How to buy a cord of firewood without getting shorted

The ad says "a load of seasoned oak, 300 dollars," the truck dumps a heap in the driveway, and the seller asks for cash. The wrong assumption is that a load, a face cord and a cord are roughly the same thing. Only the cord has a legal size, and the only way to know what you paid for is to order by it, get it in writing, and measure the stack before a single piece goes in the stove.

Order by the cord and nothing else

A cord is the wood that fits in 128 cubic feet when it is ranked and well stowed, meaning the pieces lie parallel, touch each other, and are stacked tight. That is a stack 4 feet high, 4 feet deep and 8 feet long. A half cord is 64 cubic feet. The model rule in NIST Handbook 130 says sellers may not use "face cord," "rack," "pile" or "truckload" when advertising or selling firewood, and states such as Maryland and Connecticut list the same banned terms. If an ad uses one, ask for the price per cord in writing before you agree.

Get the invoice before you pay

For loose firewood the seller must hand you a delivery ticket or invoice. Under the model rule it shows the seller's name and address, your name and address, the delivery date, the quantity delivered, the quantity the price is based on if different, and the price. Connecticut also requires the wood's identity, such as the species mix. Write down the seller's phone number and the license plate of the truck, as Maryland advises. Paying by card or check leaves a record that cash does not.

Stack it tight and measure it

Stack the wood in parallel rows with the pieces touching. A crisscross or log cabin stack stands up well but holds less wood, so it does not count. Measure the length, height and depth of the stack in feet, taking each in a few places and averaging, then multiply the three. A full cord comes to about 128. Two rows of 16 inch pieces, each 4 feet high and 8 feet long, make about 85 cubic feet, which is two thirds of a cord, not a cord.

Call the seller before you burn any of it

If the stack comes up short, take photos with a tape measure in the frame and call the seller first. Do not burn any of the wood until it is settled, because once it is burned there is nothing left to measure. Ask for the missing wood to be delivered or for a partial refund, and keep the invoice.

Report a short cord to your weights and measures office

If the seller will not make it right, file a complaint with your state weights and measures office. Find yours in the NIST list of state weights and measures directors, which gives each agency's phone and address. In Maryland that is the Department of Agriculture at 410-841-5700, and in Connecticut the Department of Consumer Protection Weights and Measures Division at 860-713-6160, as of October 2026. Send the invoice, the photos, your measurements and the truck plate.

If you paid by card. You can also dispute the charge with the card issuer; see how to dispute a credit card charge.

If the wood is bundled at a store. Packaged wood is sold by volume on the label, often in cubic feet, not by the cord, so compare the label price per cubic foot instead.

Sources. NIST Handbook 130, 2026 edition, NIST state weights and measures directors, Maryland Department of Agriculture firewood tips, Connecticut firewood and stove wood regulations.