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Free Wood Chips and Logs in Northern Virginia

Maintained by the Grant Brothers Tree Service arborist team. Last updated October 19, 2026.

Grant Brothers gives away free wood chips in Northern Virginia: full truckloads, when available. Fill out the form below. We call or text when a crew with a full chip truck is working near you.

100% free · Full truckload only · Free logs too · When available

From Grant Brothers Tree Service: 260+ five-star reviews, led by Virginia’s first ATCP-Certified Professional Arborist (#5 in the U.S.). How it works

How It Works

How do free wood chip drops work?

1. Fill out the form

Tell us your address and pick what you want: wood chips, wood chips with small logs (under 12 inches across), or logs.

2. Send a photo of the spot

The form lets you add pictures, so the crew knows exactly where the pile goes.

3. Wait for a nearby job

We drop chips when our work schedule and location allow. We can’t promise a date.

4. We call or text first

Then the truck dumps the full load in your spot. We dump the pile only; spreading it is up to you. Once it’s on your property, the pile is yours.

Our wood chips are completely free, subject to availability, by the full truckload. There’s no delivery fee and no account to set up.

Grant Brothers chip truck and wood chipper parked on a Northern Virginia street

What do I need for a drop site?

  • Truck access. A big chip truck has to back up to the spot. A driveway edge or a flat, firm part of the yard works best.
  • Room to dump. Chips spill out on all sides, so leave room around the pile and room for the truck to move.
  • Nothing overhead. The dump bed lifts high. Keep the spot clear of low branches and wires.
  • Firm ground. Loaded trucks are heavy. Tell us about a thin driveway, a septic field or soft, wet ground near the spot.
  • The OK to drop. You need to own the property or be allowed to make this choice for it.

How big is a full truckload?

Big. A full load makes a pile about as big as a parked car. Want to plan your beds? Use our Mulch and Stone Calculator.

What’s in arborist wood chips?

Our chips are fresh-cut wood chips straight from our crews’ tree work. They’re raw and unsorted, not store-bought mulch.

  • Mixed trees. Many kinds of trees end up in one load. We can’t sort by species.
  • Green bits. Many loads have leaves, pine needles and twigs mixed in. That green material adds nutrients as it breaks down.
  • Not dyed. No color, no added chemicals.
  • Warm in the middle. A fresh pile can get warm inside, sometimes up to about 140°F. That’s normal. It means the chips are starting to break down.

Wood chips vs mulch: what’s the difference?

Wood chips are a type of mulch. Bagged store mulch is usually shredded bark or ground wood, often aged and sometimes dyed. Arborist chips are coarser and fresher, with wood, bark and leaves together. Washington State University Extension calls fresh arborist chips a good landscape mulch and says to use them fresh unless disease is a concern.

Wood chipper blowing fresh chips into a Grant Brothers chip truck

How should I use free wood chips?

  • Garden beds and shrubs: spread coarse wood chips 3 to 4 inches deep. On wet soil, use no more than 2 inches.
  • Around trees: make a wide, flat ring at least 3 feet out from the trunk. Keep chips 2 to 3 inches away from the trunk itself.
  • Paths: a 6 to 8 inch layer makes a soft path that drains well after rain.
  • Vegetable gardens: put chips on the paths and between raised beds. Keep them on top of the soil, and don’t dig them in.
  • Compost: mix chips with leaves, grass clippings or food scraps so they break down faster.
  • Near your house: keep chips 6 to 12 inches back from the walls.

More ideas: what to do with wood chips and logs after a tree removal.

What’s the biggest mulch mistake?

The mulch volcano. It’s the #1 mistake our arborists see. A volcano is a tall cone of mulch piled up against the trunk. It keeps the bark wet and dark, which invites fungus and pests.

Do this instead: make a flat donut. Spread the chips wide and even, then taper them down to almost nothing near the trunk, so the base of the tree can breathe.

Can I get free logs or firewood?

Yes, free logs when we have them, on the same request form. Logs come in 3 to 4 foot sections. They can be huge and heavy, and they aren’t split, so tell us in the form if you want certain sizes.

