How much wood remains after you reserve space to handle it?
Start with the stack envelopes, follow the loading task, then see what changes when the wood extends farther into the same allocation.
Authored volume and loading-space example
Count the wood, not the loading space
Two 48 x 24 x 48 in stack envelopes total 64 cubic feet. A selected 12 in gap and 36 in front strip are excluded from the wood volume.
Only the filled stack envelopes count toward the half-cord example.
- 1Two stack envelopes
- Each selected 48 x 24 x 48 in envelope is 32 cubic feet; together they are 64 cubic feet, or 0.5 cord equivalent.
- 2Batch separation
- The chosen 12 in gap is excluded from capacity. It is not a validated airflow gap, structural support bay or a passage for a person.
- 3Front handling strip
- The selected 36 in front strip is working space, not wood volume. Try your own carrying or wheeling task before choosing its depth.
Study notes & exact inputs
Original dimensional study. All stack dimensions and handling reservations are selected assumptions; no construction design or verified drying performance.
The plan view shows positions; the full labelled sheet adds the selected 48 in stack height in elevation. The height is an assumption, not a stability recommendation.
One cubic foot is 1728 cubic inches. Two selected stacks give 2 x 48 x 24 x 48 / 1728 = 64 cubic feet. Dividing by 128 gives 0.5 cord equivalent.
The nominal storage enclosure is unspecified. Supports, covering and usable clearances can increase the required footprint beyond the drawn allocation.
Drawing basis: ShedBuildPlans; NIST.
Keep both batches reachable from the front
Front-loading routes reach either batch without passing through the other. Arrows show task direction, not a measured carrier or person.
Keep a direct front approach to each separately identified batch.
Handle one batch without crossing the other
Identify the batch
Label the bays by delivery or storage date. Their left/right positions do not establish whether either batch is ready to use.
Load or collect at the front
Approach the selected bay through the front strip. The arrows do not represent a measured wheelbarrow, carrier or person.
Leave the route available
Remove loose pieces and containers from the handling strip. Include the complete route back to the delivery or use point in your own trial.
- Independent loading faces
- Both arrows enter from the front. Neither drawn route passes through the neighboring stack.
- A strip is not a handling test
- No carrier dimensions, turning circle, reach or body envelope are included. The route outside this allocation is also unknown.
Study notes & exact inputs
Original dimensional study. All stack dimensions and handling reservations are selected assumptions; no construction design or verified drying performance.
Separate batch labels support a storage routine, but the drawing cannot identify dryness or readiness from age or location.
EPA guidance discusses keeping stored wood off the ground and protecting it from weather. A base and cover need their own design; this plan does not specify their construction.
Drawing basis: ShedBuildPlans.
More stack depth leaves less handling space
24 in stacks / 36 in handling
Two 48 x 24 x 48 in stacks give 64 cubic feet (0.5 cord equivalent). The front handling strip is 36 in deep.
36 in stacks / 24 in handling
Two 48 x 36 x 48 in stacks give 96 cubic feet (0.75 cord equivalent). The same allocation leaves a 24 in front strip.
Read the marks. Tan blocks are stack footprints. Pale green is the remaining handling area. Hatching marks the extra 12 in of stack depth. Both panels share a scale; stack height is held at the selected 48 in.
64 to 96 cubic feet: 50% more selected volume, with 12 in less front handling depth.
Study notes & exact inputs
Original dimensional study. All stack dimensions and handling reservations are selected assumptions; no construction design or verified drying performance.
The added storage footprint is 2 x 48 x 12 = 1152 square inches. At the selected 48 in height it adds 32 cubic feet.
The smaller front strip is a trade-off, not an automatic safety failure. This comparison does not determine a minimum aisle width or validated stack capacity.
Drawing basis: ShedBuildPlans.
Choose the stored volume after checking the task
Use the drawings as a starting point. Record the result of each check before carrying this arrangement into your own plan.
Measure the wood separately from the enclosure
Two 32 cubic foot envelopes give 64 cubic feet; the batch gap and handling strip contribute no stored volume.
See the drawing ↑- Measure or try
- Record the actual filled width, depth and height of each stack and divide total cubic feet by 128.
- Change the arrangement if…
- If the logs or packing do not fill the assumed envelopes, reduce the expected quantity or change the stack dimensions.
Try loading and collecting from both bays
The two drawn arrows reach the front faces without crossing the neighboring pile. They contain no person or carrier envelope.
See the drawing ↑- Measure or try
- Mark both stacks and try your loaded carrier, reach and return route.
- Change the arrangement if…
- If the carrier cannot turn or be set down, enlarge or rearrange the handling allocation before increasing storage.
Compare depth before adding a roof or supports
The deeper option adds 32 cubic feet but reduces the selected front strip from 36 to 24 in.
See the drawing ↑- Measure or try
- Keep the same overall allocation while marking each option; then add actual support and cover constraints.
- Change the arrangement if…
- If either the handling task or enclosure needs occupy the same space, reduce volume or expand the layout. Review structure and location separately.
Preparation notes
Record the stack, task and enclosure separately
- Filled stack
- Record width, depth and height of the actual stack, rather than the overall shed. Do not count large voids or unused bay space as stored wood.
- Handling task
- Try the actual carrier, body position and turning movement at each loading face.
