Interesting some states don’t follow the national standard set. I’ll check when I get to work which states don’t.

I will say most people who buy it on a regular basis can figure out how much wood looks like what they want and how much they are willing to pay. I found one of our handouts in my truck, I’ll see what my book says on Tuesday but I’m pretty sure all states have adopted the same laws.

Most states have more important things to worry about like devices rather than going around checking firewood sellers.

I do love a good fire!

Firewood is sold around here as a face cord or by the full cord. Face cord is known as 1/3rd cord. Most pickup loads approximate a face cord so that definition is used a lot. I have 18 full cords stacked in my pole building by fall season in three bunks. Most winters I burn one bunk or about 6 full cords. Will cut some trees and scrounge from those that need trees cut starting this spring. Sure do enjoy wood heat and saving on the gas bill!

Chris

I guess it is time for the National Council of Weights and Measures to go back to school.

Firewood in any possible configuration is going to contain natural air space. That amount is going to vary by size/shape etc. That Minnesota "table" takes those into consideration. Any organization that thinks that in order to determine a quantity of firewood you have to go through additional expensive stacking/measuring operations, has no respect for its patrons.

That's the way I've always understood it. A face cord is a third of a cord or 42.7 cubic feet. Stacked it would be four foot tall by eight feet long by sixteen inches deep. I've also heard it referred to as a rick.

For what it's worth, the few times I've had to buy firewood I've never gotten a full cord even though that's what I paid for.

LOL you might want to double check that. Although your department of ag laws override, so they might be different.


https://mn.gov/commerce/industries/retailers/firewood.jsp

Although it is nice that they say this:

Must I buy my wood in cords?

No. You and the seller may enter into any agreement you choose, but be aware that words like truckload, face cord, rick, fireplace cord, or pile, have no legal definition. The Weights and Measures Division cannot help you in a dispute if the wood is not sold by the cubic foot, the cubic meter, or the cord.

Here is a quote right out of your posted link:

Like I said in my original post I believe, each state enforces it differently and has their own laws.
I think it is great they do that, it makes it a lot easier when someone complains about a firewood delivery, the person can just go and measure it and determine if it meets requirements. Maybe I’ll bring it up to our legislators to change our definitions next time we have a meeting on our laws and regulations.



My only concern is that any person or business who wouldn’t go through the small amount of effort to ensure the customer is getting what they paid for is doing a disservice to their customers. Charge a little extra if it makes you feel better. It is the cost of doing business.

Try coal. Heck of a learning curve to it but it puts out some heat. This is a hundred year old coal stove I restored. I love the thing. I built the hearth with brick from an old chimney that was left standing after the farmhouse burned down.

Coal sure is warm. An Amish friend of mine has one, like most do. And that sucker will put out some heat.

Around here practically nobody knows what a cord is. If you advertised 1/3 of a cord for $70 you would get no calls, because firewood in this area is typically sold by the face cord yet everyone calls it a cord. Everyone would think you were talking about about 14 cubic feet of wood.

No need to concern yourself with my business practices. What I save in handling time by using my brain, I save my hard working customers. Legally, and ethically, all I need to do is throw cut and split firewood into a 5 x 10 dump trailer with 3 1/2 ft sides. There you have it, 175 cu.ft. I dump it in whatever accessible designated spot, and I have earned the price of one cord of wood. My customer can take all the time he wants to wheel it wherever, and stack however. In the end he will be satisfied knowing he got exactly what he paid for. Now if he wants to pay to have it stacked; fine, but, in the end he gets the same stack.

Rob is right on the weights and measures blah, blah, blah...

Oklahoma's official rules state that wood must be sold by the cord or a fraction thereof. But nobody cares. If you order a "rick" of wood you just ask the guy how long he's cutting his stove lengths... 16" is about average.

If I ordered a rick of wood and some clipboard-wielding bureaucrat stopped by and told my vendor he couldn't sell me that wood, the guy would probably end up limping away with his butt on sideways.

Mike

See you did go through the small effort to ensure they are getting what unit of measurement they paid for, and you are following the law. You know the demensions of your trailer 175 cubic feet. and delivered the load the way they ask. So you see, you are selling firewood by the cubic foot. I didn’t say you had to stack it, I said it is recommended, and most folks charge extra for that service if the customer wants it.

I’m more focused in the people who drop a load of wood and don’t know what they are delivering and don’t care that they are ripping off someone. Have a great day T-Rex.

Exactly mike, like I said earlier most guys who buy firewood on a regular basis know how much they are getting and are able to tell what a load of firewood is worth to them and buy it how the heck they want. I know we only respond to complaints when it comes to firewood.

We are a very business friendly state and usually give the business the benefit of doubt. We try to use common sense and determine the cost and how it effects both the consumer and seller. Just trying to make transactions fair, and not cause undue burden on the business or consumer.


I’m not sure about Oklahoma, but the inspectors here have the same powers as the state police. So good luck having one limp away, well we might limp but, somebody is going to jail and won’t be in business anymore.

I had NO idea selling firewood was so regulated anywhere. I have seen concern about moving area from one place to another because of the ash borer.
Cripes, there's guys still driving around in Nebraska with their elbow hanging out the window! I'm sure that's illegal places as well.

You didn’t notice because nobody really cares about it. If you want to buy it, buy it. If you want to spend $10 on a little stack of wood for your fire pit, do it if you want.

popple cops

Rob, I would rather there be regs concerning what constitutes "seasoned wood" rather than dicker over volume.

Mike

True Mike, I guess you could go around with a moisture meter and check to make sure it is less than 20% before you buy it.

To be honest the only people in the department who really care about firewood is the forestry and invasive pest folks. They are worried about the ash borers and lantern flies. I believe the don’t recommend moving firewood across state lines and some states it is counties.