How Much Does Fireplace Installation Cost? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $940 - $4,207
The average U.S. homeowner spends about $2,499 to install a fireplace or wood stove. Depending on fireplace type, size, and material, most spend between $940 and $4,207.
On average, fireplace installation costs $2,499. Installing a fireplace or wood stove in your home can completely change how the space feels, and we’re not just talking about the temperature.
But before you start cutting out space in your ceiling for a chimney, you should get an idea of how much your new hunk of burning love will cost to install. Here are the piping hot details to know before planning out your fireplace or wood stove installation.
- Average
- $2,499
- Low end
- $150
- high end
- $8,700
Fireplace Installation Cost Breakdown
The two main factors affecting fireplace installation costs are the materials used and local labor rates, if hiring a highly-rated fireplace installer near you. There can be other cost components, however, including ventilation, gas line installation, and wiring. Here’s the full breakdown.
Materials
The firebox is rarely the most expensive material when installing a fireplace. It’s everything that goes around the firebox that can quickly add up. Less expensive materials include simple tile or brick in a plain design. A more intricate design, like herringbone, can add more to the labor portion of your bill.
If you choose a more expensive material for the face, like marble or sourced stone, your materials can quickly reach the higher end of your budget. Finally, you’ll also need to consider materials for the mantle and hearth.
Labor
The more complicated the installation, the more labor you’ll pay. For example, the labor cost for a wood-burning fireplace is around $2,180, while an electric fireplace insert will only run you $225.
The type of fireplace or stove you want to install will affect how high or low the labor costs are due to complexity, wiring, masonry work, any necessary repairs, ventilation, and more.
Ventilation
Whether you’re reconfiguring an existing fireplace or adding a new one, you’ll likely need to have some kind of ventilation work done, whether that’s repairing or rerouting the existing vent system, inspecting an existing chimney, or installing a new vent system. The exception to the rule is when installing an electric fireplace insert or vent-free gas fireplace insert, neither of which requires ventilation.
The average ventilation system for a fireplace costs between $10 and $20 per linear foot. If you have an existing vent system for a gas fireplace, at the very least, you should hire a local gas fireplace contractor to inspect the current system and make sure it’s in good shape before installing a new gas fireplace.
Using an existing chimney to vent your new fireplace? A chimney sweep costs $255 for an annual inspection, but if they discover structural issues to your chimney, you’ll need to budget much more to go toward chimney repair costs, which can reach $5,000 (or $15,000 for a total chimney replacement).
Remember to install carbon monoxide detectors in any room with a wood or gas fireplace as a safety precaution. Here’s how to test your carbon monoxide detector—something you should do once a month.
Gas Line Installation
Gas fireplaces can be more efficient and more convenient than a traditional wood-burning fireplace. But, gas fireplace installation isn’t easy.
It’s possible to install fireplace inserts yourself (and even DIY the fireplace around an insert, if you’re particularly handy), but when it comes to installing the gas line, you should always hire a local gas plumber to handle the work.
The average cost to install a gas insert is $3,600, but if you’re handling most of the work yourself and just hiring a plumber to connect the gas line, you can budget around $200.
Wiring
Electric fireplaces are much more affordable when compared to other fireplace installs, but you’ll still likely want to hire a local electrician to install a dedicated circuit.
Installing a gas unit? Depending on where you’re placing the gas insert, you may also need to have an electrician run the wiring.
Expect to spend between $150 and $200 for the typical wiring project.
How Much Does It Cost to Install a Fireplace by Type?
The average cost of installing a fireplace or wood stove boils down to its type.
| Wood Stove Type | Average Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Electric | $1,000 | Easy to install, operate, and maintain; increases utility bill |
| Wood-burning | $700–$6,500 | Costs can skyrocket if starting from scratch |
| Gas | $2,500–$10,000 | Complex gas line installation can increase costs |
| Wood stove | $325–$4,000 | Highly efficient heating, more placement options |
| Fireplace insert | $1,000–$3,600 | Affordable fireplace alternative; can be wood-burning, gas, or electric |
Electric: The cost of installing an electric fireplace ranges from as little as $200 to as much as $10,000 for high-end units.
