Fireplace installation in Athens GA - a fireplace built for how you'll use it
Cold room in front of an open fire, or a fireplace nobody lights? We'll put in an insert or gas unit that suits your house.
What does it take to put in a new fireplace or insert in Athens?
Fireplace installation in Athens, GA puts a new fireplace or hearth unit into your home, so you end up with a fire that fits how you live, whether that's real warmth in a cold room or a hearth that looks good. One kind is an insert, which fits inside the firebox of the fireplace you already have and works much like a free-standing wood stove.
You might have a drafty old open fireplace you've given up on, or a metal factory-built box that's never been lit, and you want to know what can go there instead. The price moves with the kind of unit you pick, whether it can vent through the chimney you have or needs a new vent run, and how much brick or stone goes into the hearth and surround. The schedule mostly turns on getting the unit in and the county's permit review, and the estimate I write lays out what we'll do and why. Georgia requires a state license for contracting work that costs $2,500 or more, and we're fully licensed and insured.
What happens when you call us about a fireplace in Athens?
Call or send the form
Ring us at (706) 395-0746 or fill out the form, and tell us a little about the fireplace you have now. We'll set a time for me to come out to your house.
I look at it with you
I come out myself, look over the fireplace with you, listen to what you've noticed and answer your questions, the same one twice if you like. Then I write up an estimate that says what we'll do and why, so you can compare it with anyone else's.
We handle the permits
Once you say yes, we take care of the permit applications and inspections with the county office for your address. The county says a building permit can take up to 2 days or more to process, so we plan your start date around that.
We build it and walk it
Our crew sets the unit, runs the vent and finishes the hearth and surround, and I work right alongside them. When it's done, we walk the finished fireplace with you and show you how it runs.
Our fireplace installation work, and the masonry around it
First I want to know whether you're after heat or mostly the look, because those point to very different units, and whether your fireplace now is masonry or factory built, since that narrows the choices quickly. When gas is the answer, it can run on natural gas or propane, puts out very little pollution and needs little upkeep, and it can vent up an existing chimney or straight out through the roof or the wall behind it, so it fits almost anywhere in the house. Once we've settled on the unit, our crew sets it in the firebox or builds the space for it, runs the vent, then finishes the hearth and surround, and I'm on the job with them. If we open things up and find the old firebox has problems of its own, I'll show you, because I'd rather fix what's really wrong than set a new unit in front of it, and the work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
The surround is where a lot of the look comes from, and stone veneer installation gives the wall around the unit a stone face that ties it into the room. When there's no opening to work with, or the unit needs a base or enclosure built for it, we lay that up as concrete block walls and finish over them with brick or stone.
Get a fireplace estimate for your Athens home
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come see your fireplace. The estimate is free, done at your home, and you're under no obligation to go ahead.
Fireplace questions from Athens homeowners
What is the best fireplace for heating a home in Athens?
An insert heats far better than an open wood fire, and gas, pellet or EPA-certified wood inserts are the ones to ask about if you want real heat with less smoke. An open fireplace's draft pulls warm air up the chimney and leaves the other rooms cooler, and if the furnace is running at the same time it has to work harder to keep the house even. An open fire also makes about 20 times the air pollution of an EPA-certified wood heater.
How do I know if an insert will fit my factory-built fireplace?
A factory-built fireplace can only take an insert that's designed and tested for that particular unit, so not just any insert will do. In a masonry fireplace there's more room to choose, but the flue liner, the pipe that carries smoke up inside the chimney, has to be installed correctly.
How much does it cost to install a gas fireplace insert?
Across the US, putting in a gas fireplace insert with a vented unit and surround usually costs about $3,500 to $7,000 per job. That's a national figure, not our price, and where your job lands depends on the unit, how it vents and how much brick or stone goes around it.
Which office handles fireplace permits in Athens, GA?
The Athens-Clarke County Building Permits and Inspections Department handles them, and it has permit applications for fireplaces and stoves and for gas work. Each trade on the job, like the gas hookup, files its own permit under its Georgia license and has it on file before its rough-in inspection, the check done before things are closed up. We take care of the applications and inspections, and you can reach the county building department at 706-613-3520 with general questions.
Are vent-free gas fireplaces safe to use indoors?
They raise real concerns about indoor air quality, the EPA doesn't support them, and some places make installing them illegal. A vented unit takes that question off the table, so that's what I'd steer you toward.
What is the best way to get a fire's look without burning wood?
Gas or electric decorative logs set in the fireplace you already have are the simplest way. They aren't built to put out much heat, though, so if warmth matters to you, an insert is the better choice.
Work that often goes with a new fireplace
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer gives the wall around a new insert a real stone face without the weight of full stone, so the fireplace looks finished and fits the room.
Concrete block walls
If the new fireplace needs a sturdy base or an enclosure built from scratch, a block wall gives it a solid core we can face with brick or stone.
Tell us about your fireplace today
Call (706) 395-0746 or send the form, and if you can, have a floor plan of the room handy, since it helps match the unit to the space you want to heat.