Firewood Table
| Species | MBTU/cord | Seasoning | Burn character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osage orange | ~32 | 6-12 mo | hottest, small loads |
| Shagbark hickory | ~28 | 12 mo | classic woodstove, sweet |
| White oak / beech | ~26 | 12-24 mo | slow steady coals |
| Douglas-fir | ~26 | 6-12 mo | hot softwood, West staple |
| Sugar maple | ~24 | 9-12 mo | steady, good coals |
| White ash | ~23 | 6-12 mo | forgiving, burns even |
| Yellow birch | ~22 | 9-12 mo | bright flame, bark kindles |
| American elm | ~21 | 12+ mo | okay coals, splits hard |
| Black cherry | ~20 | 9-12 mo | pleasant aroma, moderate |
| Spruce | ~15 | 6-9 mo | quick, snapping fire |
| White pine / aspen | ~14 | 6-9 mo | kindling, shoulder season |
| Winter need | Mild | Moderate | Cold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | ~2 cords | ~3.5 cords | ~5 cords |
| 2,000 sq ft | ~4 cords | ~7 cords | ~10 cords |
A cord is a stack 4 by 4 by 8 feet - 128 cubic feet, roughly 85 of them solid wood - and the heat in it is set by density: a cord of seasoned shagbark hickory holds about 28 million BTU, white oak about 26, sugar maple and white ash about 23 to 24, while a cord of eastern white pine holds roughly 14. One cord of the best hardwoods is therefore close to two cords of the lightest softwoods, which is the whole firewood market in one sentence - and the reason cord price per species matters more than cord price per se.
Bottom line: buy by the million BTU, not by the truckload. Divide the cord price by the species figure in the table - 350 dollars for a cord of white oak is about 13 dollars per million BTU, while 220 dollars for a cord of pine is about 16 - and the cheap load quietly becomes the expensive one. Seasoning is the second half of the arithmetic: oak wants 12 to 24 months under cover with airflow, ash and the softwoods can be ready in 6 to 9, and unseasoned wood surrenders a third of its useful heat to boiling its own water in the firebox.
The honest part: the figures are extension-service chart averages for seasoned wood, and real cords vary with region, bark, how tightly the stack was thrown, and whether the seller means a full cord or a face cord - a 16-inch-deep face cord is one third of a cord, and confusing the two is the oldest firewood deal in the book. Moisture beats species too: any wood burned over about 20 percent moisture underperforms every number on this sheet, which is why a cheap moisture meter outvalues most species debates.
How to use
- Find your species row in the BTU table and note the seasoning column - green wood needs the months even when the species is right.
- Price the cord per million BTU: cord price divided by the MBTU figure is the only cross-species number that compares fairly.
- Size the winter with the calculator - floor area, climate band and local cord price give the cords and the season budget; split softwood kindling from hardwood body loads rather than buying one pile.
Frequently asked questions
What wood has the highest BTU per cord?
Osage orange tops most extension charts near 32 million BTU per cord, followed by shagbark hickory around 28 and white oak, beech and black locust in the 26 to 28 band. All three are dense Midwest-to-East hardwoods; in the West, Douglas-fir leads the softwoods near 26. The practical answer is simpler: whatever dense hardwood is local and seasoned beats anything shipped in.
How many cords do I need for winter?
About 2 to 3 cords per 1,000 square feet in a mild climate, 3.5 in a moderate one, and 4 to 5 where heating season runs long - so a 1,200-square-foot house in a moderate climate lands near 4 cords, plus a margin for the cold snap. The calculator runs your numbers, and the first winter at a new house is the estimate to double-check against the woodstove's actual appetite.
Is a face cord the same as a cord?
No - a face cord is one stack 4 feet high and 8 feet long, one log-length deep; at the common 16-inch length that is about 42 cubic feet, one third of a full cord. Sellers who quote face-cord prices against full-cord offers win the argument by units alone. Ask for the stack depth in inches and convert before comparing any two offers.
Does pine cause creosote buildup?
Dry pine burns hot and clean; the creosote problem is smoldering, not species - a low, damped fire of any wood condenses tars in the flue. Pine's real traits are fast flame and low coals, which make it kindling and shoulder-season wood rather than an overnight load. Seasoned pine at under 20 percent moisture in a hot-burning stove is a perfectly respectable fuel.
How do I tell if firewood is seasoned?
Ends show radial cracks, the bark loosens, two pieces knock with a hollow clack instead of a dull thud, and a moisture meter reads under 20 percent at the fresh-split face. Weight is the quiet tell: a cord loses roughly a ton of water on its way from green to seasoned. If the seller cannot say when it was split, assume it is this year's and buy it a year ahead of need.
What is the best value firewood per dollar?
Whatever dense, seasoned hardwood is closest to you, priced per million BTU - the arithmetic in the intro beats any species loyalty. A mid-table hardwood at a fair local price outvalues a premium load hauled two hours, and mixing loads is standard practice: softwood for fast shoulder-season fires, hardwood coals for the deep winter, kindling from the ends of either.