Full cord, face cord/rick & loose volume · species weight & BTU output
Wood Arrangement
Stack Dimensions
A standard Full Cord is a 4×8′ stack of 48″-deep wood (128 ft³). A Face Cord / Rick is the same 4×8′ stack at a shorter, custom log length.
Loose Pile / Truck Bed Dimensions
Loose thrown wood has more air gaps than a neat stack about 180 ft³ of thrown wood is roughly equal to one 128 ft³ stacked Full Cord.
Wood Species & Seasoning
Sets which weight figure is used as the headline stack weight below both are always shown for reference.
Cost Estimate
Please enter valid dimensions first.
Full Cord Equivalent
–full cords
Enter your wood measurements and calculate to see results.
Weight & Heat Output
Truck Bed Load Estimator
Based on hauling this wood loosely thrown (~180 ft³ per full cord equivalent).
Project Inputs
Estimates are approximate. Species weight and BTU figures are commonly cited reference averages and vary by moisture content, region, and specific tree specimen. Truck bed capacities vary by vehicle and side height always confirm quantities with your firewood supplier before ordering.
QuickTonnage's firewood calculator sorts out full cords, face cords, and loose truck-bed loads in one pass, no more guessing which measurement someone actually means.
More firewood arguments start over this than almost anything else. A "cord" has one legal definition. A "face cord" and a "rick" don't they change depending on how long the logs are cut, which is exactly why two sellers can call very different amounts of wood the same thing.
| Term | Size | What It Actually Means |
|---|---|---|
| Full Cord | 4′ × 4′ × 8′ (128 ft³) | The only legally standardized unit. A stack this size, regardless of log length, is one full cord. |
| Face Cord / Rick | 4′ × 8′ at a shorter log length | A stack the same height and length as a full cord, but only as deep as the logs are cut commonly 16″, which works out to 1/3 of a full cord. |
| Thrown / Loose Cord | ~180 ft³, unstacked | Firewood tossed loosely into a truck bed or pile. It takes about 180 cubic feet of loose wood to equal one 128 ft³ stacked full cord, because loose wood has more air gaps. |
The confusion comes down to log length. Since a face cord is priced the same footprint as a full cord (4′ × 8′) but at whatever length the seller happens to cut, a 12″ face cord and a 24″ face cord hold very different amounts of wood even though both get called a "rick." QuickTonnage's calculator asks for your actual log length and works out exactly what fraction of a full cord you're getting, instead of assuming a fixed ratio.
A full cord is a stack 4 feet high, 4 feet deep, and 8 feet long 128 cubic feet total. That's the one legally standardized firewood measurement in the U.S.
A full cord is always 128 cubic feet. A face cord is a 4′ × 8′ stack at a shorter, seller-chosen log length often 16″ which works out to roughly one-third of a full cord.
128 cubic feet for a stacked full cord. Of that, roughly 80 cubic feet is solid wood and the rest is air space between the split logs.
Generally yes, "rick" and "face cord" are usually used interchangeably, though the exact amount still depends on the log length that particular stack is cut to.
It depends heavily on species and whether it's green or seasoned. A cord of dense hardwood like white oak can weigh over 4,000 lbs green; a lighter wood like cedar weighs roughly half that.
Typically three, when the face cord is cut to the common 16″ log length. That ratio shifts if the log length is different a 24″ face cord is closer to half a full cord.