Firewood Calculator

Convert a stacked firewood pile into cubic feet, full cords and face cords for your piece length, and compare a per-stack price with a price per full cord.

Interactive calculator · Method FIREWOOD-CORD-1.0 · Last reviewed: 2026-11-04

Calculate your scenario

Stacked volume = length × height × depth (inches ÷ 12 first) × number of stacks.

Your inputs

Try an example

Stack measurement unit

Stack length (ft or in)

Stack height (ft or in)

Stack depth (front to back) (ft or in)

Number of identical stacks (stacks)

Piece length of the wood (in)

Quoted price per stack (example) ($ per stack)

Comparison price per full cord (example) ($ per cord)

Default worked example. Edit the inputs to calculate your scenario.

Default worked example

Full cords 1 cord

Stacked volume 128 ft³ (3.6246 m³)

Face-cord equivalent 3 face cords of 16 in pieces

Quoted price per full cord $320.00

Value at comparison cord price $300.00

Quote vs comparison price $20.00 more

1 × 128 ft³ = 128 ft³ stacked; ÷ 128 = 1 cords; ÷ (4 × 8 × 16/12 = 42.6667 ft³) = 3 face cords.

How to use the calculator

Measure the stacked wood’s length, height and front-to-back depth in one unit, enter how many identical stacks you are buying, the piece length, the seller’s price per stack and a per-cord price you want to compare against.

What the result means

An 8 × 4 × 4 ft stack is 128 ft³, exactly one full cord, or 3 face cords of 16 in pieces. At $320 for the stack, that is $20 more than a $300-per-cord comparison price.

Formula and units

Stacked volume = length × height × depth (inches ÷ 12 first) × number of stacks. Full cords = stacked ft³ ÷ 128, since a full cord is 4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft of tightly stacked wood. Face-cord equivalent = stacked ft³ ÷ (4 ft × 8 ft × piece length ÷ 12). Quoted price per full cord = price per stack × stacks ÷ full cords; the comparison value = full cords × your comparison price.

Worked examples

One 8 × 4 × 4 ft stack at $320: Stack length: 8 ft or in; Stack height: 4 ft or in; Stack depth (front to back): 4 ft or in; Number of identical stacks: 1 stacks; Piece length of the wood: 16 in; Quoted price per stack (example): 320 $ per stack; Comparison price per full cord (example): 300 $ per cord; Stack measurement unit: ft.
Example result: Full cords: 1 cord; Stacked volume: 128 ft³ (3.6246 m³); Face-cord equivalent: 3 face cords of 16 in pieces; Quoted price per full cord: $320.00; Value at comparison cord price: $300.00; Quote vs comparison price: $20.00 more.

Two 96 × 48 × 16 in face cords at $140 each: Stack length: 96 ft or in; Stack height: 48 ft or in; Stack depth (front to back): 16 ft or in; Number of identical stacks: 2 stacks; Piece length of the wood: 16 in; Quoted price per stack (example): 140 $ per stack; Comparison price per full cord (example): 300 $ per cord; Stack measurement unit: in.
Example result: Full cords: 0.6667 cords; Stacked volume: 85.3333 ft³ (2.4164 m³); Face-cord equivalent: 2 face cords of 16 in pieces; Quoted price per full cord: $420.00; Value at comparison cord price: $200.00; Quote vs comparison price: $80.00 more.

Limitations and common mistakes

All volumes are stacked volume: wood in a neat, tight stack including the air gaps between pieces. A loose, thrown pile of the same wood takes more space, so do not measure a loose load as if it were stacked. There is no single face-cord size: it depends on piece length, which is why it is an input here. Local laws may define how firewood must be sold; check them. Prices are your entries, and moisture, species and heat value are not compared.

Calling a 4 × 8 ft face of 16 in pieces a cord. That is a face cord, one third of a full cord, so its per-cord price is three times the sticker.

Sources and assumptions

Method FIREWOOD-CORD-1.0; last formula review 2026-11-04. Sources and their supported claims. Calculation methodology.