Firewood Cost Per Cord Calculator

Compare firewood prices by the cord, face cord, or rick, estimate your full heating season budget, and quickly spot whether a local deal is fairly priced. Enter what your supplier quoted and the calculator converts everything to a true cost per cord so you can compare apples to apples.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a cord and a face cord?

A full cord measures 4 ft × 4 ft × 8 ft (128 cubic feet). A face cord, also called a rick, has the same height and length but is only one log-length deep — typically 16 inches — making it roughly one-third of a full cord. When a seller quotes a price per "cord" without specifying, always confirm whether they mean a full cord or a face cord before agreeing to the price.

How many cords of firewood do I need for a winter season?

A well-insulated home heated primarily by a wood stove in a cold climate typically burns 3–5 full cords per winter. A smaller supplemental fireplace might use only 1–2 cords. Factors include your home size, local climate, how airtight your firebox is, and how often you run the fire. Start by tracking your burn rate over the first month of the heating season, then extrapolate.

Is it cheaper to buy firewood by the truckload or by the cord?

It depends on the truck. A half-ton pickup short bed holds roughly 0.5 of a face cord — about one-sixth of a full cord. If the seller charges, say, $80 per "truck load," that works out to $480 per full cord, which is on the high end. Always convert any quoted unit to a full-cord equivalent using this calculator before committing to a purchase. Buying multiple cords at once almost always earns a per-cord discount.

How can I tell if firewood is properly seasoned?

Well-seasoned firewood has a moisture content below 20%. Visible cracks (checks) on the end grain, a gray weathered appearance, and a hollow sound when two pieces are knocked together are good signs. A pinless moisture meter ($15–$30 at any hardware store) is the most reliable test. Avoid wood that feels heavy for its size, smells musty, or shows green under the bark — these indicate it is still wet and will smolder rather than burn.

What Is a Cord of Firewood?

A full cord is the legal standard measurement for firewood in the United States and Canada. It equals a stack of wood that is 4 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and 8 feet long — 128 cubic feet of total space. Because logs are not perfect cylinders, the actual solid wood content of a cord is roughly 80–90 cubic feet, depending on how tightly the pieces are stacked.

Other common units you will encounter at the firewood yard or on Craigslist:

  • Face cord (rick): one-third of a full cord — 4 ft tall, 8 ft long, but only as deep as the log length (usually 16 inches). Price it out at one-third the full-cord rate to compare fairly.
  • Half cord: 64 cubic feet, exactly half a full cord. Common for buyers who lack storage space.
  • Pickup truck load: not a standardized unit. A standard short-bed pickup holds roughly 0.5 to 0.75 of a face cord depending on how high the seller stacks it.

How to Calculate the True Cost Per Cord

The formula is straightforward once you know what fraction of a cord you are buying:

Cost per cord = Price paid ÷ Cord fraction purchased

Then fold in any fees charged per delivery or per order rather than per cord:

All-in cost per cord = (Base price ÷ fraction) + (Delivery + Stacking) ÷ Cords ordered

Example: You pay $160 for a face cord (1/3 cord) plus a $40 delivery fee and you plan to order 3 cords this season. Base per cord = $160 / 0.333 = $480. Delivery per cord = $40 / 3 = $13.33. All-in = $493.33 per cord.

Typical Firewood Prices by Region

Prices vary widely based on wood species, seasoning, and local supply. As a general benchmark for 2024–2025:

  • Northeast US: $250–$450 per cord for seasoned mixed hardwood; $450–$600 for premium oak or cherry.
  • Midwest: $150–$300 per cord. Abundant supply keeps prices lower.
  • Pacific Northwest: $200–$350 for Doug fir and alder; higher for hardwood.
  • Southeast: $150–$280. Mild winters mean lower volume demand.
  • Mountain West: $200–$400 depending on altitude and access.

Hardwood vs. Softwood: BTU Value Per Cord

Price per cord is only half the story. A cord of dense oak delivers nearly twice the heat of a cord of pine, so a cheaper cord of softwood may not be cheaper to heat with in practice.

  • Oak: 24–28 million BTU per cord — excellent coals, long-lasting burn.
  • Ash: 20–25 million BTU — splits easily, burns well even slightly green.
  • Maple: 18–25 million BTU — fragrant, clean-burning.
  • Douglas Fir: 18–21 million BTU — widely available in the West, burns hotter than most softwoods.
  • Pine: 13–17 million BTU — lights easily, but creosote buildup is higher; use sparingly in wood stoves.

Tips for Getting the Best Firewood Value

  • Buy in spring or summer. Off-season discounts of 10–20% are common, and the wood has the full summer to finish seasoning before you need it.
  • Ask for kiln-dried or well-seasoned wood. Green wood loses 20–30% of its heating value to steam and is harder to light. Moisture content below 20% is the target.
  • Stack and measure before paying. A legitimate supplier will not object to you stacking the wood to verify the volume. Refuse any seller who insists on a loosely tossed load.
  • Negotiate delivery consolidation. If you can coordinate a joint delivery with a neighbor, the fixed delivery fee is split, dropping your per-cord cost.
  • Consider a firewood processor rental. If you have access to standing dead timber, renting a splitter for a weekend can cut your per-cord cost to $40–$80.

Practical Guide for Firewood Cost Per Cord Calculator

Firewood is one of the few commodities still commonly sold in informal, unregulated transactions between neighbors and small local suppliers. That creates real opportunity for savings — and real risk of getting shortchanged. Converting every quote to a cost per full cord is the single most important habit you can build, because sellers use a patchwork of unit names ("rick," "pickup load," "bush cord," "stove cord") that obscure true value. Once you have an apples-to-apples number, regional price databases and local Facebook Marketplace listings give you a solid benchmark to negotiate from.

Beyond the purchase price, the total cost of firewood heating includes storage infrastructure, processing labor, chimney maintenance, and the opportunity cost of your time. A cheap truckload that requires eight hours of splitting and stacking is not the same as a slightly pricier delivered-and-stacked cord. Factor your time at a reasonable hourly rate when comparing do-it-yourself sourcing against full-service delivery, particularly if you are weighing whether to buy a log splitter. Most homeowners who burn 3–5 cords per year find that a mid-range electric or gas splitter pays for itself within two to three seasons versus the premium charged for pre-split wood.

Seasonal timing has an outsized effect on per-cord price. Suppliers who buy timber rights in winter are splitting and drying wood through spring and summer, and most will offer a discount of $20–$50 per cord to buyers who commit early and accept late-summer delivery. That discount also buys you peace of mind: late-season firewood markets tighten quickly during cold snaps, and buyers who wait until November often pay a 30–40 percent premium or find seasoned hardwood simply unavailable. If you have a covered storage area capable of holding a season and a half of wood, buying ahead is almost always the better financial decision.

Review Checklist

  • Confirm the exact unit being sold (full cord, face cord, half cord, or other) and the log length before agreeing on a price.
  • Stack the delivered wood and measure the pile yourself — height × width × depth in feet — before the driver leaves.
  • Check moisture content with a pinless meter; target 20% or less for seasoned hardwood ready to burn.
  • Include delivery and stacking fees in your per-cord calculation so you are comparing the true all-in cost across suppliers.