Avoid Being Ripped Off, Tips Offered for Purchasing Firewood

As winter quickly approaches and more Ohioans look to firewood to help heat their homes, Director David Daniels of the Ohio Department of Agriculture is asking Ohioans to be aware of some basic tips to help when purchasing wood.

Prior to purchasing, the following firewood rules and regulations are helpful to know:

• Non‐packaged firewood must be sold by the cord or by fractions of a cord. One cord, when properly stacked, should be 8 feet long by 4 feet high and 4 feet wide (128 cubic feet).
• If sold in bulk, firewood must be purchased by the weight in ton measurements. This must be weighed on a certified scale.
• It is illegal to sell firewood by any other unit of measurement such as a rick, rack, face cord or truckload. If a consumer believes that a seller did not comply with these rules and regulations, the person should immediately contact the seller.
• If non‐packaged firewood is purchased, the seller must present the consumer with a delivery ticket or sales invoice that includes contact information and the terms and conditions of the sale.
• If firewood is advertised and sold as “seasoned,” it must have a moisture content of less than 50 percent. “Unseasoned” wood will only produce two‐thirds of the heat of “seasoned” wood.
• If the firewood is advertised and sold as a certain type of wood, the load must contain at least 90 percent of that species.

If a problem occurs with a firewood sale, and the seller will not correct the problem, consumers should contact the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Division of Weights and Measures at 1‐800‐282‐1955 or contact a local weights and measures inspector located in each county auditor’s office.