Fireplace installation in Fairfield CA - a fire that heats the room and fits the rules
Drafty old fireplace that barely heats the room? We'll help you pick an insert or new fireplace that suits your house and the fuel you want.
What goes into putting in a new fireplace or insert?
Fireplace installation in Fairfield, CA usually means one of three jobs: building a brick or stone fireplace on site, setting a factory-made unit, or fitting an insert into the fireplace you already have. Done right, you end up with a fireplace that suits the room, the fuel you want and the rules here.
Most people who call me have an old brick fireplace that looks nice and throws almost no heat, or they're remodeling and want a fireplace where there wasn't one. If the chimney itself is cracked or the top is falling apart, we'd usually start with chimney repair, because a new unit on a bad chimney is like new tires on a bent axle.
The price mostly moves with the type you pick, the shape your firebox and chimney are in, the fuel and how it vents, and the finish you want around it. The schedule turns mostly on whether the job needs a permit and when the unit arrives, and your own figure comes with the estimate. We're fully licensed and insured, and if your job needs a permit, we apply through the city's BUILD online system, keep you posted and meet the inspector it schedules.
- We check the firebox, chimney and flue before we recommend any fuel or unit.
- We build brick and stone fireplaces on site, on a footing sized for their weight.
- We set factory-built units and match each insert to the fireplace it goes into.
What happens when you call about a fireplace in Fairfield?
Here's how a fireplace job goes with us, from your first call to the first fire. I'm the one who comes out to look, and I'm on site with our small crew while the work gets done.
Call or send a message
Call (707) 398-2147 or use the form, and tell me about the fireplace you have now, the chimney and the fuel you want. I'll get back to you to set a time to come look.
Walk the house with me
I look at the firebox, the chimney and the spot where the fireplace will go, and explain what I see and what's causing any trouble. You get my estimate and a plain answer on which options your home allows, and you can take your time deciding.
Permit first, then the build
Once you say go, we take care of any permit the job needs and keep you posted. Then our small crew does the work, with me on site.
Walk the finished fireplace
Before we pack up, I walk the finished job with you and show you how everything runs. Like all our work, it's backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Brick and stone fireplaces, hearths and chimney work
These photos show the kind of masonry that goes into fireplace and chimney work, from firebox brick to stone surrounds. They're examples of the trade, so bring your own ideas when I come out to look.
A circular stone fire pit burns in a backyard patio paved with mixed-color blocks, surrounded by wicker seating, planters, and a fountain.
Low stone retaining wall borders a mulched garden bed with shrubs and flowers beside a brick path.
Stone outdoor fireplace with a tall chimney stands in a wooded patio among cushioned metal chairs.
A broad speckled concrete porch sits beside a stone-veneer wall and beneath a brick archway.
A curved concrete block retaining wall with inset lights borders a landscaped patio with a small metal table and chairs.
A broad driveway paved with wet-looking tan and brown rectangular pavers runs beside a house and landscaped beds.
Tell me about your fireplace and get a free estimate at your house
Send the form and I'll get back to you within one business day to set a time to come out and look. The estimate is free, done at your house and comes with no obligation.
(707) 398-2147Questions Fairfield homeowners ask about fireplace installation
These are the questions I hear most when someone in Fairfield wants a new fireplace or an insert. If yours isn't here, ask me when I come out and I'll keep explaining until it makes sense.
Can I put in a wood-burning fireplace in Fairfield?
Not in a new home, because Bay Area rules don't allow any wood-burning device in new homes or buildings, and that covers Fairfield. In an existing house, the remodel limit in the Air District section below decides it, and any wood fireplace you have can't legally be used while a Spare the Air Alert is in effect, which is called when fine particle pollution is forecast to go over the district's limit.
Can a fireplace insert go in my existing fireplace?
Usually yes, because an insert is made to sit inside the firebox of an existing masonry or metal fireplace, and it makes an older fireplace work much like a free-standing wood stove. A factory-built fireplace, also called zero-clearance, needs an insert designed and tested for that exact unit, so the first thing I do is figure out which kind you have. A chimney trade group also recommends a Level Two inspection when you add a new appliance or change fuel or type, so ask whether it's part of any quote you get.
Which type of fireplace costs less to build?
A factory-made unit is the lower-cost choice, which is why it's so common in new homes across the country, while a brick or stone fireplace built on site costs more because it's laid up by hand. Your own number turns on the type, the shape of your chimney, the fuel and venting, and the finish around it, and that's what I go over at your estimate.
Can a gas fireplace vent without a chimney?
Yes, today's gas units can vent straight out through the roof or the wall behind them, or use an existing chimney if you have one. What you want to skip are gas units made with no outside venting at all, which EPA doesn't support because of indoor air quality and which are illegal in some places.
What is the best way to get more heat out of a fireplace?
Close it up with an insert or a closed unit, because most traditional open fireplaces lose over 90 percent of the fire's heat up the chimney and pull a lot of the room's warm air out with it. Think of an open fireplace like running a space heater in an open doorway.
How do I know if a fireplace is EPA certified?
Look for certification under EPA's wood heater standard, because EPA says fireplaces "qualified" under its voluntary program aren't the same as "certified." EPA points buyers to their local air quality agency, which here is the Bay Area Air District, for what can legally go in, and I'll go through that with you before you buy.
Fireplace installation in Fairfield and the cities around it
Fairfield falls under the Bay Area Air District's wood smoke rules, so a chimney or fireplace remodel costing over $15,000 that needs a building permit may only install a gas-fueled, electric or EPA-certified device. We do this work here and in the cities around it, mostly in houses with older brick fireplaces.