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Why our stacks are 6, 12, and 24 feet long
A cord is a set amount of wood: 128 cubic feet. That's the legal measure. You get it by multiplying how tall the stack is, how long it is, and how long each piece is.
You've probably heard a cord described as 4 feet tall, 8 feet long, and 4 feet deep. That's the same 128 cubic feet, just stacked with long logs. Nobody burns 4-foot logs, so the wood gets cut shorter. Shorter pieces mean a shallower stack, so the stack has to be longer to hold the same amount of wood.
Why every runner delivers 16-inch wood
Every runner on this site agrees to cut their wood to 16 inches (1⅓ feet). That way you get the same size load no matter which runner brings it. Stacked 4 feet tall:
- Quarter cord: 4 ft tall × 6 ft long × 1⅓ ft = 32 cubic feet
- Half cord: 4 ft tall × 12 ft long × 1⅓ ft = 64 cubic feet
- Full cord: 4 ft tall × 24 ft long × 1⅓ ft = 128 cubic feet
If the wood were cut 12 inches (1 foot), the same amounts would look like this:
- Quarter cord: 4 ft tall × 8 ft long
- Half cord: 4 ft tall × 16 ft long
- Full cord: 4 ft tall × 32 ft long
Same amount of wood either way. Shorter pieces just make a longer stack.
About "ricks"
A rick, also called a face cord, is a stack 4 feet tall and 8 feet long, with no set piece length. With 16-inch wood that's about 43 cubic feet, only a third of a cord. If someone sells you a "cord" that's one 8-foot row, you're getting a third of what you paid for.
Checking your delivery
Measure how long the stack is and how tall it is. With 16-inch wood stacked 4 feet tall, 6 feet long is a quarter cord, 12 is a half, and 24 is a full cord. If it's in two or three shorter rows, add up their lengths.
Who's responsible
Southeast Texas Firewood only connects customers with local runners. We don't sell wood, deliver it, or handle payment. The customer and the runner handle the delivery, payment, and all communication between themselves. If there's a disagreement about what was delivered, it's between the customer and the runner. We take no responsibility for any delivery.