How much does a cord of firewood cost in Virginia?

There is no official or typical statewide price for a cord of firewood in Virginia. Prices are set by each seller and change with the species, how dry the wood is, how it is cut and split, how far it travels and whether someone stacks it for you. What Virginia law does fix is how much wood a "cord" has to be, and that is the key to comparing quotes fairly.

What a cord is in Virginia

The Code of Virginia defines a cord as "the amount of wood that is contained in a space of 128 cubic feet when the wood is ranked and well stowed."^[1] It is unlawful in Virginia to use the word "cord" to mean anything other than that standard in the sale of firewood,^[2] including in a price quote or in settling payment.^[2]

In practice, a full cord stacked tightly measures 4 feet wide, 4 feet high and 8 feet long, or 2 feet wide, 4 feet high and 16 feet long.^[5] Because of the air between pieces, Virginia Cooperative Extension notes that an actual stacked cord generally contains closer to 80 to 90 cubic feet of solid wood.^[6] That is normal, and it is why the stack, not the pile in the driveway, is what you measure.

Face cords, racks and truckloads

Much of the confusion over price comes from the unit. Virginia applies the Uniform Regulation for the Method of Sale of Commodities published in NIST Handbook 130,^[3] and the National Conference on Weights and Measures, which writes those model rules, says terms such as "truckload," "face cord," "rack" or "pile" have no legally defined meaning.^[5] Its guidance is that wood can only be sold by the cord or by fractions of a cord.^[5]

A "face cord" usually means a single row of wood one piece deep, so how much it holds depends on how long the pieces are cut. Here is a worked example. A row 4 feet high and 8 feet long of 16-inch (1⅓-foot) pieces is 4 × 8 × 1⅓, or about 43 cubic feet. Since a cord is 128 cubic feet,^[1] that row is roughly a third of a cord, so a low face-cord price can work out higher per cord than it looks. Convert every quote to a price per full cord before you compare.

What drives the price

When you ask for quotes, these are the things that usually explain the difference between sellers:

• Seasoned or green. Freshly cut wood needs time before it burns well. Softwoods take about 6 months to dry and hardwoods about 12 months,^[8] and wood burns best at a moisture content of less than 20 percent.^[9] Ask how long the wood has been split and stacked.
• Species. Ask what the wood is. A mixed load of hardwood, a single species and softwood are different products.
• Piece length and splitting. Shorter pieces cut for small stoves take more labor. Ask for a length that fits your firebox.
• Delivery distance. Ask whether delivery is included in the price and how far the seller will deliver.
• Stacking. Delivery often means a dumped pile. The weights and measures guidance notes you may have to pay extra for stacking.^[5]
• Quantity and timing. Ask whether the price per cord changes for a half cord or for more than one cord, and whether early-season orders are priced differently.

Buy and burn locally cut firewood to decrease the risk of carrying invasive forest pests,^[9] and a nearby seller may charge less to deliver. For the rules on moving wood, see moving firewood across county lines.

What to get in writing

When the buyer and seller are not both there to witness the measurement of a bulk delivery, Virginia law requires duplicate delivery tickets showing the names and addresses of the buyer and seller, the date of delivery and the quantity delivered.^[4] The national weights and measures guidance adds that you should get a receipt showing the seller's name and address and the price, amount and kind of wood,^[5] and, if you can, the seller's phone number and the license plate of the delivery truck.^[5]

Check the delivery

To check the amount, stack the wood in a tight row with the pieces touching and parallel, then multiply width by height by length.^[5] If you come up short of what you paid for, contact the seller before you burn any of it,^[5] and a photo of the stacked wood helps document the shortage.^[5]

In Virginia, the Office of Weights and Measures at the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) investigates consumer complaints, including questionable practices in the sale of commodities sold by weight or measure.^[7] To reach the office, the contact section of its Weights and Measures Services page points to the office's services directory.^[7]

Once it is stacked, keep it drying properly; see how to stack firewood so it dries.

Stop and call a pro if

• The seller will not correct a short or misdescribed load. Take it to VDACS's Office of Weights and Measures rather than burning the evidence.
• You plan to cut your own wood from trees on your lot that still have to come down. Felling, especially of dead or storm-damaged trees, is work for a tree service.
• Your fireplace, stove or chimney has not been cleaned and inspected this season, or it smokes even with dry wood. A chimney sweep should look at it before you burn a new cord.

More seasonal answers are under snow and seasonal services. You can browse firewood delivery and seasonal services around Blacksburg, or describe the job once and local businesses quote it.