Buying logs: the Ready to Burn check
In England, wood sold in small amounts has to be certified dry. Bigger loads don't, but they come with a notice. Here's what to look for when you buy, and how to check the logs yourself.
Checked 14/10/2026. Each numbered link goes to the source at the foot of the page. This is general information, not advice for your home.
Check what the seller should give you
Answer as far as you can. Nothing is sent anywhere. The rules apply to the seller, not to you, and only your council can decide whether a seller has broken them.
Pick an answer above to see what the rules say for your case.
Under 2 cubic metres, with all three shown
Wood sold in amounts under 2 cubic metres must be certified as Ready to Burn, which confirms a moisture content of 20% or less.1 The logo, the supplier's company name and a unique certification number are the three details the seller must show on the packaging, on the shelf or next to the price.1
You can check the supplier and the number on the Woodsure website.1 A label can't tell you how the wood has been kept since. Store it under cover and off the ground, and check it with a moisture meter if you're unsure (see below).
Under 2 cubic metres, with something missing
GOV.UK says wood in amounts under 2 cubic metres can only be sold if it is certified as Ready to Burn, and the seller must show the logo, the supplier's company name and the certification number on the packaging, on the shelf or next to the price. Online, the logo must appear where the fuel is advertised.1
Ask the seller for the missing details. Local authorities enforce these rules. A seller can get a £300 fixed penalty from the council, or a higher fine from the courts, if wood is stored so its moisture is over 20% or isn't labelled correctly.1 If you're concerned, your council decides whether to look into it.
2 cubic metres or more
Loads this size don't need Ready to Burn certification. Instead the seller must give you a notice explaining how to dry, store and check the wood before you burn it.1 Without it, the seller can get a £300 fixed penalty.3
The government's wording for that notice says:2
"This wood is not suitable for burning until it has been dried. You should not burn wood until it has a moisture content of 20% or less."
So treat a large load as wood to dry and test, unless you've checked it's already below 20%.
If you don't know the volume
The dividing line is 2 cubic metres. Below it, the wood must be certified Ready to Burn; at or above it, it needn't be, but you must be given a notice on drying and checking it.1 Ask the seller how many cubic metres you're getting.
In a smoke control area
Sellers must tell customers that wood can only be used in an exempt appliance in a smoke control area.1 Wood is an unauthorised fuel there, so you can only burn it in a Defra exempt appliance, and you can be fined up to £1,000 for buying unauthorised fuel to use in an appliance that isn't approved.8
Not sure if you're in a smoke control area
GOV.UK says to ask your council's environmental services team.8 Our stove guide has what each council in Wiltshire and Somerset says, where we've been able to read it.
What Ready to Burn means
Ready to Burn is a certification. For wood sold in amounts under 2 cubic metres, it confirms a moisture content of 20% or less.1 It covers firewood and wood briquettes, in single retail bags or as loose deliveries under 2 cubic metres.1 On manufactured solid fuels such as briquettes and fire logs, the same logo shows that the fuel meets sulphur and smoke emission limits.4
Suppliers apply, send a sample and show how they control moisture. Each certification lasts 12 months.1 Defra describes the logo as showing that the supplier has shown by independent testing that its firewood has a moisture content of up to and including 20%.5
Kiln-dried, seasoned and the rest
Defra's guide to buying wood explains the words sellers use:5
| Term | What Defra's guide says |
|---|---|
| Kiln dried | Kiln drying can turn unseasoned wood into ready-to-burn wood in a matter of days. It should have a moisture content of 20% or less and, if stored and packaged correctly, be ready to use on the day you buy it. |
| Seasoned | There is no set standard or method. The word can be used for any wood stored for a while to let it dry naturally. Wood air dried under cover for at least 12 months (or 2 summers) can get down to around 20%, depending on species, climate and storage. |
| Part seasoned | Dried for just a few months. Much drier than freshly felled wood, but it still needs more seasoning. |
| Cord wood | Longer, unsplit logs, usually straight from the woodland. Cheaper, but needs cutting, splitting and seasoning under cover before use. |
The same guide says hardwoods such as oak, ash and birch are generally better firewood because they are denser and burn for longer. Softwoods such as spruce light more easily and are good for kindling but burn faster.5
"Seasoned" on its own tells you little, because there's no standard for it.5 For a bag or small load, the Ready to Burn logo and number are the check the law provides.1
How to check your logs
With a moisture meter
The government's customer notice says to test wood when you think it's ready, ideally with a moisture meter: calibrate the meter first, then measure a freshly split surface.2 Defra's guide suggests checking split logs taken at random from the pile.5 You're aiming for 20% or less.4
Without a meter
Defra lists signs that can suggest whether logs are dry:4
- Weight: of two logs of similar size and the same species, the heavier one may still be wet.
- Sound: a hollow sound when you tap them suggests dry logs.
- Cracked ends can mean dry logs. The customer notice also mentions radial cracks.2
- Bark: the looser the bark, the drier the log.
- Colour: dry wood can be lighter.
These are signs, not measurements. A meter reading is the better check.2
Drying your own
Sources agree on the method but differ a little on how long it takes:
| Source | How long |
|---|---|
| GOV.UK customer notice | At least two years in a sunny, well-aired space, keeping rain off in winter2 |
| Defra, Burn better | Air dry in a dry area for at least 2 years4 |
| Defra, seasoning guide | Natural seasoning is likely to take two summers or more5 |
| Institute of Chimney Sweeps | As a guide, at least 24 months7 |
Defra's seasoning guide says how to stack it:5
- on bearers, off the ground, in a sunny, windy spot;
- under a waterproof cover with open sides, ideally with the prevailing wind blowing through;
- split to less than 10cm across where possible, so moisture can escape;
- wood felled in summer holds more sap and takes longer to dry.
What not to burn
Defra says not to burn treated waste wood, such as old furniture, pallets or fence panels, or household rubbish, because they can give off harmful fumes and toxic pollutants.6 That includes painted, stained or chemically treated wood and medium density fibreboard.4
Finding a supplier
We don't list log suppliers yet. Defra points to the Ready to Burn website to find a local supplier,4 and GOV.UK says you can check a supplier's details and certification number on the Woodsure website.1 Both sites blocked our checks, so we can't describe what's on them.
Buying a stove as well? Read our stove buying guide for a West Country home.
Sources
- Selling wood for domestic use in England GOV.UK (Defra) (gov.uk). Page updated 07/07/2022. Checked 14/10/2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Customer notice for wood sold in volumes of 2 cubic metres or more in England GOV.UK (Defra) (gov.uk). Page updated 26/03/2021. Checked 14/10/2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Selling wood in volumes of 2 cubic metres or more in England: customer notice GOV.UK (Defra) (gov.uk). Page updated 26/03/2021. Checked 14/10/2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Burn better, breathe better Defra UK-AIR (uk-air.defra.gov.uk). Checked 14/10/2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- How to get the most from your stove or open fire: a guide to buying, storing and seasoning wood (PDF) Defra UK-AIR (uk-air.defra.gov.uk). Checked 14/10/2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Open fires and wood-burning stoves: a practical guide (PDF, April 2023) Defra UK-AIR (uk-air.defra.gov.uk). Checked 14/10/2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Safety advice Institute of Chimney Sweeps (ICS) (icsweeps.com). Checked 14/10/2026. Facts in our own words, with a link; no open licence.
- Smoke control areas: the rules GOV.UK (gov.uk). Checked 14/10/2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.