Firewood Stack Planner
Plan firewood storage from the cords you need.
Returns stack depth for your available wall length and height, log rows, and safe stacking limits.
Planning where to stack your firewood:
You know how many cords you need for winter. Now you need somewhere to put them. This calculator works backwards from the volume: give it the cords and the space you have, and it returns the dimension you are missing.
The formula:
Required volume (ft³) = Cords × 128
Missing dimension = Required volume / (Dimension 1 × Dimension 2)
Standard cord dimensions and alternatives:
A full cord is traditionally 4 × 4 × 8 feet, but you can stack it in any shape as long as the total volume equals 128 cubic feet per cord:
| Cords | Option A | Option B | Option C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cord | 4 × 4 × 8 ft | 2 × 4 × 16 ft | 3 × 4 × 10.7 ft |
| 2 cords | 4 × 4 × 16 ft | 4 × 8 × 8 ft | 2 × 4 × 32 ft |
| 3 cords | 4 × 4 × 24 ft | 4 × 6 × 16 ft | 2 × 8 × 24 ft |
| 4 cords | 4 × 4 × 32 ft | 4 × 8 × 16 ft | 2 × 4 × 64 ft |
Practical stacking rules:
- Maximum safe height: 4 feet without support, 6 feet against a wall or with end posts
- Minimum depth: 16 inches (one log length), deeper stacks are harder to access and dry slowly
- Air circulation: Leave 3–6 inches between the stack and any wall or fence for airflow
- Off the ground: Stack on pallets, gravel, or rails, never directly on dirt (causes rot and insects)
- Cover the top only: Cover with a tarp or roof, but leave the sides open for air circulation
Where to stack:
- At least 20 feet from the house: reduces insect and fire risk
- Sunny location: sun and wind dry the wood faster
- Slight slope: water drains away from the stack
- Not under trees: falling branches damage stacks, tree shade slows drying
Drying timeline:
- Green (freshly cut): 30–50% moisture: do NOT burn this, it produces creosote
- 6 months air-dried: 20–25% moisture: acceptable
- 12 months air-dried: 15–20% moisture: ideal
- Kiln-dried: 10–15% moisture: premium, burns cleanest
Worked example:
You need 3 cords for winter. Your available space is along a fence 20 feet long. You want the stack 4 feet high:
- Volume needed: 3 × 128 = 384 ft³
- Depth needed: 384 ÷ (20 × 4) = 4.8 feet deep
- At 16 inches a log that is 4 rows deep, which is getting toward the point where the back row is a nuisance to reach and slow to dry
Going 6 feet high instead drops the depth to 3.2 feet, about 2 rows, which is a far more workable stack if you have a fence to lean it against. That trade between height and depth is usually the decision worth making, and the calculator lists it for you.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
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