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Fireplace Installation in Seattle, Tacoma & Everett
A new wood-burning fireplace or insert, installed to its listing and vented right: masonry or factory-built, liner, clearances, permit. Free quote.
- Free 2nd-opinion quotes
- Price match + 10–25% discount
- Same-day service often available
Request a Free Fireplace Installation Quote
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Fireplace installation means putting a new wood-burning fireplace or insert into a home that either has none, has one that is beyond repair, or has an open masonry fireplace that the owner wants to turn into an efficient heater. That covers three different jobs: a factory-built (zero-clearance) fireplace framed into a wall with its own listed chimney, a new masonry fireplace built with a chimney to match, and a wood-burning insert set into an existing masonry firebox with a stainless liner run up the old flue.
The part that decides whether the fireplace is safe is not the unit, it is the venting and clearances around it. A factory-built fireplace has to use the chimney system it is listed with, a masonry fireplace needs a properly sized flue and clearance to framing, and an insert needs a liner the full height of the chimney, not just a short stub into the smoke chamber. We handle the whole system, not just the box. If you are thinking about gas instead, see gas fireplace installation; this page is about wood.
We install fireplaces in Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and the road-accessible Puget Sound from our Renton office. The quote is free, and so is a second-opinion quote on a bid you already have. Call 206-453-2045.
Symptoms
Signs you need fireplace installation
- You have a new build, addition or remodel with a fireplace on the plan but nothing installed
- An old masonry fireplace was condemned on inspection and rebuilding the firebox is not worth it
- Your open fireplace pulls more heat out of the room than it puts in
- A previous owner removed the fireplace and left a capped chimney or an empty chase
- A wood stove or insert was installed without a full-height liner and smokes or will not draw
- A factory-built fireplace is rusted or cracked and parts for it are no longer made
- You want a wood-burning fireplace in a room that has never had one
Common causes
- Older open masonry fireplaces were built for looks, not heat, and send most of the warm air up the flue
- Factory-built fireplaces from the 1970s and 1980s reach the end of their service life and replacement parts disappear
- Inserts and stoves slid into a fireplace without a liner leave the old flue oversized, so smoke cools and creosote builds
- Remodels that removed a chimney or moved a wall leave the fireplace with no legal venting path
- Firebox and smoke chamber damage from decades of water can cost more to rebuild than a new unit
How It Works
Our fireplace installation process
Before we quote an installation we look at where the fireplace will sit and where the chimney can run. For an insert that means a camera look at the existing flue and smoke chamber, measuring the firebox and damper opening, and checking the chimney's crown, cap and flashing so a new liner is not installed under a leaking top. For a factory-built or masonry fireplace it means the wall, floor and roof framing, the route for the chimney, the hearth extension size, and how close the unit will be to combustible framing and trim. We also note whether the job may need a permit, and we tell you up front.
Free site visit and quote
We measure the space, inspect the existing chimney if there is one, talk through masonry, factory-built and insert options, and give you a written quote with the venting included.
Select the unit and venting
We match the fireplace or insert to the room size and the chimney, and specify the listed chimney system or the stainless liner, insulation and connector it needs.
Permit check
Some fireplace and chimney installations may need a permit in your city or county; we tell you if yours does and handle the paperwork with you.
Prepare the opening
For an insert we clean the firebox and flue and remove or lock the damper; for a new fireplace we frame the opening and hearth to the clearances in the manufacturer's listing.
Install and vent
The unit is set, the liner or listed chimney is run full height and terminated with a cap, the connector is sealed, and the surround and hearth are finished.
Test fire and walkthrough
We run a first fire, check draft and door seal, and show you how to operate the damper, air controls and doors so the new fireplace performs as designed.
Options
Repair and service options
There are three ways to add a wood-burning fireplace, and the right one depends on the house as much as the budget:
- Wood-burning insert into an existing masonry fireplace: a sealed steel firebox with glass doors set into your current opening, vented with a stainless liner the full height of the chimney. The least construction and the biggest jump in heat output for homes that already have a masonry fireplace.
