How Much Is a Cord of Firewood in Atlanta? What You'll Actually Pay in 2026

A full cord of firewood costs about $300 on average in the U.S., and most buyers pay somewhere between $150 and $500 (HomeAdvisor, 2025). Around metro Atlanta, seasoned hardwood cords are commonly listed from roughly $320 to $400 delivered, with stacking often billed on top.

That's the sticker price. What you actually pay depends on how the wood is measured, how dry it really is, and how much of the work lands on you once the truck leaves. Here's how to read an Atlanta firewood quote, plus our honest take on when a cord is the better buy and when it isn't.

Key Takeaways

• The national average for a full cord is about $300, with a typical range of $150 to $500 (HomeAdvisor, 2025).
• Metro Atlanta sellers commonly list seasoned hardwood at around $320 to $400 per full cord, and stacking usually adds $50 to $100 per cord (Richmond Tree Experts, 2026).
• A true cord is 128 cubic feet. A "face cord" or "rick" is only about a third of that, so always ask for cubic feet.
• Kiln-dried wood costs more per cord. One Chamblee-area seller lists a single kiln-dried face cord at $849 delivered and stacked.
• Retro Firewood racks run $225 to $275 with free delivery and placement included. An oak rack covers 15 to 25 fires, which works out to roughly $9 to $15 per fire.

How much does a cord of firewood cost in Atlanta?

Expect roughly $320 to $400 for a full cord of seasoned hardwood delivered in metro Atlanta, before stacking. Half cords usually land between about $180 and $250. Kiln-dried wood sits well above both.

Here's what published local listings look like right now. We've described the sellers rather than naming them; the prices come straight from their own sites.

Two things jump out. Seasoned wood is cheap by the cord, and kiln-dried wood sold by the cord gets expensive fast. The price gap between them is mostly the cost of running a kiln, and that's also where the difference in how the wood burns comes from.

What is a cord of firewood, exactly?

A full cord is a stack of wood measuring 4 feet high, 4 feet deep, and 8 feet long: 128 cubic feet in total. It's a legal unit of measure, which is why reputable sellers use it.

Everything else is a fraction, and the naming gets slippery:

• Face cord (or rick): one row 4 feet high and 8 feet long, cut to 16 to 18 inch lengths. That's about a third of a full cord.
• Half cord: 64 cubic feet.
• Quarter cord: 32 cubic feet.

The trap is depth. A stack described as "4 by 8" looks identical from the front whether it's 4 feet deep or 16 inches deep, but the shallow one holds about a third as much wood (Mulch Mound, 2026). If a quote doesn't state cubic feet, ask for it before you pay.

Why do firewood prices vary so much?

Five things move the price: species, dryness, delivery distance, stacking, and timing.

Species. Dense hardwoods like oak and hickory cost more than mixed or softer woods because they pack more heat into every split. Oak and hickory put out roughly 24 to 29 million BTU per cord (Utah State University Extension).

Dryness. Green wood is cheapest, seasoned costs more, and kiln-dried costs the most. The catch is that "seasoned" isn't a verified standard. It can mean a year under cover or a few months in a wet pile. Some sellers say openly that later-season loads may be freshly split and harder to light.

Delivery. Many sellers include delivery within a short radius and then charge by distance, often around $2 per mile (HomeAdvisor, 2025). If you're in Johns Creek and the yard is in Acworth, that adds up.

Stacking. Most sellers dump the load and charge extra to stack it, typically $50 to $100 per cord. Carrying wood up stairs or around to the back of the house is often a separate fee on top of that.

Timing. Prices and availability tighten once the first cold snap hits. Ordering in late summer or early fall gets you the best selection. Our guide on when to order firewood breaks down the calendar.

What does a cord really cost once you add it all up?

A cheap cord gets less cheap the closer you look. Take a $320 seasoned cord and follow it home.

Add $50 to $100 if you want it stacked. If you don't pay for stacking, it's your Saturday: moving 128 cubic feet of wood off the driveway and stacking it is a full afternoon of work. Even a single rack's worth of waiting, hauling, and stacking runs 2 to 4 hours by our count. Then there's the wood itself. If part of that load is damp in the middle, you'll burn through extra kindling and patience getting it lit, and some of it won't burn well until next year.

