2422
Firewood calculator
Put your stack length, height, log length and stack count in: an 8 ft by 4 ft stack of 16 in logs is 42.67 cu ft — 1 face cord, 0.33 full cords.
★ CONSTRUCTION · HEATING · FIREWOOD
Firewood Calculator: 1 Face Cord for an 8x4 ft Stack
On the defaults — an 8 ft by 4 ft stack, 16 in logs, 1 stack — you need 1 face cord of firewood. This is the firewood tool: measure the stack once, allow for the log length, and order the wood once — a half-stacked winter waits for no second delivery.
What does firewood needed 1 face cord mean?
It means one face cord of wood fills an 8 ft by 4 ft stack of 16 inch logs. The stack itself is 42.67 cubic feet, since 8 times 4 times 16 twelfths is 42.67; a face cord is exactly that stack — 4 ft high, 8 ft long, one log deep at 16 inches — so the stack is 1 face cord, and since a full cord is 128 cubic feet, the same stack is 0.33 full cords, or a third of a cord. The face cord is not a full cord exactly — it is a third of one at 16 inch logs, and the fraction changes with the log length, so a stack of 24 inch logs is half a cord, not a third.
Output · formula · meaning
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Stack volume | length × height × (log ÷ 12) × stacks | 42.67 cu ft — 8 × 4 × 1.33 × 1. |
| Face cords | volume ÷ 42.67 | 1 face cord — 42.67 ÷ 42.67. |
| Full cords | volume ÷ 128 | 0.33 full cords — 42.67 ÷ 128. |
Three things to check before you trust the number
First, check the log length you are actually buying: 16 in is the common cut, but a 24 in log makes the same face hold half a cord instead of a third, since the depth doubles the volume. Second, remember the cords follow the volume, not the face alone: an 8 ft by 4 ft face is 32 sq ft, but the wood is the face times the log depth, and a stack measured by its face under-counts. Third, judge the stack honestly: loose stacking with air gaps holds less wood than a tight stack of the same outside size, since the gaps are not wood. Kindling and the stove are bought separately — see the firewood cord chart for cords by species and heat.
Worked example
8 ft long, 4 ft high, 16 in logs, 1 stack. Volume: 8 × 4 × (16 ÷ 12) = 42.67 cu ft. Face cords: 42.67 ÷ 42.67 = 1. Full cords: 42.67 ÷ 128 = 0.33. In practice that means ordering 1 face cord, and expecting it to last a third of the wood a full cord would give. If the same stack used 24 in logs instead, the need would rise to 1.5 face cords, but the stack face would be identical.
Every branch, checked
With a 12 ft long stack instead of 8 ft, the volume rises to 64 cu ft and the need to 1.5 face cords. With a 6 ft high stack, the volume rises to 64 cu ft and the need to 1.5 face cords, since the stack volume is the same either way. With 24 in logs, the volume rises to 64 cu ft and the need to 1.5 face cords. With 2 stacks, the volume rises to 85.33 cu ft and the need to 2 face cords. Stack size, log length and stack count each move the order on their own, so a wrong log figure is as costly as a wrong measurement.
The reverses, worked backwards
The length behind 1 face cord is 8 ft: at 6 ft the need is 0.75 face cords (6 ft × 4 ft stack, 16 in logs, 1 stack, 32 cu ft, 0.25 full cords); at 12 ft it is 1.5 face cords (12 ft × 4 ft stack, 16 in logs, 1 stack, 64 cu ft, 0.5 full cords). The height behind 1 face cord is 4 ft: at 3 ft the need is 0.75 face cords (8 ft × 3 ft stack, 16 in logs, 1 stack, 32 cu ft, 0.25 full cords); at 6 ft it is 1.5 face cords (8 ft × 6 ft stack, 16 in logs, 1 stack, 64 cu ft, 0.5 full cords). The log length behind 1 face cord is 16 in: at 12 in the need is 0.75 face cords (8 ft × 4 ft stack, 12 in logs, 1 stack, 32 cu ft, 0.25 full cords); at 24 in it is 1.5 face cords (8 ft × 4 ft stack, 24 in logs, 1 stack, 64 cu ft, 0.5 full cords). Each reverse moves one input and holds the rest, so the step is exactly one dimension, log or stack change.
What the defaults assume
The defaults assume one 8 ft by 4 ft stack, 16 in logs, and a tight stack. They do not assume kindling, a stove or a delivery charge — a delivery that stacks the wood counts its stacking separately, and the species is priced by the cord, not by the stack.
Who uses this
- A homeowner ordering firewood: the 1-face-cord order settles the supplier call before the first log is stacked.
- A DIY burner stacking a winter row: the same maths on the row alone gives the cords, not a whole winter.
- A contractor quoting a job: stack size, log length, stacks — the quote follows the same three steps, and the log line shows the client why.
- A landlord budgeting winter heat: the stack size off the yard, multiplied out, gives the cord line on the winter budget.
Accuracy & limitations
The arithmetic is exact for the inputs entered; the judgement is the log length and the tightness of the stack. Real stacks have air gaps, and the log on the pile overrides any planning figure; a stack measured gross over-counts, and a log figure read off a different cut under-counts. Treat 1 face cord as the planning order for an 8 ft by 4 ft stack at 16 in logs, and allow for gaps on a loosely stacked row.
Cite this calculator
Bright Side Kit, “Firewood Calculator: 1 Face Cord for an 8x4 ft Stack”, https://brightoolbox.com/firewood-calculator/, accessed 3 November 2026. Students and researchers: cite the calculator name, the page URL and the date you used it, and quote the defaults (8 ft × 4 ft stack, 16 in logs, 1 stack) so the 1-face-cord result can be checked.
Frequently asked questions
How many face cords is an 8x4 ft stack of 16 in logs?
1 face cord, or 0.33 full cords. The volume is 42.67 cu ft; a face cord is 42.67 cu ft, and a full cord is 128 cu ft.
How do I work out firewood from a stack size?
Multiply length by height by log length in feet, times the stack count, then divide by 42.67 for face cords or by 128 for full cords. An 8 ft by 4 ft stack of 16 in logs is 8 × 4 × 1.33 = 42.67 cu ft, or 1 face cord.
What is the difference between a face cord and a full cord?
A face cord is one row, 4 ft high and 8 ft long, one log deep; a full cord is 128 cu ft. At 16 in logs a face cord is a third of a full cord; at 24 in logs it is half.
Does this count the kindling too?
No — this calculator counts stacked logs only. Kindling and the stove are counted separately, by the winter.
Should I buy the exact cords or round up?
Round up to the face cord: wood is sold by the cord, and the spare wood is the winter stock. A stack bought to the exact cord runs short before the coldest week.
What if my stack is not a rectangle?
Split it into rectangles, work out each volume, and add them before dividing by 42.67. The square footage calculator handles the area step section by section.