Want the logs cut to firewood length? Just ask. It can change the price, because cutting logs small takes a lot of extra time.

Firewood needs time. Fresh logs are full of water. Split them, stack them loosely off the ground, and keep the top covered. Most dense hardwoods need at least a year to dry before they burn well. Our Wood and Log Calculator estimates how much firewood and weight is in your logs.

Our Service Area

Where do you drop free wood chips?

We drop free chips and logs anywhere in our service area: all of Fairfax County, Loudoun County (including Ashburn, Sterling and Leesburg), Prince William County, Arlington, Alexandria and Washington, DC. The closer you are to our jobs, the sooner a load is likely to come.

Other ways to get free mulch in Northern Virginia

Need a small amount, or need it on a set date? Local governments have mulch programs too. Here’s how they compare (checked October 19, 2026; call before you go).

WhereWhat you getDelivered?
Grant Brothers
Free fresh wood chips and logs, a full truckload, when available
Delivery: yes, free, to your property
Fairfax County
Free double-shredded wood mulch at the I-66 (Fairfax) and I-95 (Lorton) recycling centers. Call to check supply.
Delivery: no, pick it up
Loudoun County
Free compost and mulch at the county landfill in Leesburg, while supplies last. You load it yourself with your own shovel or pitchfork.
Delivery: no, pick it up
Arlington County
Free leaf or wood mulch at 2 county sites, while supplies last
Delivery: residents only, $78 for 2.5 cu yd up to $264 for 12.5 cu yd
City of Alexandria
Free mulch on Eisenhower Ave in spring and early summer. Bring shovels and buckets.
Delivery: residents only, $65 half load, $130 full load (about 6 cu yd)
Common Questions

Free wood chips: common questions

Are your wood chips really free?

Yes. Our wood chips are completely free, subject to availability, by the full truckload. There’s no delivery fee.

How long will I wait for a load?

We can’t promise a date. We drop chips when a crew with a full truck is working near you. The closer you are to our jobs, the sooner it usually comes.

Can I get just a few bags or a small load?

No. We only drop full truckloads. For a small amount, try a county pickup site from the table above.

Will you spread the chips?

No. We dump the pile where you show us, and spreading it is up to you. A wheelbarrow, a pitchfork and a rake make it easy.

Can I choose the type of wood?

No. Our chips are natural and unsorted, from many kinds of trees. You can choose wood chips, wood chips with small logs, or logs.

Are fresh wood chips safe for my garden?

Yes, on top of the soil. Washington State University Extension found that wood chip mulch doesn’t rob plants of nitrogen when it sits on top. Don’t dig fresh chips into the soil. In vegetable beds, use them on the paths and between beds.

Do wood chips attract termites?

No. Washington State University Extension says wood chips don’t attract termites. Any mulch can still act as a bridge into a house, so keep chips 6 to 12 inches back from your walls.

What about chips from a sick tree or a black walnut?

Used as mulch on top of the soil, they’re fine. Washington State University Extension says most studies show diseased wood chip mulch doesn’t infect the roots of healthy trees, and black walnut chips haven’t been shown to harm plants when used as mulch. Just never mix chips into the soil.

Is this the same as ChipDrop?

Not quite. Grant Brothers also drops chips through ChipDrop, and it’s a great service. Requesting here is a direct way to support a local business. And if you haven’t heard back from ChipDrop, you can talk to a live person here: call (703) 659-8733.

Need tree work? Get your free estimate.

Tree removal includes hauling all the wood away, unless your proposal says otherwise. Want to keep the chips or logs from your own job? Tell us before the work starts.

Our arborists can help you pick the right tree for the right spot. We plant trees, too. See our fast-growing trees guide.

Grant Brothers Tree Service is led by Virginia’s first ATCP-Certified Professional Arborist (#5 in the U.S.), with ISA Certified Arborists on staff, plus TRAQ and CTSP arborists. BBB Accredited, A+. 260+ five-star reviews.

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