Buying Firewood in San Diego County

HOW TO AVOID GETTING BURNED
WHEN BUYING FIREWOOD

What is a cord?

Firewood is sold by a measurement called a "cord". A cord of wood must equal 128 cubic feet. To be sure you have a cord, stack the wood neatly by placing the wood in a line or row, with individual pieces touching and parallel to each other, making sure the wood is compact and has as few gaps as possible. Then measure the stack. If the width times the height times the length equals 128 cubic feet, you have a cord of firewood.

Stacking A Cord For Measurement:

IF IT DOESN'T EQUAL 128 CUBIC FEET, IT'S NOT A CORD!!

Words That May Indicate You Are Not Getting Proper Measurement!

A cord, like other measurements such as a foot, a gallon, or a ton, is defined by law. A seller may not legitimately use the terms such as "truckload", "face cord", "rack", or "pile" because these terms have no legally defined meaning and, therefore you have no way of determining how much firewood you are actually receiving. If a seller uses such terms it should alert you to a possible problem. Wood can only be sold by the cord or by fractions of a cord.

How To Protect Yourself When Buying Firewood

When you buy firewood make sure to get a receipt which shows the seller's name and address, as well as the price, amount, and kind of wood purchased.

When the wood is delivered, ask the seller to stack it {you may have to pay extra for this service} or stack the wood yourself.

Measure the wood before using any. If the cubic measurement indicates that you did not receive the correct volume, contact the seller before you burn any wood.

What To Do If You Think You've Been Shortchanged

If the seller can't or won't correct the problem, contact the Department of Weights and Measure before you burn any wood. It is also helpful to document the possible shortage by taking a picture of the stacked wood.