The standard way to measure and sell firewood is by a somewhat “old-school” and certainly unique measurement of volume called a “cord”. Many people have heard of this term but are not sure what it actually means. To add to the confusion, other modifier words are often added to the word “cord” such as “face cord”, stove cord”, and “bush cord” (to name only a few). None of these terms are wrong, (or illegal, as some would tell you) as long as the type of measurement being used is clearly specified by the seller. Unfortunately, this is often not the case, leading to buyers purchasing more or less firewood than they actually think they are buying. Let’s take a look at this strange measurement in more detail. It is really very simple. A “cord” is simply a stacked pile of firewood measuring 8 feet long by 4 feet wide by 4 feet high. That’s it. The total volume of firewood in that stack is 128 cubic feet. An easy way to visualize that stack is to pile three rows of 16-inch long firewood logs side-by-side 8 feet long and 4 feet high. These three rows will then be 4 feet in width and you will have a “cord.” Another way to visualize the stack is to pile 4 rows of 12-inch long firewood sticks side-by-side 8 feet long and 4 feet high. Again, these 4 rows will be 4 feet wide and you will have a “cord”. The most common ways to sell firewood are in 16-inch and 12-inch lengths. Each row of 16-inch firewood is 1/3 of a “cord”, but each row of 12-inch firewood is only 1/4 of a “cord”. The alternative measurements such as “face cord” were developed from these fractions of a “cord”. This is because a “cord” is LOT of wood to many buyers. Depending on dryness and species, a cord of wood can weigh anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 pounds. To give you a real-world example of the volume of a cord, most full size pickup truck boxes can only hold about 2/3 of a cord, and that’s only if you very carefully stack it in the truck bed. Tossed loads will usually only be about 1/3 of a cord. As a result, the most common way to sell firewood in Ontario is by the “face cord”. There is nothing wrong or illegal about this, as long as the seller is very clear about the actual size of the “face cord” they are selling. Purchase “face cords” with caution! Be sure to ask how long the sellers cut their wood because that will determine the value you’re getting for your cost. Unfortunately, many sellers are not clear or even mislead about the actual size of their “face cords.’ At BL-Firewood, we always clearly identify whether we are selling a “16-inch face cord” (meaning, 42.7 cubic feet or 1/3 of a cord), or a “12-inch face cord” (meaning, 32.0 cubic feet or 1/4 of a cord). Small quantities of firewood (such as that sold in big box stores or gas stations) are also quite commonly sold by the interchangeable terms of “bundles” (which are small plastic-wrapped stacks) or “bags” (where the firewood is stuffed into a mesh sack). A typical bundle contains 6 to 7 pieces of firewood; enough for an evening campfire. Commonly, the bundles or bags are sold by the cubic foot, with .75 cubic feet or 1.0 cubic feet being the most common sizes. So, how many pieces of firewood are in a “cord”? Unfortunately, there is no way to say precisely how many pieces. Typically, a full cord will contain between 600 and 800 pieces of firewood. For the standard length of 16 inches, a full cord likely contains about 700 units of firewood. You should also be aware of how tightly the seller has stacked its firewood. If the company stacks its firewood loosely, the 128 cubic feet will include a lot of air space. As a result, you’ll get less wood than if you’d gone with a company that stacks more tightly. We take great pride at BL-Firewood in selling generous volumes of firewood to our customers. In fact, the most common comment we hear when dumping a load is “Wow, that is a LOT of wood compared to our previous supplier!” Oh, and one last thing. If you hang around firewood people long enough, you’ll probably hear them use other phrases like “bush cord” and “stove cord.” “Bush Cord” is simply another way of saying a “full cord.” “Stove Cord” is often used when purchasing wood for a stove, and is often just used to mean the shorter “12-inch face cord” but there is no official measurement. These are just a few of the many terms for firewood volume out there. While all this industry slang can be confusing, the most important thing to remember is that a full “cord” always measures 128 cubic feet. Once you know that, figuring out these other terms is as simple as understanding how they relate to a full cord.