A full cord of firewood is 128 cubic feet of neatly stacked wood: that is the definition in NIST Handbook 130, the model method-of-sale regulation for US weights and measures. A stack 4 ft high, 8 ft long and 4 ft deep is exactly 128 cubic feet. A “face cord” or “rick” is the same face (4 × 8 ft) but only one piece deep, so its size depends on how long the pieces are cut.
Cord, half cord and face cord sizes
| Stack | Height × length × depth | Cubic feet | Share of a full cord | Cubic meters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full cord | 4 ft × 8 ft × 4 ft deep | 128 | 1 | 3.62 |
| Half cord | 4 ft × 8 ft × 2 ft deep | 64 | 1/2 | 1.81 |
| Face cord, 24 in pieces | 4 ft × 8 ft × 24 in | 64 | 1/2 | 1.81 |
| Face cord, 20 in pieces | 4 ft × 8 ft × 20 in | 53.3 | 5/12 (0.42) | 1.51 |
| Face cord, 18 in pieces | 4 ft × 8 ft × 18 in | 48 | 3/8 (0.38) | 1.36 |
| Face cord, 16 in pieces | 4 ft × 8 ft × 16 in | 42.7 | 1/3 | 1.21 |
| Face cord, 12 in pieces | 4 ft × 8 ft × 12 in | 32 | 1/4 | 0.91 |
Face cords in a full cord, by piece length
| Piece length | Face cords (4 × 8 ft) per full cord |
|---|---|
| 24 in | 2 |
| 20 in | 2.40 |
| 18 in | 2.67 |
| 16 in | 3 |
| 12 in | 4 |
Stack size calculator
What the rules say
- A cord is a volume, not a weight. NIST Handbook 130 defines it as the wood contained in 128 cubic feet when “ranked and well stowed”: pieces in a line or row, touching and parallel, stacked compactly. A loosely thrown or cross-stacked pile holds less wood.
- “Face cord”, “rack”, “pile” and “truckload” are terms the same model regulation says shall not be used when advertising or selling firewood (section 2.4.4). Section 2.4.3 requires sale by the cord and fractions of a cord, or by the cubic meter. States adopt the regulation on their own terms, so check your state’s weights and measures office.
- Delivery ticket. Under section 2.4.5 the seller must give a delivery ticket or invoice for non-packaged firewood, with the quantity delivered.
For the heat in a cord and what it weighs by species, see the firewood BTU chart. To estimate how many cords a winter takes, see how much firewood do I need.
Frequently asked questions
How big is a cord of wood?
A full cord is 128 cubic feet of tightly stacked wood, usually 4 ft high, 8 ft long and 4 ft deep.
What is a face cord?
A stack 4 ft high and 8 ft long but only one piece deep. With 16 in pieces it is 42.7 cubic feet, one third of a full cord. The term has no legal size, and the NIST model regulation says it should not be used in sales.
Is a rick the same as a face cord?
“Rick” is not defined in the NIST regulation and its meaning varies by seller and region; it is often used for a face cord. Ask for the height, length and piece length and work out the cubic feet.
How many face cords are in a cord?
Three when the pieces are 16 in long, two with 24 in pieces and four with 12 in pieces.
Sources
- NIST Handbook 130 (2026 edition; section 2.4 unchanged from 2025), Uniform Regulation for the Method of Sale of Commodities, section 2.4 Fireplace and Stove Wood, doi.org/10.6028/NIST.HB.130-2026.
- NIST Special Publication 811 (2008), Guide for the Use of the International System of Units, Appendix B conversion factors, nist.gov.
Last reviewed: 12 November 2026. Numbers in the tables are our arithmetic from the sources listed. How we check our work: methodology and corrections. Spotted an error? Please let us know.