Buying Firewood Online: 10 Things to Check Before Ordering Logs for Home Delivery
Buying firewood online should be straightforward.
Choose some logs, place your order and have them delivered to your home.
But when you start comparing suppliers, things quickly become less simple.
One company sells a Bulk Bag. Another has a Builders Bag. Someone else has a Jumbo Bag.
Then you've got different log lengths, moisture levels, delivery charges, pallets, Barrow Bags, woven bags and Ready to Burn certification to consider.
So how do you know you're actually getting good firewood and good value?
Before ordering logs online, we'd check these 10 things.
1. How Much Firewood Are You Actually Getting?
Don't start with the price.
Start with the quantity.
Two suppliers might both advertise a:
“Bulk Bag of Kiln Dried Logs”
but that doesn't mean both bags contain the same amount of firewood.
Look for an actual stated quantity, preferably a volume such as:
0.7m³
1m³
1.2m³
1.7m³
This gives you something meaningful to compare.
At Armstrong Country Store, for example, we offer several quantities because different households have different requirements.
A customer occasionally lighting a stove doesn't necessarily need the same quantity as somebody burning firewood every evening throughout winter.
Don't assume a “ton bag” contains a tonne
The term ton bag or tonne bag is sometimes casually used for builders-style bags.
That doesn't mean you're necessarily receiving one tonne of firewood.
Kiln dried logs are relatively light compared with materials such as sand or stone.
When buying firewood, concentrate on the stated volume or quantity, not an informal name given to the bag.
2. What's the Moisture Content of the Logs?
This should be near the top of your list.
You're buying firewood because you want heat, so you want properly dried wood rather than logs containing excessive moisture.
Look for a clearly stated moisture content.
At Armstrong Country Store, our kiln dried firewood is below 20% moisture content.
Our kiln dried kindling is dried even further, to below 10% moisture content, helping it catch quickly when you're establishing your fire.
If you're looking at another website and can't find any meaningful information about how dry the firewood is, that's something I'd want answered before placing a large order.
3. Is the Firewood Ready to Burn Certified?
Don't just take someone's word for it that their logs are “dry”.
Look for recognised certification.
Our firewood is Woodsure Ready to Burn certified.
Woodsure is the certification body appointed to administer the Ready to Burn scheme for wood fuels in England. Under the applicable regulations, wood fuel sold in volumes under 2m³ in England must be certified as Ready to Burn.
Woodsure also explains that its quality assurance covers characteristics such as appropriate moisture content and consistent product information.
So when comparing firewood online, look beyond claims such as:
Premium
Best quality
Super dry
Those are marketing words.
A stated moisture specification and recognised certification tell you considerably more.
4. What Size Are the Logs?
This is surprisingly easy to overlook.
You order a large quantity of beautiful kiln dried firewood.
The delivery arrives.
Then you discover the logs are awkwardly long for your stove.
Not ideal.
Before ordering, check the advertised maximum or approximate log length and compare it with the recommended fuel dimensions for your particular appliance.
At Armstrong Country Store, our woven-bag firewood contains approximately 8-inch (20cm) logs.
Our other firewood products contain mixed log lengths with a maximum length of approximately 10 inches (25cm).
Our 8-inch logs are suitable for all wood-burning stoves and are particularly convenient for smaller appliances.
Don't assume every firewood supplier cuts logs to the same length. Current UK suppliers advertise different lengths, including approximately 25cm products.
Check before ordering, not after delivery.
5. How Does the Price Compare for the Quantity You're Getting?
Here's where you can catch a supposedly cheap deal.
Imagine:
Supplier A
0.7m³ – £175 delivered
Supplier B
1m³ – £225 delivered
Supplier A initially looks £50 cheaper.
But calculate the approximate cost per cubic metre:
Supplier A: £175 ÷ 0.7 = £250/m³
Supplier B: £225 ÷ 1 = £225/m³
The more expensive order is actually cheaper for the volume you're receiving.
That doesn't mean price per cubic metre should be your only consideration.
You still need to compare:
Moisture content
Certification
Log dimensions
Packaging
Delivery
But it's much more useful than simply comparing the headline price of two bags.
