A cord is a legal unit: 128 cubic feet, stacked. Measure the pile and find out what you actually have — or actually received.
Stack measurements
Face cords (16-in logs)—
Stack volume—
Rough heat content (seasoned hardwood)—
Measure STACKED wood — tossed/loose piles contain ~30% air beyond normal stacking gaps. A "truckload" is not a unit; a cord is 4 × 4 × 8 ft, period.
What a cord actually is
A full cord is a tightly stacked pile measuring 4 ft high × 4 ft deep × 8 ft long — 128 cubic feet, and it's the legally defined unit for selling firewood in most states. A "face cord" is that same 4 × 8 face but only one log deep; with common 16-inch logs that's a third of a full cord.
cords = (length × height × depth in feet) ÷ 128
Worked example
A delivery stacked 12 ft long, 4 ft high, 16-in logs: 12 × 4 × 1.33 = 64 cu ft = exactly half a cord — which matters a lot if you paid full-cord money. Seasoned hardwood carries roughly 24 million BTU per cord, so that stack is about 12 million BTU of winter.
Buying without getting burned
Order in cords or fractions, never "truckloads" or "ricks" without dimensions attached. Stack and measure before the truck leaves if you can. And check moisture — wood burns well below ~20%, which takes 6–12 months of split, covered, off-the-ground seasoning. Green wood at a discount isn't a discount; it's next year's wood at this year's storage cost.
Frequently asked questions
How big is a cord of firewood?
128 cubic feet of stacked wood — the standard reference stack is 4 ft high, 4 ft deep, 8 ft long. It’s the legal unit for firewood sales in most of the US.
What is a face cord vs a full cord?
A face cord is a 4 × 8 ft face just one log deep. With 16-inch logs that’s one-third of a full cord — so a "face cord" price must be a third or less of the cord price to be a deal.
How long does firewood take to season?
6–12 months for most hardwoods once split, stacked off the ground, and top-covered — down to under 20% moisture. Oak famously wants the full year or more; ash and softer woods season faster.