How much firewood is in a 4 m × 1.5 m stack of 33 cm logs?
A stack 4 m long and 1.5 m high of 33 cm logs holds about 1.98 cubic metres of stacked firewood — roughly two stères, or 0.55 cords in US measure.
How to work it out
- 4 m × 1.5 m × 0.33 m = 1.98 m³ ÷ 3.62 m³ = 0.55 cords
- Cords ÷ 27% (one face cord at this piece length) = 2.02 face cords
In much of Europe firewood is sold by the stère (1 m³ of stacked wood, traditionally 1 m logs) or by loose cubic metres. Logs cut to 33 cm settle more tightly than 1 m logs, so a stère of short logs can look smaller — sellers handle this differently, so ask how they measure.
Adjust for your project
More options: Seller’s price is… · Price (optional)
- Face cords (4 × 8 ft rows)
- 2.02 face cords
- Stacked volume
- 1.98 m³ (69.9 cu ft)
- This face cord is … of a full cord
- 27%
- At this piece length, one 4 × 8 ft face cord is 27% of a full cord. Always ask a seller what piece length their face cord uses.
- Loose-thrown wood takes more room than the same wood stacked: Maine law, for example, counts 180 cu ft of loose 12–16 in wood as one cord. Switch to “Thrown loose” to measure a truckload.
A 4 m × 1.5 m stack, by log length
| Log length | Stacked volume | Full cords |
|---|---|---|
| 25 cm | 1.5 m³ | 0.41 cords |
| 33 cm | 1.98 m³ | 0.55 cords |
| 40 cm | 2.4 m³ | 0.66 cords |
| 50 cm | 3 m³ | 0.83 cords |
| 100 cm | 6 m³ | 1.66 cords |
What to know about a 4 m stack of 33 cm logs
Thirty-three centimetres is a metre log cut into three, the usual length for stoves across much of Europe. The volume is just the face of the stack, 4 m × 1.5 m = 6 m², times the 0.33 m depth.
- Stère before or after cutting? Metre logs cut into thirds and restacked usually pack closer together, so wood sold as one stère and delivered at 33 cm can stack to noticeably under a cubic metre. Some sellers quote the volume before cutting, some after; ask which.
- Loose volume is bigger. Wood tipped from a trailer or sold in bulk bags is measured loose, which takes more room than the same wood stacked. Conversion factors depend on log size and the seller, so use the seller’s own figure rather than a rule of thumb.
- A 1.5 m stack needs support. At this height, build the ends as crossed pairs of logs or stack against posts; a free-standing row of short logs tends to lean as it dries.
- Weight. On this calculator’s assumption of about 80 parts solid wood in every 128 of stacked volume, the stack weighs roughly 913 kg in seasoned beech or 889 kg in red oak at 20% moisture.
Comparing with a US quote? How big is a full cord of firewood is the 3.62 m³ unit behind the cord figure above, and How much wood is in a face cord or rick explains the single-row measure American sellers use.
Different size? Use the full Firewood Cord Calculator.
What you’ll need
- Wood moisture meterMid-range price
Tells you whether lumber is dry enough to build with and firewood dry enough to burn. Readings vary by species — check the meter’s correction settings.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Firewood log rackMid-range price
Keeps wood off the ground so it dries and stays measurable — an 8 ft rack 4 ft high is exactly a face cord.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Splitting maulMid-range price
A heavy, wedge-shaped head that splits rounds rather than cutting them. Wear eye protection and keep your stance wide.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Frequently asked questions
How much firewood is in a 4 m × 1.5 m stack of 50 cm logs?
About 3 m³ stacked — 0.83 cords.
How many cubic metres is a 3 m × 1 m stack of 25 cm logs?
0.75 m³ stacked, a little under a stère — 0.21 cords.
How much does a 4 m × 1.5 m stack of 33 cm beech logs weigh?
Roughly 913 kg seasoned, assuming about 80 parts solid wood per 128 of stacked volume. Wet wood weighs much more.
Other common sizes
- How much wood is in a face cord or rick — 0.33 cords
- How big is a full cord of firewood — 1 cord
- How much does a cord of oak weigh — 3,587 lb
- How much wood is in a half cord — 0.5 cords
Sources
- California Department of Food and Agriculture, Division of Measurement Standards — Firewood (opens in a new tab) — A cord is 128 cu ft of neatly stacked wood; in California firewood may be sold only by the cord or fractions of a cord, and “face cord”, “rack”, “pile” and “truckload” have no legally defined meaning.
- Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10 §2302 — Definitions (weights and measures) (opens in a new tab) — Fuel wood sold loose, not ranked and well stowed: a loose cord of 12 or 16 in wood is the wood, bark and air in 180 cu ft; of 24 in wood, 195 cu ft.
- Maine Forest Service — How is wood measured and sold? (Firewood facts, 2017) (opens in a new tab) — Thrown cord scale: 180 cu ft for 12 or 16 in bolts, 195 cu ft for 24 in; a stacked cord holds 80–90 cu ft of solid wood.
- University of Missouri Extension G5450 — Wood Fuel for Heating (reviewed 2025) (opens in a new tab) — About 8,600 Btu of available heat per ovendry pound of hardwood (9,050 for resinous softwoods such as shortleaf pine); air-dried firewood at about 20% moisture; about 80 cu ft of solid wood per cord; seasoned oak about 3,600 lb per cord; a standard pickup bed (about 5.5 × 8 ft, 20 in deep) loaded level holds about half a cord.
- Virginia Cooperative Extension 420-085 — Forest Landowner’s Guide to the Measurement of Timber and Logs (opens in a new tab) — A stacked cord generally contains about 80 to 90 cu ft of solid wood; the rest is air space.
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory — Wood Handbook (FPL-GTR-282), Chapter 4: Moisture relations and physical properties of wood (opens in a new tab) — Density at a given moisture content (eqs. 4-13, 4-14) and the average moisture content of green wood by species (table 4-1), used for the weight estimates.