Contact: Morgan Ferrell
Communications Director
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .(330) 643-2739 Akron, Ohio –– Summit County Fiscal Officer Kristen M. Scalise CPA, CFE is reminding consumers as cooler weather approaches that they should be alert when purchasing firewood. Fiscal Officer Scalise’s Weights & Measures inspectors enforce Ohio laws that protect consumers when they buy firewood.
Fiscal Officer Scalise offers the following guidelines to make sure consumers are receiving the correct amount of firewood:
- Firewood, in non-packaged forms, is sold by a measure called a cord or fraction of a cord. A cord is defined as 128 cubic feet when the wood is neatly stacked. A standard cord is 8 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 4 feet high.
- Measurement terms such as a rick, rack, face cord, pile, or truckload are strictly prohibited when advertising or selling firewood or stovewood.
- A seller must provide a buyer with an invoice that shows the seller’s name, address, phone number, price per cord, total amount, and type of wood purchased.
- Buyers should record the license plate number of the wood delivery truck. The delivered wood should be stacked in a cord or a fraction of a cord. Measure the stack (width x height x length) and contact the seller immediately if you do not receive the quantity purchased. Document the possible shortage by taking a picture of the stacked wood.
Fiscal Officer Scalise stated, “A license is required to sell or advertise the sale of firewood in Summit County. Since firewood is a taxable product, all firewood dealers must also have a valid Ohio retail vendor’s license.”
For additional information regarding firewood or to report a complaint, please call our Weights & Measures Department at (330) 630-7226 or visit our website at http://fiscaloffice.summitoh.net and select the firewood licensing link on our homepage. Firewood and vendor licenses are available on our website.