How big a log store do you need? A no-guesswork method

The right store holds the largest amount of wood that will be on site at one time, not necessarily a whole year's use. Start with your delivery rhythm. Then add enough space to avoid packing logs hard against the roof and sides.

Use one of three sizing routes

Copy a stack you already know

This is the cleanest route. Measure width × average height × depth in metres. If the logs form two rows, count both rows. Repeat the measurement on a full delivery rather than the tidy remains at the end of winter.

Work from the seller's stated volume

Ask whether the number is a loose load, a bag's nominal capacity or stacked volume. Only stacked volume maps directly to store space. If the seller supplies a reliable conversion for its own log length and delivery method, keep the assumptions with the figure.

Record a season before replacing the store

When use varies wildly, mark the date each load arrives and photograph the full stack beside a tape measure. One winter of plain records beats an elaborate estimate based on stove hours.

Add capacity for the overlap

Deliveries rarely arrive at exactly empty. If a new cubic metre comes while 0.2 m³ remains, the peak is 1.2 m³. That overlap is the number your store has to accept.

A two-bay design makes the overlap visible: finish the older bay while the delivery fills the other. It also stops a new load being stacked in front of wood that should be used first.

Capacity is internal

Retail descriptions often lead with full width, including posts and eaves. The useful calculation needs clear width between posts, stack height below the roof and the depth actually occupied by logs. A shelf reduces the log volume even when it improves organisation.

The practical limit

More volume is not always better. An oversized store takes longer to cycle, costs more and tempts you to bury old or damp pieces. If deliveries are dependable, two smaller cycles can be more sensible than one monumental annual stack.

Sources

• Forest Research: Domestic heating with logs — advice on raised, covered, open-sided stacks, checked 10 November 2026.
• GOV.UK: selling wood in volumes of 2 m³ or more — official distinction between sale volumes, checked 10 November 2026.