord	Relative Density	Typical Use
Shagbark Hickory	27.7	Very high	Long overnight burns
White Oak	24.3	High	Primary winter heating
Sugar Maple	24.0	High	Steady residential heating
Douglas Fir	20.7	Medium	Mixed-use burning
Lodgepole Pine	15.4	Lower	Shoulder-season fires
Aspen	18.2	Low to medium	Quick, lighter burns

Common Measurement Mistakes

The biggest mistake is assuming that all “face cords” are equal. They are not. A face cord of 12-inch wood contains much less wood than a face cord of 18-inch wood. Another frequent issue is measuring only the visible face of the pile and ignoring the actual depth. A third problem is failing to average the height of an uneven stack. If one side is 5 feet high and the other side is 3 feet high, you should not simply use 5 feet unless the entire stack is that tall.

• Do not mix feet and inches without converting them first.
• Do not count loose dumped wood the same way as neatly stacked wood.
• Do not ignore voids, leaning rows, or major irregularities in pile shape.
• Do not compare seller prices unless the actual delivered dimensions are known.
• Do not estimate energy value based only on volume if moisture content is high.

How to Measure an Uneven Pile

Real stacks are often imperfect. If the top slopes, measure the height in several places and use an average. If the pile curves around a wall or corner, split it into sections. For example, imagine one part of the stack is 10 feet long by 4 feet high by 16 inches deep, and a second section is 6 feet long by 3.5 feet high by 16 inches deep. Compute each section separately and add them together. This approach mirrors how builders and estimators handle irregular areas and gives much better accuracy.

Face Cord vs Full Cord vs Rick

A full cord has a standardized volume: 128 cubic feet. A face cord usually means a stack 4 feet high by 8 feet long, but depth varies with log length. A “rick” is even less standardized because its meaning changes by region. In some areas it is used like face cord; in others it simply means a stack. Whenever someone uses “rick,” “rack,” or “truckload,” ask for exact dimensions in writing.

1. Full cord: 128 cubic feet of stacked wood.
2. Face cord: 4 feet high by 8 feet long, with depth based on log length.
3. Rick: Regional term with no universal legal size.

When Cubic Feet Are More Useful Than Cords

Cubic feet are often the best way to estimate storage needs. If you are building a woodshed or planning a rack system, cubic feet let you compare the physical capacity of the space. For instance, a shed interior that measures 8 feet by 12 feet by 4 feet deep can theoretically hold 384 cubic feet of stacked wood, equal to 3 full cords, assuming practical stacking conditions and enough airflow clearance.

Cubic feet are also useful for partial deliveries. If a seller unloads a pile that measures 6 feet by 4 feet by 16 inches, you can quickly estimate about 32 cubic feet, which is one quarter of a full cord. That is easier than trying to force every small delivery into named fractions.

Best Practices for Buyers and Sellers

Smart buyers measure after delivery, not before. Smart sellers state dimensions up front and disclose whether the load is stacked or loose thrown. If possible, ask for species mix, moisture condition, and average split length. For heating performance, seasoned wood with moisture under roughly 20 percent is generally preferred in modern wood stoves because it burns cleaner and more efficiently than green wood.

• Measure delivered stacks after they are set in place.
• Ask whether quoted prices are for stacked or loose volume.
• Confirm average piece length, especially for face-cord sales.
• Check if local weights and measures rules define legal sales language.
• Store wood off the ground and covered on top, with sides open for airflow.

Authoritative References

If you want official guidance on wood heating, moisture, and firewood use, these public resources are excellent starting points:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Burn Wise
• University of Minnesota Extension Firewood Guidance
• U.S. Forest Service

Final Takeaway

To calculate coard feet accurately, measure stack length, average height, and log depth, convert everything into feet, multiply to get cubic feet, and divide by 128 for full cords. That simple workflow helps you compare prices, estimate winter fuel supply, design storage, and avoid confusion over face cords and regional terms. If you remember only one thing, remember this: the depth of the pieces changes the true amount of wood dramatically. Two piles can look similar from the front and still differ significantly in total volume.

Use the calculator above whenever you need a fast estimate. It removes the unit conversion work, displays your volume instantly, and shows how your stack compares to a full standard cord. Whether you burn a few weekend fires or heat your home primarily with wood, accurate measurement is the foundation of fair buying and practical storage planning.