Can I Have Firewood Delivered?

Do you love the convenience of having groceries, pet supplies and meals delivered straight to your door? Add firewood to the list of things you can have delivered.

Questions To Ask a Firewood Delivery Service

Before you “add to cart” and confirm when and where you want your firewood delivered, here are some good questions to ask.

Where is the wood from?

Firewood that you purchase locally will cost less for shipping. If you’re ordering wood from a national supplier, it must meet certain requirements. “If wood goes past state lines, it needs to go through a kiln and be certified,” says Sharon Wilczek, president and owner of Paul’s Fireplace Wood, a national firewood supplier.

What kind of wood is it?

The kind of firewood you need depends on the type of fire you want to build. “Consider the wood species of your firewood and the desired burn length of your fire before you buy,” says Leroy Hite, CEO of Cutting Edge Firewood, a national supplier. A few top options:

• Hickory is a dense and heavy hardwood with a long burn time. It’s one of the best firewoods for heating. “It has a deep and pleasing aroma and is an excellent choice for a long fire,” Hite says.
• Birch, which Wilczek calls “the Cadillac of wood. It’s easy to start and gives you a nice snap, crackle, pop.”
• Oak is a slow- and long-burning hardwood, good for cold evenings when you want the heat, Wilczek says. But it’s harder to start.
• Specialty woods like apple, cherry or hickory are good options for burning outside in a fire pit, where you can enjoy the smell. They are also good for cooking, or in a pizza oven.

When was the firewood cut?

Knowing this will determine when you can use it. Wood harvested recently — so-called “green” wood — has a high moisture content and shouldn’t be burned inside until it dries out. That takes at least nine months.

Is the firewood kiln-dried or seasoned?

If you plan to burn the wood outside in a fire pit, this doesn’t matter as much. But if you’re burning the wood in an indoor fireplace or wood stove, make sure it’s sufficiently dried.

Seasoned wood has dried naturally for at least nine months. Kiln-dried firewood is baked between 120 F and 220 F with low humidity, typically for three to six days. Kiln-dried wood costs more but burns more efficiently, so you use less.

Where will they deliver the firewood?

Some companies will leave the wood at the end of your driveway. Others may offer to put it where you want it, like your front door or your firewood rack.

What’s the minimum order for firewood delivery?

How much firewood do you need? It might be less than they require. If you’re ordering from a national supplier, check the minimum order and shipping costs before doing anything else.

Local Firewood Delivery

Your best bet may be asking friends and neighbors which services they recommend. Otherwise, consider these top options for local firewood delivery:

• Local nurseries;

• Local hardware stores;

• Local tree services or logging companies.

Online Firewood Delivery

If there’s no local option, consider the following for where to buy firewood online:

• The Home Depot sells firewood in bundles, cases of logs, by the pallet and as individual logs. If you’re buying firewood in a large amount, you may be able to have it delivered. Check with your local store. A bundle (seven to nine logs) typically costs less than $10.
• L.L. Bean is a great option for kindling. They ship boxes of fatwood directly to your home. A 25-pound box of fatwood is $45.
• Lots of independent firewood retailers ship nationally. These include Wilczek’s Minnesota-based company, Firewood.com ($52 plus shipping for a 30-pound box) and Hite’s Cutting Edge Firewood out of Georgia ($245 for a 2-ft.-by-4-ft. rack). Cutting Edge also offers accessories and tools, and white glove delivery service in some cities.
• Instacart, Shipt and other grocery delivery services sometimes deliver firewood, too. Check your area for firewood measurements, options and availability. Prices vary by store and region.