8 Ways To Get Free Firewood (Near You)
Hot chocolate and blankets may make cold nights warmer, but there is nothing cozier than sitting around a crackling fireplace.
Fireplaces are one of the best parts of wintertime. However, we all know firewood costs can add up quickly.
You will be going through lots of firewood if you want to keep a fire burning every evening and that definitely comes at a cost.
That is why this post is going to show you how exactly you can go get some firewood for free!
Places To Get Firewood For Free
Do one of these or do all of them. They are all free and you may even be able to build up a small stockpile for winter!
1. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is not only a place to buy, but also a place to get things for free. Oftentimes, people just want to let go of things as soon as possible, so they list them for free.
Firewood is definitely on that list. There are many reasons why someone may want to just give firewood away. They may just be very kind people, or they simply have an overstock of wood.
If they cut down a tree, it may be cheaper for them to give the firewood away rather than try to sell it or pay to dispose of it.
It’s really easy to navigate Facebook and find if they have anything available for free. Simply open the app and click the Facebook Marketplace icon.
From there, type what you are looking for and then hit the filter button and select the radius of how far you are willing to travel to pick up the free firewood. Click search and if there is anything available, it will pop up for you there.
You can also start chats with “sellers” and save the listing in case you want to keep looking elsewhere.
2. Craigslist
Craigslist is very similar to Facebook Marketplace in that it is primarily a buy and sell platform. You can find many great deals on Craigslist, but did you know there is also a place to search for free stuff?
Just open your Craigslist app, search for what you are looking for and then hit that filter button.
Toggle over to free or $0 and select the radius you are willing to travel. Now search again and you will be able to see what is free in your area.
There is often a lot of free wood on Craigslist because it is slightly more popular for these types of things than Facebook Marketplace.
It’s easy to use, you can communicate with the owner of the firewood and work out a day and time that works for you to pass by to pick up.
3. OfferUp
OfferUp is an amazing app with lots of great deals. The best part is that they, too, have a feature for searching for free items.
Simply download the app and create an account. Once your account is created you can add your “interests.”
After that you can search for “fallen trees” or “lumber” or “wood.”
Once you search through, find the filter button and toggle it over to $0 or “free” and then add the radius you are willing to drive.
You should now see everything in your area that has free lumber. You may find homes, churches, contractors or construction sites.
Remember to also be safe when doing these types of transactions. If you can, take someone with you for pick up. And never give your personal info- handle everything through OfferUp’s chat box.
4. Areas with Fallen Trees
If you live in an area with many trees, it may be likely that you have neighbors, family or friends needing to get rid of some lumber.
It certainly does not hurt to ask if anyone is cutting down trees anytime soon. You could also just ask around if anyone has seen a location that has fallen trees.
You can always drive through town and simply ask if it would be ok for you to take the wood.
Homes where a tree came down would truly be a jackpot because there is often so much wood and the owner simply wants to get rid of it as fast as possible.
5. Post Storm Messes
If you live near a place that gets hurricanes or tornadoes, unfortunately you know this brings a lot of disaster.
As long as you have permission from the homeowner who needs the wood gone, taking wood would be a great way to help with disaster relief as well as provide lumber for your own family’s needs.
This is something to consider earlier in the year when the disasters tend to happen. It might be a good time to stock up on that wood for fires in the wintertime.
However, if you need it now, keep looking! Even a bad thunderstorm can cause some thick branches or small trees to be pulled out of the ground and you may be able to collect some wood from that.
Just be sure to ask for permission if you know that tree came from someone’s property.
6. National Forests and Parks
Although National Forests are known for preserving their trees, sometimes a tree just needs to come down (or falls down on its own). If you have heard this is the case near you, definitely reach out.
Call the office and ask if you can come pick up pieces of lumber or be put on a call list for when they are ready to have people pick up for them.
National Forests may also have connections for you on who to call for free wood. It would definitely be a good idea to pass by and ask if there is a possibility for you to take anything before they turn wood into mulch or wood chips.
7. Contractors
Local contractors are great people to contact if you are looking for free firewood. They often have multiple construction sites going at the same time and may have lumber they need to dispose of.
