Making Sure Firewood Deliveries Measure Up

Firewood has to be sold by the cord, “It’s a volumetric measurement, Nothing else is legal." But just how much is a cord?

Photo courtesy: U.S. Army Fort Lewis

(SALEM) - Cooler days and nights are approaching. Fireplaces and wood stoves are getting used again as the thermometer drops. That means people are turning to firewood as a source of heat. This is also the time of year the Oregon Department of Agriculture advises consumers to make sure fuel wood deliveries “stack up”.

“Generally around October and November, people begin thinking about the coming winter months and the cold weather– that’s when they start making purchases of firewood and when we start to hear about it,” says Clark Cooney, assistant administrator of ODA’s Measurement Standards Division.

This is the arm that enforces Oregon’s weights and measures laws requiring accurate representations of quantity in commercial transactions. ODA inspectors investigate complaints made by the buyer when it comes to any type of motor fuel or firewood delivery.

The Department of Ag does not receive an overwhelming number of complaints regarding firewood, but it’s something that happens each year. Since 2000, the department has received 87 firewood complaints. Most were valid complaints of short measure. There no doubt have been many more cases that have not been reported to ODA.

There is one piece of good advice above all others that consumers need to remember when purchasing firewood:

“Firewood has to be sold by the cord,” says Cooney. “It’s a volumetric measurement. Nothing else is legal.”

Just how much is a cord?

“It is 128 cubic feet of compactly stacked wood in a rectangular form,” says Cooney. “It could be eight feet long by four feet wide by four feet high, or it could be four feet long by four feet wide by eight feet high. Just so it stacks up to 128 cubic feet.”

Other units of measurement for firewood– many of them advertised– such as a pickup load, truck load, or face cord are not acceptable. Cooney says those are undefinable terms, whereas a cord is a very definite unit of measurement.

Not many people know how much a cord is. Even fewer can tell how much wood is being delivered without it being stacked up and measured.

“The only way to know is to stack the wood neatly and tightly,” says Cooney. “You can do it yourself or you can have the delivery person stack the wood for you. Of course, they may charge a fee to do so. But it may be worth it to make sure you truly have what they say has been delivered.”

There is also some important paperwork that consumers should know about.

"Be sure to get a completed receipt for your purchase of firewood,” says Cooney. “The receipt needs to include the name and address of the seller, your name and address as the purchaser, the date of the delivery, the quantity delivered in cords, the price per cord, the total price, the identity or species of the wood, and any quality representation such as 'seasoned' made in connection with the sale. Receipts are important to both the buyer and the seller and they provide very useful information when following up on complaints.”

Like with any other purchase, it’s better to know something about the seller.

“There have definitely been circumstances where people have taken advantage of others and have not delivered what they claim,” says Cooney. “I would say if you have dealt with a certain firewood provider in the past and you felt good about it, you can probably trust them. Usually, they are the people who are in business year after year and have a track record. But if you are not familiar with the people making the delivery, it’s probably a good idea to stack the firewood and know what you are actually having delivered to your home.”

There are always newcomers to the firewood business who may not be aware of the proper method of sale for firewood or what is required. Consumers should keep an eye on the seller to make sure all is proper.

“Most wood sellers are good, reputable people and have been in the business for awhile,” says Cooney. “But as can be the case with anything, there are some folks who don’t always play by the rules.”

Even though the popularity of wood stoves has dropped in recent years, ODA expects a normal year of firewood purchases. That probably means a normal year of complaints as well.

“We do investigate complaints,” says Cooney. “We ask that the wood be stacked tightly prior to one of our investigators arriving. Just looking at a pile of wood doesn’t cut it, so to speak. We will be happy to come out, measure it, photograph it, and pursue it from there.”

That may result in turning the matter over to the Oregon Department of Justice, which could ultimately mean criminal penalties for fraud. One of the largest fines on record in Oregon relating to a weights and measures violation– $750– involved a firewood sale several years ago.

Consumer education is important when it comes to firewood purchases. ODA’s Measurement Standards Division has online information dedicated to firewood purchases at . In addition to the legal requirements of selling firewood, viewers can obtain other useful facts such as the heating value of the various species of wood that might be purchased. There is also information on how to make a complaint regarding firewood purchases.

Despite inspections and laws designed to protect consumers, most of the responsibility lies with the buyer. The best advice for buying firewood is also the best advice for any type of purchase– take an interest in the transaction. Make sure you understand what is going on and how much you received at the time of delivery.