The ice storm of January 24 and 25, 2026 knocked out power to more than 230,000 Nashville Electric Service customers at its peak, and some homes stayed dark for over two weeks while temperatures sat below freezing (Nashville Banner, 2026).
For anyone with a wood-burning fireplace, that week came down to one question: was there anything dry to burn?
Retro Firewood delivers kiln-dried firewood in Nashville, stacked and placed exactly where you want it, with free delivery on every order. Here's what Middle Tennessee homeowners should know before they buy.
Key Takeaways
- Retro delivers kiln-dried oak, hickory, and cherry racks in Nashville with free delivery, pre-stacked and placed where you want it, including up stairs.
- Kiln-dried firewood stays under 20% moisture, the range where wood lights first try and burns clean. Freshly cut wood can hold 100% moisture or more (Cornell Cooperative Extension).
- Tennessee bans out-of-state firewood unless it's certified heat-treated and labeled, to stop pests like the emerald ash borer (Don't Move Firewood, 2026).
- A stack of dry wood in the garage is cheap insurance for the next ice storm. The January 2026 storm left some Nashville homes without power for more than two weeks (Nashville Banner, 2026).
Can you get firewood delivered in Nashville?
Yes. Retro Firewood delivers kiln-dried firewood racks across the Nashville area. Order online in about two minutes, pick a delivery window, and tell us where the wood goes: front porch, garage, back patio, or the deck off the kitchen.
We don't drop a pile at the curb and drive off. A professional team handles transport, racking, and placement, and delivery is free. If your wood needs to go up a flight of stairs to a raised deck, a stair machine carries it up. Skipping the wait, the hauling, and the stacking saves most households 2 to 4 hours per order.
Why does kiln-dried firewood matter in Middle Tennessee?
Because Nashville winters are damp, and damp is what ruins a fire. A fire that won't catch is almost always a moisture problem, not a technique problem. Wood burns cleanest under 20% moisture, and all the water above that has to boil off before you feel any heat.
Middle Tennessee makes air-dried "seasoned" wood a gamble. Cold rain, freeze-thaw cycles, and the odd ice storm soak into outdoor piles all winter. A load that looked dry in October can be wet through by January, and nobody wants to find that out on the coldest night of the year.
Kiln-dried firewood removes the guesswork. It's dried in a high-heat kiln to under 20% moisture, so it lights fast and burns hot and clean. The same heat kills insects and mold, so nothing crawls out of the rack once you bring it inside. For the longer version, see kiln-dried vs. seasoned firewood.
Is it legal to bring firewood into Tennessee?
Not unless it's certified. Tennessee prohibits firewood from entering the state unless it has been certified, heat-treated, and properly labeled (Don't Move Firewood, 2026). The rule exists to keep invasive forest pests out, including the emerald ash borer, spongy moth, and Asian longhorned beetle, all of which hide in firewood. Tennessee's emerald ash borer and thousand cankers disease quarantines both started with infested firewood brought in from out of state (Farm Flavor, 2024).
State certification requires the wood's core to reach 140°F for 60 minutes or 160°F for 75 minutes (Tennessee Department of Agriculture). When you buy firewood in Nashville, ask the seller how it was treated and where it came from. A reputable seller will have a straight answer.
The practical takeaway for Nashville homeowners: don't haul a truckload home from the family farm in Kentucky or a roadside stand across the state line. Buy firewood that's certified heat-treated, or cut locally, and burn it where you bought it.
Should you keep firewood on hand for a winter storm?
If you have a working wood-burning fireplace, yes. Keep at least one rack of dry wood under cover through the winter. It's the cheapest backup heat plan you'll ever make.
Be realistic about what it does. An open masonry fireplace warms the room it's in, not the whole house, and it's not as efficient as a wood stove or fireplace insert. During an outage, that's enough: close off the room, gather the family, and keep one space warm while the lines get fixed.
A few rules keep storm fires safe:
- Store the wood somewhere it stays dry and reachable, like the garage or a covered porch, not in an open pile that can ice over.
- Make sure your carbon monoxide alarms have working batteries, since hardwired alarms won't help during an outage.
- Never bring a grill, camp stove, or generator indoors or into an attached garage for heat.
- Have the chimney inspected before the season. We cover what that involves in how often should you clean your chimney.
Where do Nashville homeowners use their firewood?
All over the house, and all over the map. East Nashville and Sylvan Park bungalows often have small original fireboxes that burn best with steady, even wood. Belle Meade and Green Hills homes tend to have larger masonry fireplaces made for long evenings. Newer builds in Brentwood and Franklin frequently add a covered outdoor fireplace or fire pit next to the patio. Out on Old Hickory Lake and Percy Priest, the fire pit is the center of every fall weekend.
That range is why placement matters as much as the wood itself. On a hillside lot with a raised back deck, getting a rack from the driveway to the fire is the hardest part of the job. We handle it.
Which firewood should you order in Nashville?
Choose by how you burn. All three species are kiln-dried to the same under-20% standard, so the pick comes down to the job.
For everyday fireplace nights and storm backup, the oak firewood rack ($225) is the go-to. It gives a long, steady, high-heat burn and covers 15 to 25 fires per rack. Oak puts out roughly 24 to 29 million BTU per cord, among the most of any hardwood (Utah State University Extension).
For the smoker, the grill, or a wood-fired pizza oven, the hickory firewood rack ($250) brings bold heat and the smoky flavor Middle Tennessee barbecue is built on. It's our pick for backyard cooks.
For dinner parties and slow evenings by the fire, the cherry firewood rack ($275) has a sweet aroma and a lively, good-looking flame.
Not sure which fits? The wood-selector quiz on our homepage points you to the right rack in under a minute.
When should you order firewood in Nashville?
Order between August and October, before the first real cold front. When a freeze shows up in the forecast, everyone reaches for firewood in the same week, and delivery calendars fill fast. Ordering early locks in your species and your delivery date. Our when to order firewood guide lays out the Southeast calendar.
Because kiln-dried wood is burn-ready the day it arrives, there's no drying time to plan around. The only thing to plan around is the rush.
Ready to stock up? Order kiln-dried firewood delivery and we'll stack it where you want it.
FAQ
How much does firewood delivery cost in Nashville?
Delivery is free on every Retro order. Racks are $225 for oak, $250 for hickory, and $275 for cherry, with stacking and placement included.
Do you stack the firewood?
Yes. Every order arrives pre-stacked and placed where you want it, or down-stacked into your existing rack based on your delivery notes.
Can you deliver firewood up stairs?
Yes. A stair machine carries the wood up to raised decks, terrace levels, and rooftop patios, which comes in handy on Nashville's hillside lots.
How fast can I get firewood delivered in Nashville?
Most orders are scheduled within a few days, depending on location and order size. You'll get a scheduling request after you order and a confirmation when the wood is on the way.
Is kiln-dried firewood safe to bring indoors?
Yes. Kiln-drying kills insects, larvae, and mold, so the wood is clean enough to keep in a garage or next to the hearth without bringing pests inside.
How much firewood do I need for a Nashville winter?
It depends on how often you burn. A couple of fires a week through the season usually takes about two oak racks. For a number built around your home, try our firewood calculator.