Did the delivery really contain a cord? Measure the stacked pile — length, height and stick depth — and this calculator turns it into full cords (128 ft³) and face cords. Same volume logic as board feet, pointed at the wood pile.
A full cord is a legal unit in most US states: 128 cubic feet of tightly stacked wood, the classic 4′ × 4′ × 8′ pile. Nobody actually burns 4-foot logs, so real-world stacks are rows of 16″ or 18″ sticks — which is where the face cord (one 4′ × 8′ face, one stick deep) comes from. With 16″ sticks a face cord is exactly ⅓ of a full cord; sellers who quote "a cord" of 16″ wood one row deep are offering a third of what the word means.
To check a delivery: stack it tight, multiply length × height × depth in feet, divide by 128. This calculator does it per-row so you can enter "three rows of 16-inch sticks" directly. A dumped, loose-thrown pile looks heroic but holds roughly 30% air — always measure stacked.
Species matters more than size. Dense hardwoods (oak, hickory, black locust) pack roughly twice the BTUs of pine or basswood per cord — the same density story told on the lumber weight page. Season everything to under 20% moisture before burning; a moisture meter is the honest referee between "seasoned" in the ad and seasoned in the stove.
Cord definition per state weights-and-measures statutes (128 ft³ stacked); heat content varies by species density.