Firewood Volume Calculator

Calculate how many cords of firewood you need for the heating season based on house size, insulation, and stove efficiency.

Inputs

House Size

sq ft

Insulation Level

Heating Degree Days

HDD

Stove Efficiency

Supplemental Heat

Tab to move between fields

Results

Cords Needed

3.6

Logs to Process

360

Cost Estimate$900.00

BTU Required50,400,000

Cutting/Splitting Days4 days

How to Use This Calculator

Enter House Sq Ft and select Insulation Level (poor, average, or good) to estimate the home's heat loss.
Look up your Heating Degree Days from NOAA climate data for your location and enter the value.
Enter Wood Stove Efficiency (%) — EPA-certified stoves are typically 70–80%; older stoves may be 50–60%.
Set Supplemental Heat (%) if wood is not your only heat source — this reduces the firewood requirement proportionally.
Review Cords Needed (one cord = 128 cu ft) and Cost Estimate to plan your wood-buying or cutting season.
Use Logs to Process and Cutting/Splitting Days to schedule your firewood preparation before winter.

How the result changes with House Size

House Size	Cords Needed	Logs to Process
1,090	2.6	262
3,565	8.6	856
6,535	15.7	1,569
9,010	21.6	2,163

What each input means

House Size: Heated floor area of your home.
Insulation Level: Quality of your home's insulation and air sealing.
Heating Degree Days: Annual heating degree days for your location (check local climate data).
Stove Efficiency: EPA-rated stove efficiency (modern stoves: 70-80%, open fireplace: 10-20%).
Supplemental Heat: Percentage of heating provided by other sources (propane, electric, etc.).

What each result means

Cords Needed: Cords of firewood for the heating season (128 cu ft per cord).
Cost Estimate: Estimated cost at $250 per cord (purchased).
BTU Required: Total BTU needed from wood heat.
Logs to Process: Approximate number of logs to cut and split.
Cutting/Splitting Days: Full days of work to process the firewood.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
House Size = 1500, Insulation Level = 2, Heating Degree Days = 6000, Stove Efficiency = 70 = 5 input(s) provided
Calculate Cords Needed
Cords Needed
3.6 = 3.6
Calculate Logs to Process
Logs to Process
360 = 360
Calculate Cost Estimate
Cost Estimate
900 = $900
Calculate BTU Required
BTU Required
50400000 = 50400000

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