How much does a cord of wood cost in 2026?
The only official, regularly published price of a cord of firewood we could find in the United States comes from the Maine Department of Energy Resources. Its heating fuel survey, printed every week in the heating season, puts cordwood next to oil, propane, gas and electricity. On October 5, 2026 it read:
- $355 per cord, statewide average;
- for seasoned wood, in an order of at least two cords;
- local delivery included;
- from "an informal survey of dealers across the state", in the department's own words.
It is a Maine price, not a national one. In another state, with other species, other hauling distances and other demand, a cord can cost much more or much less; use it as a dated benchmark, and the calculator below to judge your own quote.
A single cord, a face cord or wood you pick up yourself will not be priced the same way either: small orders usually cost more per cord, and pickup saves the delivery. The many "average price of firewood by state" tables online do not say where their numbers come from; we only publish figures we can trace to a dated document.
How has the price of a cord of wood changed?
Every figure below was read in the state's PDF of that date. The price rose 29 % from May 2022 to October 2026.
| Survey date | Price per cord | $ per million Btu (state's figure) | Wood, as the survey describes it |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 2022 | $275 | $12.50 | not stated |
| November 20, 2023 | $350 | $15.91 | partially seasoned |
| April 22, 2025 | $350 | $15.91 | partially seasoned |
| October 27, 2025 | $355 | $16.14 | seasoned |
| January 26, 2026 | $355 | $16.14 | seasoned |
| October 5, 2026 | $355 | $16.14 | seasoned |
Read the series as a benchmark rather than a market quote. The cordwood line moves far less often than the others: it stayed at $355 in every survey we checked from October 27, 2025 to October 5, 2026, while heating oil went from $3.32 to $5.97 a gallon over the same months. Note also the wording: until 2025 the survey priced "partially seasoned" wood, since October 2025 "seasoned" wood.
Is firewood cheaper than oil, propane or a heat pump?
Per Btu bought, wood beats everything in Maine's table except the cheapest natural gas. Per Btu delivered, it depends on the stove. Maine's table compares the heat in each fuel and leaves efficiency to the reader, except for the heat pump, which it already converts. Counting a wood stove at 50 % and a furnace at 80 % changes the order:
| Heat source | State's price | In the fuel (state's table) | Delivered (our calculation) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cordwood | $355per cord | $16.14 | $32.28 |
| Natural gas | $1.468–$2.270per therm | $14.68–$22.70 | $18.35–$28.38 |
| Wood pellets | $357per ton | $21.64 | —no sourced stove efficiency |
| Electricity, air-source heat pump | $0.098–$0.107per kWh | $28.72–$31.36 | $28.72–$31.36already counted by the state |
| Propane | $3.46per gallon | $37.88 | $47.35 |
| Heating oil | $5.97per gallon | $43.05 | $53.81 |
| Kerosene | $6.89per gallon | $51.04 | $63.80 |
| Electricity, baseboard | $0.286–$0.313per kWh | $83.82–$91.74 | $83.82–$91.74 |
The state's $16.14 for cordwood implies 22 million Btu in a cord, between the U.S. EIA's flat 20 and the 23.7 of northern red oak on our Firewood BTU Chart. With a stove passing half of it to the room, firewood still costs 40 % less than heating oil and 32 % less than propane per unit of heat — but no less than a heat pump, which Maine prices at $28.72 to $31.36 per million Btu. Natural gas, where the pipes reach, stays cheaper still. And an old box stove at 30 % turns a $355 cord of northern red oak into $50.00 per million Btu, dearer than propane. The stove matters as much as the price.
How much is a face cord, a half cord or a rick of wood?