Wood-burning: You could pay upward of $30,000 to build a wood-burning fireplace from scratch. A higher price is likely if you need foundation work to hold up the weight of a new fireplace.
Gas: Converting a wood-burning fireplace to gas costs about $3,000.
Wood stove: More efficient and better for the environment. Always have a pro help you move a wood stove safely.
Fireplace inserts: You can install a wood-burning fireplace insert yourself for under $1,500, though you’ll spend more on a professional installation.
What Factors Influence the Cost to Install a Fireplace?
A simple and traditional brick fireplace may cost as little as a few hundred dollars, but for a fireplace that requires a complete room overhaul, you could be looking at tens of thousands of dollars. Here are the factors that have the largest influence on fireplace installation costs:
Size
You can build a fireplace in a variety of sizes. Though there are exceptions, it’s safe to say that the larger your fireplace, the more it will cost to install.
Hearth, Surround, and Mantel Design
If installing a new fireplace rather than converting an existing one, you’ll have the chance to build the hearth, surround, and mantel—and decide on the design. More affordable materials, like brick and tile, can give you a traditional aesthetic, but elegant materials like slate and marble can significantly increase your costs.
Remodeling
For installs in existing construction, you may need to remove walls or reconfigure a room’s layout to best accommodate a fireplace. The price can vary but certainly increases with complexity. You can use our home remodel cost estimator to get a ballpark idea of how much you’ll spend.
Installing a Fireplace Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro
In most cases, fireplace installation should be left to a pro. While forgoing professional installation could save you a few hundred dollars, it’s not worth the problems that could arise with a faulty installation. For your safety, let a professional also handle any electrical wiring, gas hookups, and vent installation.
If you want a traditional stone or brick fireplace, in particular, you will absolutely need a top-tier masonry contractor near you to ensure the fireplace and chimney are built safely and to code.
Installing a wood stove instead of a fireplace? Make sure you work with the right kind of contractor. Get multiple quotes from several local wood stove installers with positive reviews.
There are exceptions, though. Hanging electric fireplaces that don’t require wiring is feasible if you’re handy. You can also opt to DIY a pellet stove installation, which costs $800 to $5,000.
You can also build a DIY outdoor fire pit, but you should hire a local landscape designer if you want an elaborate one to go with an outdoor kitchen.
How Angi Gets Its Cost Data
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We’ve surveyed thousands of real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to costquotes@angi.com. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
Frequently Asked Questions
When built right, fireplaces increase the value of your home. Fireplaces are both functional and aesthetically pleasing; home buyers will usually respond to the charm fireplaces can add. The only scenarios that could lead to a fireplace depreciating a property are the following: if it’s in need of constant or immediate repair, is unusable, or isn’t up to code.
Wood-burning fireplaces typically make homeowners insurance more expensive, simply because they increase the risk for a fire in your home. Gas and electric inserts are less likely to bring up your insurance rates, but you should always speak with your agent to understand how installing any type of fireplace will affect your premiums.
Fireplaces can theoretically help you save on heating bills if you lower the temperature throughout the rest of your home and heat only a single room that you occupy using the fireplace. However, in most cases, homeowners won’t save any money on heating bills. Gas and electric fireplace inserts could actually lead to a spike in your respective energy bills if you use them frequently, and if you don’t keep up with chimney maintenance and repairs, your traditional masonry fireplace could actually be a source of heat loss in the winter.
How long a fireplace lasts depends on the type of fireplace in question. Gas inserts may last 10 to 25 years when properly maintained while electric fireplaces typically top out at 20 years. A traditional brick fireplace can last centuries, though you’ll need to keep up with maintenance and repair over the years, including tuckpointing.
Installing a fireplace outside could be more affordable, but that depends on several factors. If you’re only considering an outdoor fireplace to save on installation costs, you may be surprised once you start receiving quotes. On average, an outdoor fireplace costs around $3,000 to install, but the price can vary significantly depending on how ambitious your outdoor design plans are.