The Legal Definition of a Cord
A cord of firewood is a stack of wood that measures 4 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and 8 feet long. Multiply those together and you get 128 cubic feet. That number, 128 cubic feet, is the standard unit of firewood measurement in the United States. It doesn't matter if the logs are 12 inches long or 24 inches long, or whether you stack it in one long row or three shorter rows. What matters is the total stacked volume: 128 cubic feet.
This definition comes from weights and measures law, not from firewood sellers. Most states use it as the baseline for any advertised firewood sale.
Cord Math: Halves, Thirds, and Quarters
Most households don't buy a full cord at once. Here's how the fractions break down:
- Full cord: 128 cubic feet, stacked (4 ft x 4 ft x 8 ft)
- Half cord: 64 cubic feet, stacked (4 ft x 4 ft x 4 ft, or 4 ft x 2 ft x 8 ft)
- Third of a cord: about 42.7 cubic feet, stacked
- Quarter cord: 32 cubic feet, stacked (4 ft x 1 ft x 8 ft, or 2 ft x 2 ft x 8 ft)
A stacked cord isn't 128 cubic feet of solid wood. Round logs leave gaps when they're stacked, so a tightly stacked cord usually holds somewhere between 70 and 90 cubic feet of solid wood — the rest is air. That's normal, and it's built into the 128 cubic foot standard.
Why "Rick," "Face Cord," and "Truckload" Cause Problems
You'll see firewood sold by the rick, the face cord, or the truckload. None of those are standard units, and none of them have a fixed size.
A rick or face cord usually means a stack 4 feet tall and 8 feet long, but the depth is whatever length the seller happens to cut their logs — 12 inches, 16 inches, 20 inches, or more. That means one seller's rick could be a quarter of a cord and another seller's rick could be nearly half a cord, for the same price tag. A truckload has no defined volume at all; it depends on the truck bed and how high the wood is piled.
Because these terms are so easy to misuse, many states have adopted weights-and-measures rules that require firewood to be advertised and sold by the cord or a clearly stated fraction of a cord. In those states, quoting a price by the rick, face cord, or truckload alone — without stating the cord equivalent — isn't a legal way to sell firewood. If a seller uses one of these terms, ask them to convert it to cubic feet or a fraction of a cord before you buy.
How to Measure a Cord Yourself
If you're buying from a seller who delivers loose, dumped wood instead of a stacked pile, you can still check the volume. Stack the wood yourself against a wall or fence, keeping the rows tight, then measure height x width x length in feet and multiply. If the total is close to 128 cubic feet (or 64 for a half cord, 32 for a quarter), you got what you paid for.
A quick field trick: a stack 4 feet tall and 8 feet long only needs to be 4 feet deep to hit a full cord. If a delivered "cord" only comes up to your knee when stacked 8 feet long, something's off.
What a Cord Actually Weighs
Weight varies a lot by species and moisture. A cord of dense, seasoned hardwood like oak or hickory weighs roughly 3,700 to 4,200 pounds. A cord of a lighter wood like pine or spruce, seasoned, weighs closer to 2,000 to 2,500 pounds. Green (unseasoned) wood can weigh 20 to 40 percent more than seasoned wood of the same species, because it's still holding a lot of water.
Knowing the volume and the rough weight helps you sanity-check a delivery. If a truck shows up with a pile that looks more like 20 cubic feet than 32, you're not getting a quarter cord — no matter what the invoice says.
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