None of that shows up on the quote. It shows up on a cold Friday night when the fire won't catch.

Is it cheaper to buy firewood by the cord or by the rack?

It depends on how you burn, and we'll give you the straight answer even though we sell racks.

Buy a cord if you heat with wood. If you run a wood stove or insert most nights from November through February, you'll go through a lot of wood. You have covered storage for 128 cubic feet and don't mind stacking it. A full cord from a reputable local seller is the cheapest way to buy that volume. Just buy it early so it has time to dry further under cover, and check it with a moisture meter.

Buy a rack if you burn for the fire itself. Most Atlanta homes burn a couple of evenings a week for ambiance, family nights, or entertaining. For that, a cord is too much wood sitting outside for too long in Atlanta humidity, which regularly tops 70% and doesn't let up much in cooler months. A kiln-dried rack arrives ready to burn, gets placed exactly where you want it, and doesn't need a year of babysitting.

Here's the math on our end. An oak firewood rack is $225 with free delivery and placement included, and it covers about 15 to 25 fires. That's roughly $9 to $15 per fire, with no stacking fee, no mileage charge, and no wet wood in the middle of the pile.

We covered the kiln-dried versus seasoned trade-offs in depth in kiln-dried vs. seasoned firewood if you want the full comparison.

How much firewood do you need for an Atlanta winter?

For occasional fires, a quarter to half cord usually covers a season. For wood as a main heat source, plan on a full cord or more (Mulch Mound, 2026).

A quicker way to think about it: Atlanta's fireplace season runs roughly October through February, about 20 weeks. Two fires a week comes to around 40 fires, or about two oak racks. One fire a week is a single rack with a few to spare. For a number built around your fireplace and habits, use our firewood calculator.

How do you avoid getting shorted on a cord of firewood?

Measure it. Multiply height by length by depth in feet once the wood is stacked. A full cord should come to about 128.

A few other checks help:

• Ask for cubic feet in writing. "A truckload" isn't a unit. A full-size pickup without sideboards usually holds only about two-thirds of a cord (Chipper Trees).
• Check the moisture. A $20 moisture meter tells you more than any sales pitch. Split a piece and test the fresh face; you want under 20%. Our guide on how to tell if firewood is properly dried covers the no-meter checks too.
• Look for bugs and mold. Wood that's been sitting on bare ground often brings termites and ants along. Kiln-drying kills insects and mold; air-drying doesn't.
• Confirm what "delivered" means. Dumped at the curb, stacked by the garage, or carried up to the deck are three very different services.

If you'd rather skip the tape measure entirely, order kiln-dried firewood delivery at one flat price, stacked and placed where you want it.

FAQ

How much is a half cord of firewood in Atlanta?

Published metro Atlanta prices for a half cord of seasoned hardwood generally fall between about $180 and $250, depending on species and delivery distance. Stacking is usually an extra $50 or so.

How much is a face cord of firewood?

A face cord is roughly a third of a full cord. Seasoned face cords in Georgia are commonly quoted around $120 to $150, while kiln-dried face cords from specialty sellers can run several hundred dollars delivered and stacked.

Is kiln-dried firewood worth the extra cost?

For most fireplace owners, yes. Kiln-dried wood lights on the first try, burns cleaner, and arrives free of insects and mold. It matters even more in Atlanta, where humidity keeps air-dried wood damp well into the season. If you heat your whole house with a wood stove, seasoned cords can still make sense on price.

Is firewood delivery free in Atlanta?

It varies. Many sellers include delivery within a set radius and charge by the mile beyond it, and most charge separately for stacking. Retro Firewood includes free delivery and placement with every rack.

Is firewood cheaper in spring or summer?

Availability is better outside peak season, and some sellers run off-season deals. The bigger advantage of ordering in late summer or early fall is getting your preferred species and delivery date before the first cold snap fills the calendar.

How many cords of firewood does an Atlanta home need per year?

Homes burning a couple of fires a week for ambiance often need well under a cord. Homes heating mainly with wood may use one to three cords, depending on house size, insulation, and whether they burn in an open fireplace or a more efficient insert.