How Much Wood is in a Cord? Don’t Get Scammed!

As Chicago’s highest-rated chimney sweep, the pros at Valley Chimney Sweep & Restoration see our fair share of scams. Most of them involve unqualified workers posing as sweeps coming into your home and not performing any of the work they are charging you for.

But another kind of increasingly common scam we’re seeing is in the sale of firewood. This scam is about the simplest around, and one that’s pretty easy to detect. Scam artists either show up at your door or set up shop on the side of the road to sell you a “cord” of firewood or a portion thereof. They will then proceed to sell you something less than a full cord. The amount could be a off by a little, or could be off by as much as half.

So, just what is a cord and how much wood is in one?

A cord is 128 cubic feet of wood and is typically 4 feet wide, 4 feet high and 8 feet long; or 2 feet wide, 4 feet high and 16 feet long. Usually when you buy a cord of wood from a scam artist they’ll either deliver it to your home while you’re away or they’ll just dump it in your yard in a way that makes it impossible for you to measure without stacking it first.

As a general rule, a standard sized pick-up truck with wood randomly thrown in to the top of the bed will equal about one-third of a cord. If the wood is neatly stacked, the amount of wood will be closer to one-half of a cord.

How to prevent getting burned in a firewood scam

Now that you know how to judge how much wood is in a cord, there are a few steps to take to avoid getting scammed.

• Make sure to be home when the season’s supply of firewood is delivered.
• Ask the supplier to stack the wood in a way that makes it easy to measure.
• Get your tape measure out and measure your firewood, and don’t let the supplier leave your home until you do. Also be sure to get a receipt for your purchase.
• Buy your firewood from the same dealer every year.
• Don’t wait until the last minute. Scammers feed off of desperate customers looking for quick delivery.

As winter approaches, we’re all dreaming of that first fire of the year. But be sure to keep these tips in mind before making a purchase from someone you’ve never dealt with. Also, make sure to have your annual inspection and cleaning before you light your fireplace to keep your home and family safe all season long.