- Enclosure and site
- Record supports, cover, drainage and location separately from the chosen stack envelopes.
Would this arrangement suit your routine?
Read the fit and trade-offs
Consider it when…
- Comparing two separately labelled firewood batches with direct front access.
- Planning stack volume before choosing an enclosure or buying a storage kit.
Know the trade-offs
- Deeper stacks increase selected volume but consume the front handling strip in the same allocation.
- An open loading face leaves exposure, security and site conditions to resolve.
Complete illustrated guide
Keep the drawings, practical steps and measurement notes together.
Includes the current Letter and A4 PDFs, offline reading guide and chapter SVGs. Source notes and materials commentary are included where available. Reference material, not construction plans.
Original sources & earlier study files ↓594 KB · Free · English
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These are the same PDFs included in the complete ZIP. Each preview belongs to its download.
Original sources & earlier study files
External resources stay with their original provider. Check the scope and access conditions below before using their instructions.
At the original source · plans
EPA original woodshed instructions and materials list
Free at EPA. A separate historical design, not the construction version of this study. EPA has stopped updating Burn Wise; read the landing-page updates alongside the older PDF and video.
Includes: Separate EPA woodshed instructions and materials list; Links to the original build video and storage options
Does not include: Construction details for the P14 two-bay layout; Current local approval or price validation
Measurements behind the drawings
The selected 108 x 60 in allocation contains two stacks and a front handling strip. It is not an overall shed footprint: supports, roof overhang, drainage and external access are not dimensioned.
View all 13 recorded inputsValues, assumptions, unknowns and the source behind each measurement.
- Selected width of each stack · planning assumption
- 48 in
Selected example, not a safe-height, ventilation or operating-clearance recommendation.
- Selected baseline stack depth · planning assumption
- 24 in
Selected example, not a safe-height, ventilation or operating-clearance recommendation.
- Selected stack height · planning assumption
- 48 in
Selected example, not a safe-height, ventilation or operating-clearance recommendation.
- Selected gap between batches · planning assumption
- 12 in
Selected example, not a safe-height, ventilation or operating-clearance recommendation.
- Selected baseline handling depth · planning assumption
- 36 in
Selected example, not a safe-height, ventilation or operating-clearance recommendation.
- Studied allocation width · calculated
- 108 in
48 + 12 + 48 = 108 in; excludes supports and roof.
- Studied allocation depth · calculated
- 60 in
24 + 36 = 60 in; a task allocation, not a building exterior.
- Baseline stack volume total · calculated
- 64 ft3
2 x 48 x 24 x 48 / 1728 = 64 ft3; bay separation and handling strip excluded.
- Baseline cord equivalent · calculated
- 0.5 cord
64 / 128 = 0.5; rectangular filled-envelope equivalent, not a measured delivery.
- Alternative stack depth · planning assumption
- 36 in
Selected example, not a safe-height, ventilation or operating-clearance recommendation.
- Alternative stack volume total · calculated
- 96 ft3
2 x 48 x 36 x 48 / 1728 = 96 ft3 = 0.75 cord equivalent.
- Alternative front strip · calculated
- 24 in
60 - 36 = 24 in; adequacy for a person or carrier remains untested.
- Volume per cord · source reported
- 128 ft3
NIST stacked-volume definition, not solid timber volume.
Take the next useful step
Keep the parts that match your task. Confirm these remaining conditions before buying or building:
Conditions still to assess
- Actual log sizes, packing and achievable filled-stack dimensions.
- Stack restraint, stability, base capacity and structural supports.
- Roof, rain protection, drainage and drying performance.
- Site-specific fire separation and local placement requirements.
- Actual carrier, body movement and the delivery route.
Optional: check this idea with your own inputs
This study does not offer automatic layout adoption. The tools show its context alongside your current private project, and ask for your own measurements.
Check size & access →
Example usable interior, openings and task inputs. Outdoor turns and construction remain unassessed.
Check yard & arrival →
The selected nominal footprint carries across. Your yard, setbacks and delivery dimensions must still be entered.
Review budget scope →
The project supplies the task context. No prices, quotes or build method are invented.
Review material coverage →
Nominal floor dimensions only. Material height, opening deductions, roof factor, waste and rates remain unknown.
Sources & project identity
United States reference; site conditions not supplied · Study 2026-10-12-firewood-v1, geometry 2026-10-12-firewood-v1. Reviewed 2026-10-12.
P14 original layout and volume assumptions
ShedBuildPlans · Authored example · Checked 2026-10-12
Authored stack envelopes and handling reservations only; neither external source reviews this layout.
Images: original site material. PDF redistribution: original site files.
Handbook 133 (2025): stacked firewood volume
NIST · United States · Checked 2026-10-12
Defines a cord as 128 cubic feet of ranked, well-stowed wood. Used only for volume conversion, not to approve storage design or stack height.
Images: third-party images are not reproduced. PDF redistribution: not granted; use the original provider.
Build Firewood Storage (historical Burn Wise record)
US EPA · United States · Checked 2026-10-12
General storage guidance and separate original build resources. Burn Wise ended in 2025; EPA states this content is no longer updated after October 30, 2025.
Images: third-party images are not reproduced. PDF redistribution: not granted; use the original provider.
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