Yes, you can usually keep the wood from a tree removal in Richmond, KY — most crews will leave the logs on site instead of hauling them off, as long as you ask before the job starts. Whether it makes sense for you depends on the species, how much you can store, and whether you actually burn firewood.
Can I Keep the Logs After a Tree Is Removed?
Yes, on almost every job — tell the crew before work starts, and they’ll cut the trunk into rounds and stack them instead of hauling it off.
The catch is timing: this has to be a decision you make on the phone or at the estimate, not something you ask the crew mid-job. Once brush and rounds are already loaded on the truck, going back to unload them costs more time than it saved. If you want firewood, say so when you book the estimate, and tell us roughly how long you want the rounds cut — most people ask for 16–18 inches, which fits a standard wood stove or fire pit.
Does Keeping the Wood Lower the Cost of Tree Removal?
Sometimes, modestly — a typical Richmond crew still bills on the same $150–$400+/hr scale whether or not you keep the wood, because cutting and rigging the tree down safely is most of the job either way.
Skipping the haul-away step removes chipping and dump-run time, which can shave something off a large job, but it won’t cut a small-tree removal in half — the cutting, rigging, and site cleanup are the same regardless of what happens to the trunk afterward. Ask for it as a line item on your written quote so you can see exactly what it changes. For the full breakdown of what drives a removal price in Madison County, see our tree removal cost guide.
How Long Does Firewood Need to Dry Before It’s Ready to Burn?
Plan on six months to a year — fresh-cut, or “green,” wood needs to season and drop below roughly 20–25% moisture before it burns clean instead of smoking and wasting heat.
Split the rounds soon after the crew leaves — split wood dries far faster than whole rounds because more surface is exposed to air. Stack it off bare ground on pallets or rails, away from the house, garage, or a wood fence, and leave gaps in the pile for airflow. Wood cut in late fall or winter in Richmond generally isn’t ready to burn well until the following fall. The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service publishes a short guide on proper seasoning and storage: Firewood (FORFS 17-11).
Which Richmond-Area Trees Make Good Firewood — and Which Don’t?
Oak, hickory, and sugar maple — all common on Madison County lots — split and burn well and are worth keeping; soft, punky, or diseased wood usually isn’t.
Hackberry and ash burn reasonably too, but ash removed for emerald ash borer is often already compromised — check with the crew whether the wood is sound before you plan on stacking a winter’s worth of it. See our page on whether EAB is still a threat in Richmond for what that means for ash on your property. Softer woods like tulip poplar and silver maple burn fast and are fine for a fire pit but poor for an all-night wood-stove fire. Skip anything visibly rotten, mushroom-covered at the base, or from a tree that was removed because it was diseased — that’s better hauled off than stacked by the house.
Do I need to tell you in advance if I want to keep the wood?
Yes — mention it at the estimate or when you book the job. Once a crew has already started chipping and hauling, it’s too late to change course without adding cost.
Will your crew cut the logs to firewood length?
Yes, if you ask — tell us the length you need (most wood stoves and fire pits take 16–18 inches) and we’ll buck the trunk to size before we leave.
Can I keep wood from a dead ash tree?
Usually, if it’s still structurally sound — dead ash from emerald ash borer can burn fine, but check with the crew, since heavily decayed wood isn’t worth stacking.
Want the wood left on site? Tell us when you call or text (859) 310-1209, or mention it on your free quote request and we’ll cut it to the length you want.
Related: Tree Removal in Richmond, KY | Do Tree Companies Charge by the Hour? | Is Emerald Ash Borer Still a Threat?
Last updated: September 26, 2026