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Face Cord vs Full Cord: What's Actually in the Stack?

The ad says "cord of oak, $180, delivered." The stack that shows up looks smaller than you pictured, and you're standing in the driveway doing geometry in your head. The face cord versus full cord confusion is the oldest trick in firewood sales, and half the time it isn't even a trick, it's two people using the same word for different amounts of wood. Here's the actual math, the reason face cords vary, and the one question that settles every price comparison.

The full cord is the only standardized unit

A full cord, sometimes just called a cord, is 4 feet high, 4 feet deep, and 8 feet long, stacked tight. That works out to 128 cubic feet. It's the standard the firewood industry actually agrees on, and in many states it's the legally recognized unit for firewood sales. When a seller says "cord" without qualification, this is what they should mean: the whole stack, three rows deep.

Picture it as three rows. Each row is the full 4-by-8 face you see from the front, and each row is one log-length deep. A face cord is one of those rows. Same 4-foot height, same 8-foot length, but the depth is just the length of the cut logs, usually 16 inches. Three 16-inch rows make 48 inches, the full 4-foot depth, so three face cords equal one full cord. At 16-inch log length, a face cord holds about 42.7 cubic feet, roughly a third of the full cord.

Why face cords vary, and why that matters at checkout

Here's where it gets slippery. The full cord is standardized. The face cord is not. Its depth is whatever length the seller cut the logs, and log length varies. A face cord of 16-inch wood is about 42.7 cubic feet. A face cord of 12-inch wood is about 32 cubic feet. Same name, 25 percent less wood. Twelve-inch cuts are getting more common too, since smaller fireboxes in smokeless fire pits want shorter logs. Two sellers can both advertise a face cord at the same price and deliver meaningfully different amounts, and both are telling the truth as far as the term goes.

Then there's the regional vocabulary. Rick, rank, stove cord, furnace cord, fireplace cord: these are local names that usually mean face cord, but they carry no standardized definition at all. A rick in one county might be a 4-by-8 face at 16 inches; in the next county it might be whatever fits in the seller's truck bed. I treat every one of these terms as a prompt to ask for dimensions, not as a measurement.

The one question that settles every comparison

Ask for the log length and the cubic feet. That's it. That's the whole buying strategy. A seller who answers "16-inch logs, about 43 cubic feet" is selling you a measurable thing. A seller who won't answer, or who gets vague about it, is telling you something too, just not about the wood.

Once you have cubic feet, price comparisons become arithmetic:

price per cubic foot = price / cubic feet

Seller A: $180 face cord, 16" logs (42.7 cu ft) = $4.22/cu ft
Seller B: $150 face cord, 12" logs (32 cu ft)   = $4.69/cu ft
Seller C: $450 full cord (128 cu ft)            = $3.52/cu ft

Seller B's cheaper headline price is actually the most expensive wood. This is the normalization the firewood calculator does for you, but the mental version fits on an index card. And when the delivery arrives, measure the stack before it gets restacked or burned: height times width times depth in feet, divided by 128, tells you how many full cords you actually received. Our guide to measuring a cord walks through the tape-measure version.

The honest caveat: stacked volume includes air. A cord is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood, but the solid wood inside is closer to 85 cubic feet, the rest is air between the pieces. Loose stacking can push the air share even higher. Tight, even stacking is part of what you're paying for, and it's worth a look before the truck leaves.

Frequently asked questions

How many face cords are in a full cord?

Three, at the standard 16-inch log length. A full cord is 128 cubic feet; a face cord of 16-inch wood is about 42.7 cubic feet, roughly one third.

Is a rick the same as a face cord?

In most regions, yes, rick is a local name for a face cord. But neither term is standardized like the full cord, so confirm the actual dimensions before you buy.

Why does my face cord look smaller than my neighbor's?

Log length. A face cord of 16-inch wood is about 42.7 cubic feet; a face cord of 12-inch wood is only about 32 cubic feet. Same name, different amount of wood.

How do I compare firewood prices between sellers?

Convert every offer to price per cubic foot: price divided by cubic feet. Compare that number across sellers, not the headline price. A cheaper face cord at shorter log length is often the most expensive wood.

What are the exact dimensions of a full cord?

4 feet high by 4 feet deep by 8 feet long, stacked tight, totaling 128 cubic feet. It's the standardized unit; face cords, ricks, and ranks are not standardized.

Figure out how much you actually need

Now that you can read a firewood ad, work out your winter quantity with the firewood calculator, and check how many cords heat a house before you order. For a steady stream of practical firewood guides, subscribe to the newsletter, it is free.