6. Is Delivery Actually Included?
This can completely change the comparison.
A cheap-looking firewood order isn't so cheap if another substantial delivery charge appears at checkout.
Look at the final delivered price to your postcode.
At Armstrong Country Store, we offer free UK home delivery to eligible locations, with some areas excluded or subject to additional charges.
That's why you'll see an asterisk beside our free-delivery claims.
We'd rather you check the delivery conditions before ordering than discover afterwards that your location isn't covered by the standard service.
When comparing suppliers, therefore, compare:
Delivered price against delivered price.
Not:
Product price against product price.
7. How Will the Firewood Actually Be Delivered?
This is one of the most important sections of this guide.
Large firewood deliveries aren't the same as receiving a small parcel from a courier.
Depending on the product and supplier, larger orders may arrive palletised on a vehicle with a tail lift and be moved using a pallet truck.
Current UK firewood delivery services specifically warn customers that pallet trucks may not be suitable for surfaces including gravel, grass, steep slopes, steps and other uneven ground.
So before ordering, look outside your house.
Seriously.
Ask yourself:
Is my driveway level?
Is it gravel?
Are there steps?
Is there a kerb?
Is the road narrow?
Is there room for a large delivery vehicle?
Is there a steep gradient?
Where could the delivery safely be unloaded?
Where is my log store?
Don't assume a delivery driver will be able to take a pallet around the back of your house and place it beside your log store.
Delivery conditions vary, so read the supplier's terms before ordering.
For Armstrong deliveries, please check our Delivery Terms & Conditions before placing your order.
8. Which Type of Bag Is Best for Your Property?
This is where buying firewood online gets more interesting.
The biggest bag isn't necessarily the most convenient bag.
At Armstrong Country Store, we offer different packaging because houses and access conditions aren't all the same.
Builders and Bulk Bags
These can be an excellent option when you want a substantial quantity of firewood and have somewhere suitable to receive and store it.
Our options include approximately:
0.7m³ Builders Bag
1m³ Bulk Bag
1.7m³ Super Large Bulk Bag
If your delivery point is reasonably close to your log store, this can be a straightforward way to stock up.
Barrow Bags
Now imagine your logs are delivered at the front of the house.
Your log store is behind the house.
Between them is a narrow side passage.
That's where Barrow Bags become much more interesting.
We offer:
4 Barrow Bags – approximately 1.2m³ total
6 Barrow Bags – approximately 1.75m³ total
Rather than having all your firewood in one enormous bag, it's divided between several bags that can be moved individually by hand or with a suitable trolley.
Woven Bags
For even smaller individual packs, we also produce woven bags containing approximately 8-inch logs.
They're available in quantities including:
24 bags
48 bags
72 bags
96 bags
These can be particularly convenient if you prefer moving and storing your firewood a bag at a time.
There's no universally correct choice.
Choose the packaging that works with your house.
9. Where Are You Going to Store the Logs?
Don't order 1.7m³ of firewood and start thinking about this when the delivery lorry appears.
Work it out beforehand.
Kiln dried firewood should be stored somewhere:
Dry
Covered
Well ventilated
and preferably away from persistently damp ground.
A suitable outdoor log store is perfectly capable of storing kiln dried firewood.
What you don't want to do is buy properly dried logs and then leave the entire order sitting exposed to persistent rain.
And don't automatically assume tightly wrapping everything in plastic is the answer either.
Firewood storage needs protection from weather combined with ventilation.
So before buying a larger quantity because it offers better value, make sure you actually have room to store it properly.
10. Who Actually Produces the Firewood?
This isn't something everybody thinks to ask.
There's nothing inherently wrong with a retailer buying firewood from a producer.
But if you're comparing suppliers, it's useful to know where the product actually comes from.
At Armstrong Country Store, our firewood isn't simply bought in as finished logs and resold.
It's produced by the Armstrong family.
We locally source timber from FSC® 100% certified, well-managed forests before processing it into firewood.
The process is:
Timber sourced → Sawn → Split → Kiln dried → Triple screened → Packed → Delivered
We dry our firewood in purpose-built kilns.