Many contractors would be more than happy to let you take some firewood for free. It actually helps them because they would not need to pay someone else to come throw it away.
Because they work in construction and this wood was originally used for projects, you may not find huge pieces of wood for them. But it’s very likely they have scraps and wood chips you can put to good use.
Just do a quick google search of contractors who work in your city. Give them a call or send an email asking if they have any or if they could let you know when they do have.
Who knows? You might get lucky!
8. Buy Nothing Facebook Groups or App
Buy Nothing is simply that- a group where you buy nothing. Everything is free.
If you have not heard of it, it is typically a Facebook group in your particular area. It usually covers a small area of town near you and everything posted there is free!
You can search through the group and see if anyone is giving away wood or lumber. If you do not see any posts for free wood, you can always try posting an “ask.”
Simply create a post within the group stating that you are looking for wood (remember it’s going to be free!) and ask if anyone has any, knows of anyone with extra wood or to simply keep you in mind for the future.
You would be surprised at how quickly the community comes together to find people what they are in need of. You may just find the lumber you need and a new friend or neighbor!
Buy Nothing groups are great for so many things and you will often get what you need without having to drive very far so definitely check that one out.
What Woods Can I Use for a Fire?
Although we definitely want to see you get free firewood, it is also important to be safe about the type you use and bring into your home.
Not all wood is created equal and not all wood burns the same way. Do not use risky woods inside your home.
Safe Wood to Use
The safest wood to use would be hardwoods such as:
- Oak
- Hickory
- Ash
- Fruit Trees
- Birch
- Dogwood
These woods burn longer and cleaner. If you get your hands on any of these types, they will definitely go a long way in your fireplace.
Once it is lit, you will rarely have to tend to it. These types of fires will go for a long time with minimal effort on your part.
Unsafe Wood To Use
Although we know this time of year any free wood is a blessing, we also want to be smart about what we are bringing into our homes. Softwoods are a bit more dangerous when starting a fire at home. These include:
- Greenwood
- Softwood
- Driftwood
- Wood with Vines
- Pallets or crates
Greenwood is wood that is very fresh. It is lumber that just hit the ground. This type of lumber creates a more smoky atmosphere causing a potential light fog as well as your help to keep it tame.
Softwood is easy to ignite, but goes quickly. This type of wood also creates ashes and causes them to fly around as it’s burning. Not ideal for the inside of a home.
If this is the only kind you can find, you may want to use it for an outdoor fire pit. This is best for roasting marshmallows and just keeping warm outdoors.
Driftwood and construction wood can both be toxic to the air. You need to make sure if you pick up from a contractor that any wood they are using was not previously treated with chemicals.
As long as it is not treated, it should be fine for indoor household use or for fire pits. If it is treated, you may have a reaction to it. If you are unsure about where it originated from, it’s probably best to skip it.
Wood with vines would be small pieces of wood that were used to hold vines and flowers in the past. Although wood with flowers on it is safe to burn, if by any chance it was a poisonous plant, you definitely would not want that burning in your home.
Be sure if you pick up wood with vines that it is from a non-poisonous flower or plant. Again, if you aren’t sure, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Pallets and crates are both sources of wood that you may find a little more freely on the streets. Most restaurants and large stores have pallets sitting out back and won’t mind if you take a few.
However, it’s important to note where those pallets came from and how they were treated. If you can be sure that they were not chemically treated, by all means use them!
However, most pallets and crates are treated with chemicals to prevent mold growth. That chemical is definitely not good for your health if you burn it in your home. Be cautious if you pick up pallets or crates.
We just want to encourage you to be safe with the options you choose to burn in your home.
Summary
Fireplaces at home are definitely one of the coziest parts of winter and we understand why you would want to have one going every night. Not only is it inviting, but if you live in a very cold place, you need that fire every night!
We know that the firewood adds up, but there is no reason to pay for all of it! There are many options to source at least some of your winter’s wood for free.
We truly hope you found at least a few options on how to get firewood near you for free. Knowing where to get free wood is a game changer in the wintertime.
Knowing that you can have a fire going every night on cold nights that costs you nothing at all is a true gift.
