Firewood

Firewood Th« Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) is msponsible lor the regulation of fuel wood sales. According to their standards, an bulk deliveries of firewood for home heating must be measured in cords, or fractions or multiples of a cord. Section 15 2 of VDACS Regulation 115-04-04 specifies that wood for use as fuel in bufc form Shan be advertised, offered for sale and sold only by measure, using the term cord' and fractional parts of a cord, or the cubic meter. Virginia law prohibits the use of terms such as face cord. rack, or pile when advertising, offering for sale, or selling wood for use as fuel. If the buyer visually inspects a truckload of wood and agrees to a selling price for that load, the term truckload may be used. A standard pick-up truck usually holds about twothirds of a cord.The Regulation defines a cord as the amount of wood contained in a space of 128 cubic feet with the pieces ranked in rows touching and parallel to each other, stacked compactly. A standard cord measures 8 feet long by 4 feet high and 4 feet wide. The Regulation also requires presentation of a delivery ticket or sales invoice stating quantity and price upon delivery by the seller to the purchaser. Failure to comply with this Regulation is a Class A misdemeanor.The law also requires that the seller present a delivery ticket or sales invoice upon delivery of any nonpackaged fireplace or stove wood. In addition to the seller's name and address. the ticket must contain the purchaser's name and address, the date of delivery, the quantity delivered, the qu sally upon which the price is based (if it differs from the delivery quantity). and the total price of the amount delivered. To file a complaint, contact our Office of Product and Industry Standards, Weights & Measures, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services toll-free at 1-800-552-9963.