Calculate firewood volume in cords and estimate total BTU energy content. Compare species like Oak, Hickory, and Pine for maximum heating efficiency. Knowing the energy density of your wood pile helps you plan your winter fuel supply more effectively.
Enter the dimensions of your wood pile (length, width, and height) and select the wood species. The calculator pairs each species with its dry energy density from the U.S. Forest Service Fuelwood chart: White Oak is rated at 25,700 kBTU per cord, Hickory at 27,700, Red Oak at 24,600, Sugar Maple at 24,000, and White Pine at only 14,300. Choosing the right species matters as much as choosing the right quantity.
The tool converts the stacked volume into cords (one full cord is 128 cubic feet of wood and air) and then estimates usable heat with the formula usable = species kBTU x stove efficiency x (1 - moisture/100). A cord of White Oak burned in a 75% efficient stove at 20% moisture delivers about 15,420 kBTU; the same cord left at 50% moisture (green) yields only 9,637 kBTU, roughly 37% less heat from identical wood.
Because Hickory packs about 1.9 times the energy of White Pine per cord, one load of dense hardwood replaces nearly two loads of softwood and leaves a longer-lasting coal bed; a Hickory cord in that same 75% efficient, 20%-moisture stove returns roughly 16,620 usable kBTU against only about 8,580 kBTU from White Pine. Every percentage point of moisture is water the fire must boil off before any heat reaches the room, which is why seasoned wood under 20% moisture burns hotter and cleaner, wastes far less energy as steam, and deposits far less creosote in the flue. Dense hardwoods therefore win on energy per cord, with Hickory and White Oak topping the chart ahead of Red Oak (24,600) and Sugar Maple (24,000), while quick-lighting White Pine needs almost two stacks to match one stack of hardwood for overnight heating. Use the result to plan how many cords your winter actually requires and to decide which species is worth hauling and stacking.