How big is a half cord of wood?

Figures checked Nov. 10, 2026

A half cord is 64 cubic feet of stacked wood, half of a full cord's 128 cubic feet. Any neat stack of that size counts, whatever its shape. A quarter cord is 32 cubic feet.

Amount	Cubic feet
Full cord	128
Half cord	64
Quarter cord	32

Full cord

128 cu ft

Half cord

64 cu ft

Quarter cord

32 cu ft

Drawn to scale, seen from the front: a full cord is 128 cubic feet of stacked wood, a half cord 64 and a quarter cord 32.

Weight of your wood

The sums behind this tool are tested against 5 worked examples printed in published sources, and 17 checks in all, including the limits where it gives no number.

Half cord dimensions

A full cord is 4 ft high x 4 ft wide x 8 ft long. Halve any one of those measurements and you have a half cord.

Any neat stack of 64 cubic feet counts, whatever its shape. For example, a full cord's face at half the depth, or a full cord's depth at half the length.

As with a full cord, the wood must be ranked and well stowed: pieces in rows, touching and parallel. A loose pile of the same wood takes up more room.

Half cord vs quarter cord vs full cord

Washington's agriculture department says: The legal measure for firewood in Washington is the cord or a fraction of a cord. So half and quarter cords are proper units.

Amount	Cubic feet	Share of a full cord
Full cord	128	All
Half cord	64	Half
Quarter cord	32	A quarter
Face cord	Depends on log length	One third with sixteen-inch logs

Is a half cord the same as a face cord?

Not usually. A face cord is one row of logs, so its size depends on log length.

Indiana's forestry division says: A face cord of 16" pieces is actually one third of a standard cord. For example, a face cord of 24-inch logs is half a cord. Check the log length before you treat the two as equal. More on the face cord page.

How much does a half cord of wood weigh?

A half cord weighs half as much as a full cord of the same wood. Seasoned red oak is listed at 3,757 pounds a cord, and green red oak at 4,888 pounds.

The calculator above works it out by species. For example, choose your wood, type 0.5 cords, and pick seasoned or green. It rounds up, so the estimate leans heavy.

Compare the result with the payload on your vehicle's door-jamb sticker or owner's manual. Wood that isn't fully dry weighs more.

How much is a half cord of wood?

We don't list prices; they vary by seller and area. To compare a half cord offer with a full cord offer, use the price checker and choose half cord.

It shows the price per full cord, so the two offers sit side by side, like for like.

How long does a half cord of wood last?

There is no official figure: it depends on your home, your climate, your stove and the wood. We don't guess.

If you know roughly how much you burn in a week, the winter firewood tool turns that into cords for the season. Then you can see how far a half cord goes.

Questions people ask

How many cubic feet are in a half cord?

A half cord is 64 cubic feet of ranked and well-stowed wood, half of a full cord's 128.

How big is a quarter cord of wood?

A quarter cord is 32 cubic feet of stacked wood, a quarter of a full cord.

Is a half cord the same as a face cord?

Not usually. A face cord's size depends on log length: with sixteen-inch logs it is one third of a cord, not half.

Can I fit a half cord in a pickup?

There are no official bed sizes, so measure your bed and use the stack calculator. Then check the weight against your payload sticker.

Before you light it

Carbon monoxide (CO) can kill. US Consumer Product Safety Commission (Official): “Fuel-burning heating systems, including furnaces and fireplaces, can produce CO, an odorless, colorless and deadly gas.” Source(opens in a new tab)
Fit CO alarms and test them. US Consumer Product Safety Commission (Official): “CO alarms should be placed on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas.” “Test the alarms every month to make sure they are working.” Source(opens in a new tab)
Have appliances checked every year. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Official): “Have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil, or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.” Source(opens in a new tab)
Chimneys and vents too. US Fire Administration (Official): “Have chimneys and vents cleaned and inspected at least once a year.” Source(opens in a new tab)
If a CO alarm sounds (US: call 911): US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Official): “If the detector sounds leave your home immediately and call 911.” Source(opens in a new tab)
Know the signs. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Official): “The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion.” Source(opens in a new tab)
Keep things that can burn away from the stove. US Fire Administration (Official): “Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from all heat sources” Source(opens in a new tab)

Sources for this page

5 figures and 1 wood type, each with its source

Every figure on this page, with its source. Open one to see the exact words on the source page and how it was checked.

Legal cord (volume of ranked and well-stowed wood): 128 cubic feet Official
From Connecticut Dept. of Consumer Protection: Firewood and Stove Wood Regulations (quotes NIST Handbook 130, 2016), which says: “The amount of wood that is contained in a space of 128 cubic feet when the wood is ranked and well stowed.” Open the source (opens in a new tab)
Checked Nov. 9, 2026. A second check re-opened the source page and matched it on Nov. 9, 2026. A blind check looked it up again on Nov. 10, 2026 without seeing our figure: the two agreed.
Standard cord dimensions: 4 ft high x 4 ft wide x 8 ft long Official
From Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, section 2302 Definitions, which says: “A standard cord is a unit of measure of wood products 4 feet wide, 4 feet high and 8 feet long, or its equivalent, containing 128 cubic feet when the wood is ranked and well stowed.” Open the source (opens in a new tab)
Checked Nov. 9, 2026. A second check re-opened the source page and matched it on Nov. 9, 2026.
Face cord of 16-inch logs as a fraction of a cord: 0.33 cords Official
From Indiana DNR Division of Forestry: Heating With Firewood (Stewardship Notes), which says: “A face cord of 16" pieces is actually one third of a standard cord.” Open the source (opens in a new tab)
Checked Nov. 9, 2026. A second check re-opened the source page and matched it on Nov. 9, 2026.
Half cord: 64 cubic feet Official (worked out)
From Connecticut Dept. of Consumer Protection: Firewood and Stove Wood Regulations (quotes NIST Handbook 130, 2016), which says: “The amount of wood that is contained in a space of 128 cubic feet when the wood is ranked and well stowed.” Open the source (opens in a new tab)
Checked Nov. 9, 2026. A second check re-opened the source page and matched it on Nov. 9, 2026.
Quarter cord: 32 cubic feet Official (worked out)
From Connecticut Dept. of Consumer Protection: Firewood and Stove Wood Regulations (quotes NIST Handbook 130, 2016), which says: “The amount of wood that is contained in a space of 128 cubic feet when the wood is ranked and well stowed.” Open the source (opens in a new tab)
Checked Nov. 9, 2026. A second check re-opened the source page and matched it on Nov. 9, 2026.
Red oak: 24 million Btu per cord; 3,757 lb seasoned; 4,888 lb green Official
Heat: from Virginia Tech (Bond & Downing): Firewood, Facts, Follies and Forest Management (Woods & Wildlife 2013), which says: “Red oak | 3,757 | 24” Open the source (opens in a new tab)
Weight: from Virginia Tech (Bond & Downing): Firewood, Facts, Follies and Forest Management (Woods & Wildlife 2013), which says: “Red oak | 3,757 | 24” Open the source (opens in a new tab)
Green weight: from Utah State University Extension Forestry (Kuhns & Schmidt): Wood Heating, Table 1 Firewood Facts, which says: “Oak, Red | 4888 | 3528 | 24.6” Open the source (opens in a new tab)
Checked Nov. 9, 2026. A second check matched this wood's row against the published table, cell by cell, on Nov. 9, 2026.