How much is a rick of wood (face cord)? | Measuring firewood, size, cost, weight, pieces vs cord

A wood fire is great. Many people love burning wood to heat their home, cooking with wood in wood stoves or just having the perfect campfire.

I have a wood fire and the smell, look and warmth you get are incomparable.

For me, a wood fire makes my house really feel like a home, I also like cooking with wood and the perfect campfire or fire pit is of course powered by wood.

However, if you have a wood fire, you are going to need firewood.

You can either do it yourself but then you are going to need all of the wood cutting and splitting gear, or you can buy it as a forest product of the forest industry.

If you are going to buy your wood then you should know what you are buying.

Some people who sell firewood charge by the rick. So this creates the question what is and how much is a rick of wood?

A wood fire requires a constant supply of firewood.

You might be wondering where and how much does it cost to get all that wood.

However, before you do, you might ask how is wood measured and how much does it cost?

Whatever you are buying, wood or something else, it is never a bad idea to first do a bit of research of what exactly and how much you wish to buy, how much will it cost and how much wood you are getting.

When different sellers use different terms for different amounts of wood, you can get ripped off if you don’t know what they mean.

Firewood is commonly measured by the cord, but it can also be measured by the rick or rank.

It is a good idea to know exactly how much wood you are buying and what is a reasonable price for that amount.

So when choosing to buy a product, like in this case wood for your fireplace or wood stoves, it is best first to become informed as much as possible before you purchase.

If you are looking to buy a rick of wood here are some tips which you may find helpful in making the right decision. Read on to find out more about firewood measurements.

There a several definition of what a rick is.

A rick can be a description of the way a cord of wood is stacked. That is rick also refers to a stack of any material, such as hay, left out in the open air.

A rick of wood is also a common wood measurement used to describe the quantity of the firewood. Specifically a stack of wood that is 8 feet long and 4 feet high or the area that is equivalent to that (has a 32 square foot face).

The amount of wood in a rick or face cord will depend on how long the pieces are so these are not the most accurate firewood measurements.

A cord of firewood (the most common measure of firewood) is consistently measured as 128 cubic feet and the way that firewood is usually measured. A half cord is also commonly used measure of firewood.

However, a rick or face cord of wood is not a consistent measurement.

The way of measuring a rick of wood can vary from place to place.

Though a rick is a measure of firewood, the biggest problem with buying a rick of wood is that you can’t be sure exactly how much wood you are getting.

You will also need to know the length of the logs to tell how much wood you get.

However, generally speaking, a rick of wood will be 1/3 of a cord, if the logs are cut to 16 inches long, but if they are cut to 24 inches long then a rick of wood would be 1/2 of a cord.

When buying a rick of wood the only way to really know how much wood you are buying is to measure the stack of wood and the lengths of the logs, so you should also ask how many feet wide the wood is stacked.

As previously mentioned, the only way to really know what you are getting is to measure it.

Many people when buying wood by the rick get cheated because they did not know how much they were buying since there is no official measurement of a rick.

It is best to take matters into your own hands and measure it yourself so that you know how much exactly you are buying.

So when you buy a rick of wood, it is preferable to measure the size of the rick yourself, so you know just how much you are buying and therefore how much it would cost you.

First, we suggest you visit the supplier and make measurements yourself.

Measuring it yourself is the safest way to know what you are getting.

If you are not able to measure or see the wood before you buy it, try looking for a known dealer who has a positive reputation.

After you receive the wood, take measurements yourself to make sure that you were not deceived.

It is the best way to be sure of what and just how much wood exactly you are buying.

It is best to stack the wood as measuring an irregularly shaped woodpile is difficult and inaccurate.

You may be wondering how many pieces there are in a rick of wood but to know that you must first check the size of the split logs, before you can answer the question.

Generally, there are about 160 pieces of wood in a 4 foot by 8-foot pile of wood.

However, when buying ricks of firewood, it is best to measure the size of the split logs yourself to know what and how many pieces are in the rick you are buying.

In any rick you buy, the logs and their amount will always be different, so you can never get the exact number.

Unfortunately, this is when people usually get ripped off, which is why it is best to be careful when buying a rick from an untrusted seller and play it safe by doing the counting and the measuring of the logs on your own.

That way you can determine for yourself exactly just how much wood you are purchasing.

The weight of a rick depends on the size and the state of the wood.

For example, a block of wood weighs a different amount depending on its species and how green or wet it is. Note: wet wood is more difficult to burn and may require a lot of fire starters to get it alight.

This is because water increases the weight so every rick’s weight will be different depending on the type of wood (red oak is a good one to use) and the condition of the wood.

Because a cord of seasoned wood on average, weighs about 2,000 to 3,000 pounds, then an average rick of seasoned wood or seasoned timber would probably weigh about 667 pounds and therefore can be carried in an up-to-1-ton pickup truck.

There are many places in the US where you can buy ricks of wood, but the prices differ from one place to another.

