Finding free firewood near you can be a game-changer for reducing your heating costs during the colder months.
But if you’ve ever bought firewood, you know it can be surprisingly expensive. That’s one reason why some people, despite having great-looking fireplaces, don’t use them often.
Whether you have a built-in fireplace in the house or an outdoor fire pit, nothing comes close to the relaxed cozy feeling of sitting by the fire, watching the flames and listening to the crackling sound of wood as it burns!
Thankfully, there are a few ways you can get totally free firewood near you!
Whether you’re looking to stockpile for winter or just need a few logs for a cozy night by the fire, these tips will help you find free firewood quickly and efficiently.
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Where Can I Get Free Firewood Near Me?
Finding free firewood locally is easier than you think. You just need to know where to look.
Here are 7 places to find free firewood near you.
1. National Forests
Trees sometimes fall or are felled at National Forests. This means that they end up with wood that they won’t want.
Check with National Forests in your state to see if they have any wood that they’d give to you for free.
2. Sawmills
Sawmills typically don’t use 100% of the tree. This means they have scraps left over.
Contact local sawmills to ask them if they have any unwanted logs that they would give to you or to call you when they do have any scrap logs to offload.
Sawmills want to produce usable lumber for logs – so they have wood left over. Some sawmills will actually pay a company to remove the leftover wood. This means they could reduce their costs a bit by giving the firewood to you.
3. Neighbors or friends and family who’ve felled trees
There’s always someone cutting down a log on their property somewhere. This means that you could have a friend or a neighbor who’s just ended up with a bunch of logs and branches they don’t want. This can make for great firewood.
Ask your friends, family, and neighbors if they have any unwanted wood. They’ll probably be happy for you to take it off their hands!
4. Facebook Marketplace
Browse Facebook Marketplace for free firewood.
Although known as a platform for buying and selling stuff, Facebook Marketplace is actually a treasure trove of freebies too. Have a search for free firewood on there.
5. Arborists and tree companies
Call local tree companies and arborists to ask if they have any leftover wood that you could take.
Just by the nature of their work, tree companies and arborists often have wood and wood chips left over from all of the trees they chop. This can be a great source of free firewood. Some may even deliver free firewood to you!
6. Craigslist
Craigslist has so many freebies – mulch, wood chips, and free firewood of course!
All you need to do is head to the “For Sale” section on Craigslist. Under that, click on “Free.”
This will show you any free stuff near you. Just type “firewood” into the search bar to find people giving away free firewood near you.
7. ChipDrop
Want free firewood delivery?
Try ChipDrop!
ChipDrop helps tree companies and arborists get rid of their wood chips and logs after every job they complete.
As a gardener or homeowner who needs firewood, woodchips, logs, etc., you can schedule a drop-off where company trucks will bring those materials to your yard.
The good thing is that they can deliver to your house even if you are not home (at work, on vacation, etc.).
More Ways to Find Firewood for Free
Here are a few more ideas and places to consider for sourcing cheap or totally free wood for burning.
- Municipal recycling centers
- Construction sites
- Freecycle
- Storm cleanup areas
- Logging sites
- Woodworking shops
- Local landfills
- Homeowner associations
- Local parks and recreation departments
- Arborist associations
- Roadside cleanup crews
- Local farms and orchards
- Utility companies (after tree trimming)
- Neighborhood cleanup events
- Online community boards (like Nextdoor)
- Local gardening clubs
- Schools or universities (after landscaping projects)
- Campsites (after maintenance)
- Real estate developments (during clearing)
- Local fire departments (from training exercises)
- Habitat for Humanity ReStores
- Scout groups (after campouts)
- Community gardens
- Church groups (after events)
Obviously, you can’t rely on these places to supply you with firewood all the time. But checking with these places occasionally is a great way to score firewood without paying for it.
Be Careful When Using Pallets as Firewood
There you have our list of tips on how to get free firewood near you. You may have noticed that pallets didn’t make it onto the list above.
A lot of people recommend that you ask stores and other places for free wooden pallets that you can use as firewood.
It’s not that pallets don’t work as firewood. It’s just that I would advise against using them.
This is because often you don’t know what the pallet has previously stored or what it’s been treated with. You could wind up burning a pallet that’s chemically treated. This can be toxic to you. That’s not what you want.
An example of this is pallets that are marked with MB. This shows the pallet has been treated with methyl bromide – which is highly toxic for humans. Those should be avoided. Pallets that are marked with HT should also be avoided. HT means that the pallet was heat-treated.
Other than that, pallets often have nails and screws in them, which makes them less than ideal to use as firewood.
Stick with logs and branches for firewood. Pallets are great for DIY projects – they just don’t make for particularly good firewood.
Also, be sure to check out Burn Wise, a program by the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). It’s a great source of information and tips on burning the right wood, what not to use in your fireplace, and other information about fire and fire safety.
Free Firewood: Final Thoughts!
Don’t pay for firewood!
By utilizing local resources, community connections, and online platforms, you can keep your home warm and cozy without spending a fortune.
With so many places to source quality firewood for free, there is no reason to pay for firewood anymore!