At the rate of a $355 full cord, smaller units come to the amounts below. These are equivalents, not prices you will be quoted: sellers usually charge more per cord for small loads, and Maine's survey only covers orders of two cords or more.
| Unit | Share of a cord | Equivalent price |
|---|---|---|
| Full cord (4 × 4 × 8 ft, 128 ft³) | 1 | $355 |
| Half cord (64 ft³) | 1/2 | $178 |
| Face cord (or rick) of 24-inch pieces | 1/2 | $178 |
| Face cord (or rick) of 16-inch pieces | 1/3 | $118 |
| Face cord (or rick) of 12-inch pieces | 1/4 | $89 |
| One stacked cubic foot | 1/128 | $2.77 |
Run it the other way round to judge a quote: $120 for a face cord of 16-inch pieces is $360 a full cord. The Face Cord Calculator does this for any piece length and compares two offers. Several states forbid selling firewood by the face cord or the rick at all; the rules are on our firewood sale law page.
Why do firewood prices vary so much?
- Seasoned or green. Seasoned wood has been split and dried for months; freshly cut northern red oak holds about 83 % of its dry weight in water, which adds weight to haul and costs heat to boil off. Ask for the moisture, or check it with a meter.
- Delivery, stacking and quantity. Maine's figure includes local delivery on a two-cord order. Ask whether stacking is included; a single cord or a face cord usually costs more per cord.
- Species. A cord is a volume, not an amount of heat. At $355, a cord of shagbark hickory delivers heat for $26.25 per million Btu at 50 %, eastern white pine for $54.00. The same price is not the same deal.
- Whether it is really a cord. A loosely thrown pile is not 128 ft³ of stacked wood. The Firewood Cord Calculator checks a delivery against the legal cord.
How do I know if a firewood quote is fair?
- Convert it to a full 128 ft³ cord with the calculator above.
- Compare it with the official benchmark ($355 in Maine on October 5, 2026), keeping in mind your region and what is included.
- Check the species: the price per million Btu is the only one that compares oak and pine.
- Compare with what you heat with now, at your own prices: the "wood stays cheaper up to" column is the most you should pay per cord for wood to save you money.
- When it arrives, measure the stack.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a cord of wood in 2026?
In Maine's official heating fuel survey of October 5, 2026, a cord of seasoned firewood cost $355 on average, delivered, for an order of at least two cords. It was $275 in May 2022. We found no national price published by a federal agency.
How much is a face cord of wood?
A face cord of 16-inch pieces is a third of a full cord, so at $355 a cord it is worth about $118; with 12-inch pieces, a quarter, about $89. Small orders usually cost more per cord than that.
Is it cheaper to heat with wood or oil?
At Maine's prices of October 5, 2026, yes: with a stove at 50 % efficiency, a $355 cord of northern red oak delivers heat for $30.00 per million Btu, against $53.88 for oil in an 80 % furnace. Wood stays cheaper than that oil up to about $638 a cord.
Is firewood cheaper than a heat pump?
Not necessarily. At Maine's prices of October 5, 2026, a heat pump delivers heat for $28.72 to $31.36 per million Btu, the same range as a $355 cord burned at 50 % ($30.00). A more efficient stove or cheaper wood tips it toward wood; an old stove tips it toward the heat pump.
How many Btu does Maine count in a cord of wood?
The state does not print it, but its own figures imply 22 million Btu: $355 divided by $16.14 per million Btu, and the same 22 on every date since 2022. The U.S. EIA uses 20; real cords range from 11.6 to 33.1 million Btu depending on the species.
Does the price of a cord include delivery?
Maine's survey includes local delivery charges, for a minimum order of two cords. Elsewhere, ask: delivery, stacking and small quantities are the usual extras.
Sources
- Maine Department of Energy Resources, Heating Fuel Prices — weekly survey and archive; the cordwood price and its notes are on page 2 of each PDF: October 5, 2026, May 2, 2022, and the other dates in the table.
- U.S. EIA, British thermal units (Btu) — heating oil 138,500 Btu per gallon, propane 91,452, 100,000 per therm, 3,412 per kWh, and the flat 20 million Btu per cord.
- U.S. DOE, Federal Energy Management Program — 80 % AFUE furnace baseline.
- University of Arkansas Extension FSA-1091, Basics of Heating with Firewood — wood stove efficiencies (50 %, 30 %, under 10 %).
- Miles & Smith (2009), USDA Forest Service Research Note NRS-38 — wood density of each species.
- NIST Handbook 130-2023 — the cord of 128 ft³.