Where to buy firewood: comparing stores, roadside stands and local delivery

Knowing where to buy firewood matters as much as knowing how much to buy. A cheap load of wet wood costs you in smoke, soot and wasted evenings.

Homeowners in Fairfield County and Westchester County usually have three choices. You can pick up bundles at a retail store, buy a load from a roadside stand, or have wood delivered to your door. Each one works well for the right person.

The best pick depends on how often you burn, how dry you need the wood, and how much carrying you want to do.

Where to buy firewood: the three main options

Start with what each option does best.

• Retail stores sell small bundles, which suits a single evening by the fire.
• Roadside stands sell loose wood by the pile or the truckload.
• Local delivery brings a measured amount to your property, and the better services stack it for you.

None of these is wrong. The mistake is choosing one without asking what you are really getting.

What to check before you pay for any firewood

Moisture comes first.

Wood burns best when it is dry. Penn State Extension says to aim for a moisture content of about 20% or lower, and notes that freshly cut northern red oak can hold 60% to 80%.

You can read a lot from the ends of the logs. Small splits, called checks, mean moisture has left the wood, while freshly split wood has none. Skip anything that looks like it is rotting, because it holds water and makes more smoke and ash.

Next, ask how the seller measures. A full cord is a stack 4 feet high, 8 feet long and 4 feet wide. A face cord is usually 16 inches deep and may hold only a quarter to a half of a full cord, so ask which one the price covers.

One more habit helps. Write down what was promised, including the amount and the price, so that you have something to point to if the delivery falls short.

Buyers also forget to ask what happens with returns or shortfalls. A seller who stands behind the measurement will tell you plainly.

Retail stores: easy for small amounts

Stores suit small jobs.

A bundle is simple to grab and simple to carry. The tradeoff is quantity, because a household that burns a few times a week will be restocking constantly.

Look for a moisture claim on the label before you buy. Compare the price per piece rather than the price per bundle, since bundle sizes vary.

Stores also make sense for a one-off need. If guests are coming and you want a fire tonight, a bundle gets you through the evening.

The weak spot is a long season. Buying bundle after bundle adds up in trips, in packaging and in the time you spend loading the car.

Roadside stands: flexible, but ask questions

A stand can be a good local source.

Quantity and dryness vary from seller to seller, so ask about both. Find out how long the wood has been split and stacked, and check the log ends for those small splits. If the pile is damp or the ends look fresh, keep driving.

Get the measurement in plain terms too. "A load" can mean very different amounts from one seller to the next.

Stands do have a real advantage, which is a face-to-face conversation. You can look at the pile, ask where it came from and see exactly what you are paying for.

The downside is consistency. A stand that had dry wood last month may be selling a fresher load this month, so check every time.

Why buying close to home matters in New York

Firewood can carry pests, and the rules reflect that.

The New York DEC says untreated firewood grown in New York cannot be moved more than 50 straight-line miles from its source. Untreated wood from other states cannot be brought in at all.

Heat-treated wood carrying the state’s approved label is exempt from the distance limit. Whoever you buy from, ask where the wood came from and keep any receipt or label.

The same logic applies on the Connecticut side of the line. Buy locally, and burn the wood close to where you bought it.

Where to buy firewood that arrives dry and stacked

Delivery solves the dryness and the hauling at once.

Our kiln-dried hardwoods, including oak, maple, ash, beech, cherry and birch, are dried to 10% to 15% moisture and stored indoors. That means no bugs, no mold and nothing damp to dry out in your yard. Our white-glove delivery includes transport, stacking and a porch sweep.

After you order online, you get a confirmation email, and a representative contacts you within 24 to 48 hours to schedule delivery. Deliveries are typically made within 7 days. During peak season from October through January, they can take up to 14 days, so order before the cold snap.

If you are not home, we stack the wood where you choose. For a stacking spot more than 5 stairs away, call the office first. We do not stack or carry wood inside your home.

You can also collect your own. Our yard in Wilton takes pickup orders for loose wood carts and pizza cut bundles, so call ahead and we will have it ready.

How to choose for the way you burn

Match the source to your habits.

• Burning once in a while: a store bundle or a half size delivery, which is 1/6 cord and measures 4 feet by 4 feet by 16 inches.
• Burning three or more times a week: a full size delivery, which is 1/3 cord and measures 8 feet by 4 feet by 16 inches.
• Want it today: call about pickup.

If you are not sure which size fits, call us. Describing your fireplace, stove or fire pit and how often you light it is usually enough for us to recommend a starting order.

Whatever you choose, keep the checklist short. Ask about moisture, ask how it is measured, and ask who handles the stacking. Our delivery areas page lists every town we serve.