Once dried, the logs are triple screened to remove excess bark and dust before being packed.
That means we have control over the product before it reaches your home.
Woodsure describes quality assurance as covering the process from timber sourcing through to delivery, with the aim of giving customers fuel suited to their appliance.
Our Firewood Buying Checklist
Before you click Buy, run through this:
- How much firewood am I getting?
- What is the stated volume?
- What is the moisture content?
- Is it Woodsure Ready to Burn certified?
- What length are the logs?
- What's the final delivered price?
- Are there delivery exclusions or surcharges?
- Can the delivery vehicle access my property?
- Can a pallet truck operate at my delivery point?
- How will I move the logs to my store?
- Do I have enough dry, ventilated storage?
- Who actually produces the firewood?
If a supplier's website doesn't give you enough information to answer the important questions, ask before ordering.
Frequently Asked Questions About Buying Firewood Online
Is it safe to buy firewood online?
Buying firewood online is commonplace, but check what you're actually purchasing. Look for clear information about quantity, moisture content, certification, log size, delivery and the supplier itself.
What moisture content should kiln dried logs have?
For Ready to Burn certification, the relevant threshold is 20% moisture content or less. Armstrong Country Store firewood is Woodsure Ready to Burn certified and below 20% moisture.
What does Woodsure Ready to Burn mean?
Ready to Burn is the certification scheme for relevant wood-fuel sales in England, administered by Woodsure. It provides customers with an identifiable standard when purchasing wood fuel.
Are all Bulk Bags of logs the same size?
No. Don't rely on the words Bulk Bag, Builders Bag or Jumbo Bag alone. Check the supplier's stated dimensions or volume.
How do I compare firewood prices online?
Where quantities are measured comparably, look at the final delivered price relative to the stated volume. Then consider moisture content, certification, log size, packaging and delivery.
Can firewood be delivered to a gravel driveway?
This depends on the delivery method and supplier. If the order is moved using a pallet truck, gravel can be a serious problem. Current UK firewood delivery services specifically warn that manual pallet trucks cannot operate over gravel and certain other uneven surfaces.
Check the delivery terms before ordering.
Will the driver put my logs in my garage?
Don't assume so.
Large palletised firewood deliveries have access restrictions, and the driver may only be able to leave the order at an accessible delivery point.
Check your supplier's specific delivery conditions before placing your order.
Do I need to be home when my firewood is delivered?
This depends on the delivery service and the arrangements you've made with the supplier. Don't assume an unattended delivery is permitted. Check the delivery terms when ordering.
What size logs should I order?
Check your stove manufacturer's recommended log dimensions.
Our woven-bag firewood contains approximately 8-inch logs, while our other products contain mixed lengths up to approximately 10 inches.
Is it cheaper to buy a larger quantity of logs?
It can be, but calculate the value based on the actual quantity you're receiving.
There's no saving in buying a huge quantity if you can't store it properly or don't use enough firewood to justify it.
Can kiln dried logs be stored outside?
Yes, provided they're kept in a suitable dry, covered and well-ventilated store.
Should I buy Bulk Bags or smaller bags?
Choose according to your property.
If you've got straightforward access and storage close to the delivery point, a Bulk Bag may be convenient.
If you've got a narrow side path or need to move your firewood some distance, Barrow Bags or woven bags may be considerably easier to handle.
Buying Firewood Online Doesn't Need to Be Complicated
Ignore the fancy product names for a moment.
Before buying, establish four basic things:
What am I getting?
Is it properly dry?
How is it getting to me?
Where am I putting it when it arrives?
Once you've answered those, choosing firewood becomes considerably easier.
At Armstrong Country Store, we produce our own Woodsure Ready to Burn kiln dried firewood, with options ranging from convenient woven bags through Barrow Bags to larger Bulk Bags.
The Armstrong family handles the production process from processing the locally sourced timber through to kiln drying, triple screening and packing the finished firewood.
Because buying firewood online shouldn't require guesswork.
Know the quantity. Know the quality. Check the delivery. Then order the option that actually suits your home.