DOVER – As Delawareans stock up their firewood supplies, state officials remind buyers and sellers that firewood must be sold and advertised only by cords.

Under Delaware Code, firewood and stove wood must be advertised, offered for sale, and sold only by a cord measure or fractions of a cord or cubic meter. Selling firewood by truckload, rack, face cord or pile is not permitted under state law.

“Buyers should get what they pay for, and measuring by the cord or fraction of a cord is the best way of ensuring that,” said Steve Connors, Weights and Measures Administrator with the Delaware Department of Agriculture.

A cord is 128 cubic feet of compactly stacked wood in a rectangular form. It could be stacked in a variety of ways, such as eight feet long by four feet wide by four feet high.

In addition to measuring wood before burning it, buyers should also make sure they have a written receipt for the firewood delivery that includes the seller’s name, address, phone number, date of delivery and quantity of firewood. Buyers should also note the license plate number of the delivery vehicle.

“Most wood sellers are honest and fair, especially those who have been in the business a long time,” Connors said. “Unfortunately, there are always a few people who are trying to make a quick buck by taking advantage of consumers who don’t know the law.”

Consumers who think they may have been shortchanged should call the seller before burning the wood. Complaints should be directed to the Department of Agriculture’s Weights & Measures Section at (800) 282-8685.

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Media contact:
Dan Shortridge
Chief of Community Relations
Delaware Department of Agriculture
302-698-4520
daniel.shortridge@delaware.gov

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