Maine State Law
Attorney General Rowe said, “We have received several complaints from consumers this firewood season. While we may go to court on some of those complaints, the best consumer protection results from consumers knowing their rights.”
Measuring firewood: Under Maine law, firewood must be sold in one of three allowable units: standard cord, cubic foot, or loose thrown cord.
A standard cord is a unit of measure of wood products 4 feet wide, 4 feet high and 8 feet long, or its equivalent, containing 128 cubic feet when the wood is well stacked. For firewood averaging 12 inches long, a standard cord stacks up to be eight feet high and 16 feet long. For firewood averaging 16 inches long, a standard cord stacks up to be eight feet high and 12 feet, 10 inches long. A useful standard cord calculator is available for free on the Internet athttp://members.shaw.ca/measurementbc/calc_fire.html This site is not maintained by Maine State Government, but it seems to give accurate results.
A cubic foot is simply a unit of volume measuring one foot by one foot by one foot.
A cord of loose, unstacked wood occupies 180 cubic feet if the wood averages 12 or 16 inches in length; 195 cubic feet if the wood averages 24 inches in length.
Delivery tickets: Maine law requires a delivery of firewood to be accompanied by a delivery ticket that states the name of the seller, the name of the purchaser, the delivery date, the quantity delivered, and the quantity upon which the price is based. The delivery ticket must always show whether the firewood is being sold by the standard cord, the cubic foot, or the loose thrown cord
The Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Agriculture share responsibility for enforcing the firewood laws. Consumers who believe they have not received the correct measure of firewood may contact the Department of Agriculture at 287-3841 or the Attorney General’s Office Consumer Mediation Program at 1-800-436-2131. To fill out a complaint form online, go to:
http://www.maine.gov/ag/dynld/documents/FinalWoodComplaint_PDF.pdf