Cord of wood calculator
By law, a cord is 128 cubic feet of wood that is "ranked and well stowed," for example 4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft. A "face cord," "rick" or "truckload" has no legal definition.
New: Firewood cord pricing guide — cord vs informal face-cord math.
Sources: NIST / NCWM "Buying Firewood"; NIST Handbook 130 §2.4 (via CT DCP). Measure a neatly stacked pile; loosely thrown wood takes up more space than a stacked cord.
Buying tips
- In US weights-and-measures practice reflected in NIST Handbook 130, a cord is 128 cubic feet of wood that is ranked and well stowed. Terms like "face cord," "rick," or "truckload" are not standardized the same way.
- Measure a neatly stacked pile. Thrown or loosely piled wood occupies more space than the same wood stacked to cord measure.
- Seasoned firewood is about moisture and safe burning practice — use a moisture meter if you rely on wood heat, and follow local burn rules. This calculator only checks volume, not heat output or stove clearance.
Sources linked above (NIST / NCWM Buying Firewood; Handbook 130 via CT DCP).