In these places, there are other terms used for a rick of wood, such as face cord, stove cord and furnace wood, which are sometimes used to describe a stack of wood which is 4 ft. high and 8 ft. long with one piece shorter than 4 ft.

The price for a standard cord of wood (4 ft. x 4 ft. x 8ft.) is typically between $225 & $250.

When purchasing a rick of wood, try to avoid buying wood in units that cannot be related to the standard cord.

Other units are difficult to compare a high price per cord measure.

Also, avoid buying firewood by telephone before going to see the wood first at the supplier’s yard. Some sellers may sell by the truck loads but this make it difficult to know how much you are getting.

At best, you can pace off the particular firewood stack that you will buy so you know exactly what you are buying.

If you do need to order wood over the phone it is a good idea make sure that the wood is stacked racked and well stowed after it is delivered so that you can measure the stacked wood and know how much what delivered. This can help prevent you showing up with your pickup truck only to argue with the seller about how much wood you are buying.

A rick or cord of wood may fit in your pickup truck, depending on the size of it and if it has rails in the tray.  You can use the following as a guide:

Small Pickup Truck with 1/4 ton capacity

With or without racks this truck bed holds approximately 1/2 (one-half) cord of wood. Two
load tickets required.

Short Bed Pickup Truck with 1/2 ton capacity

With or without racks this truck bed holds approximately 1/2 (one-half) cord of wood.
Two load tickets required.

Long Bed Pickup Truck with 1/2 or 3/4 ton capacity

Without racks this truck bed holds approximately 1/2 (one-half) cord of wood.

Two load tickets required.

With racks this truck bed holds approximately 1 (one) cord of wood. Four load tickets required.

Standard Pickup Truck with 1 ton capacity

With high racks this truck bed holds approximately 1 1/2 (one and a half) cords of wood.
Six load tickets required.

Check the owner’s manual for your vehicle to see what load weights the truck can safely haul and make sure your vehicle is licensed for the weight you will be hauling

The name cord most likely comes from using a cord or string to measure it and in the older days strap the wood together for transport.

Cord-foot was a US unit of volume for stacked firewood, which was four feet long, four feet wide and one foot high, making it equal to one-eighth of a full cord.

The term is used in other countries where they speak English, such as New Zealand, but does not have a legal measurements definition for wood.

The “cord” unit was used before metrication in several French-speaking countries (France, Belgium and Luxemburg), and its value changed depending on the regions.

In the Midwestern United States, a face cord is also called a rick.

The rick and cord have the same width, but their depth can change.

Rick of wood vs cord of wood

The difference between a rick or cord of wood is the fact that a rick is an informal measurement unit for stacked firewood, while a cord is one of the legal measurements of dry volume that is used to measure firewood and pulpwood in the USA and Canada.

Both cords and ricks are units of measurement, but f you need to choose between prices for cord or rick of firewood, using a cord is easier to understand what you are getting.

The depth in residential fireplaces is commonly 16″ but can be anything from 12 inches to 32 inches.

To avoid confusion among customers, several states in the US only allow firewood to be sold by the cord or merely fractions of a cord.

The wood should be racked and well stowed, so that the wood is parallel, and air gaps are minimized.

It should not be loose thrown in different directions or in other words criss-crossed, as this adds considerable unnecessary space in the firewood stack. Regarding volumes, here are the volumes for a rick:

• 4 feet x 8 feet x 12 inches = 1/4 cord (32 cubic feet)
• 4 feet x 8 feet x 16 inches = 1/3 cord (42.66 cubic feet)
• 4 feet x 8 feet x 24 inches = 1/2 cord (64 cubic feet or 1.8 cubic meters)
• 4 feet x 8 feet x 32 inches = 2/3 cord (85 cubic feet)

It takes three ricks or face cords to make one cord (full cord) of wood.

The standard measurements of a rick of wood are 4 feet high, 8 feet long, and roughly, but not always, about 16 to 18 inches (one stick of wood, measured lengthwise) deep, but it can also be from 12 to 32 inches deep.

A standard cord consists of sticks or pieces of wood which are 4 feet long and stacked in a 4×8-foot rick.

A short cord is a 4×8-foot rick of pieces shorter than 4 feet, and a long cord is a similarly a rick with wood pieces longer than 4 feet.

These are the general standard measurements of a rick of wood and a cord.

I hope this article has helped you understanding how wood is usually measured and sold and the terms that are used.

In the end if you are not sure how much you are talking about you can ask for the dimensions in feet and inches and calculate the volume in cubic feet.

Good luck and let us know your opinions in the comments below. If you would like you can tell us what are firewood sellers using in your area.

The thermal energy from burning wood can be measured in BTU. The British thermal unit (Btu or BTU) is a traditional unit of heat; it is defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. It is also part of the United States customary units.
Firewood BTU
The BTU for a given weight of firewood is close to the same between species. Because hard woods are denser (heavier for the same amount of volume), a cord of hard wood will generally have more energy (greater BTU) than a cord of softwood.