- Factory-built (zero-clearance) fireplace: a listed metal fireplace framed into a wall with its matching listed chimney, then finished with a chase or interior surround. The usual choice for additions, new construction and rooms with no chimney.
- New masonry fireplace and chimney: a brick or block firebox, smoke chamber and lined flue built from the footing up. The most permanent option; the chimney side is covered under chimney construction.
- Surround, mantel and hearth finish: stone, tile or brick facing over any of the above; see fireplace remodel if you are changing the whole look at the same time.
Every option comes with a free quote, and we price match any written quote and take 10–25% off.
Pricing
What affects the price
- Insert into an existing fireplace versus a new factory-built or masonry fireplace
- Height of the chimney and the length of stainless liner or listed chimney pipe required
- Condition of the existing flue, smoke chamber, crown and cap before the liner goes in
- Framing, hearth extension and chase work for a new unit
- Surround, mantel and hearth finish materials
- Whether a permit and inspection apply in your city or county
- Roof access and the type of roof the chimney passes through
Every chimney is different, so you get a written quote after we look at the system. Ask about our price match and free second-opinion quote.
Safety & Seattle Conditions
Safety considerations
A wood-burning fireplace is only as safe as its clearances and venting. Factory-built fireplaces and inserts are listed to the UL 127 and UL 103 standards with a specific chimney or liner, and using a different pipe, a shorter liner or a tighter clearance than the listing allows is how hidden framing gets charred. We install to the listing and to NFPA 211, which recommends that every fireplace be vented through its own properly sized, lined flue and inspected annually once it is in use.
Do not attempt to vent a new insert into an unlined flue or to share a flue with a furnace or water heater. And leave the roof and the chimney top to our certified and insured crew; terminating a liner and setting the cap is our job, not yours.
Seattle & Puget Sound conditions
The case for an efficient fireplace is strong around Puget Sound. Sea-Tac's winter lows average 37.1°F in December and 37.7°F in January and February, so the burning season runs for months, and the NOAA 1991–2020 normals put about 73% of the year's 40.34 inches of rain between October and March, exactly when the fire is going.
The housing stock shapes the job. Seattle's median home was built in 1976 and Tacoma's in 1967, so many of the fireplaces we convert to inserts are open masonry boxes from that era, while newer areas such as Redmond (median 1993) and Gig Harbor (median 1998) are mostly factory-built systems that are now reaching replacement age.
Our Work
Fireplace Installation in action
Ready for a fireplace that actually heats the room?
Free quote on wood fireplace and insert installation, price match plus 10–25% off, same-day visits often available. If you're not happy, we're not done. Call 206-453-2045.
☎ 206-453-2045 Request a QuoteQuestions
Fireplace Installation FAQ
Can you install a fireplace in a house that has no chimney?
Yes. A factory-built (zero-clearance) fireplace comes with its own listed metal chimney that runs through the ceiling and roof inside a framed chase, so no masonry chimney is needed. We frame the opening and chase to the clearances in the listing, run the chimney full height, terminate it with a cap and chase cover, and finish the surround.
What is the difference between a fireplace insert and a new fireplace?
An insert is a sealed steel firebox that slides into an existing masonry fireplace and vents through a stainless liner in the old chimney. A new fireplace is a complete unit, factory-built or masonry, with its own chimney. If you already have a sound masonry fireplace, an insert is usually less work and gives far more heat than the open box did.
Does a wood insert need a liner all the way up the chimney?
Yes. An insert vented only into the smoke chamber leaves the old flue oversized, so exhaust cools, draft suffers and creosote builds fast. We run a stainless liner the full height of the chimney, insulated where the listing calls for it, and connect it directly to the insert. Our chimney liner installation page covers the liner itself.
Do I need a permit to install a fireplace in Seattle or Tacoma?
Some fireplace and chimney installations may need a permit, and it varies by city and county. We tell you on the free quote visit whether your job may need one and work through the paperwork and inspection with you rather than leaving it to you to find out later.
Should I rebuild my old masonry fireplace or install a new one?
If the firebox and smoke chamber are mostly sound, fireplace repair or crack repair starting at $299 is the cheaper route. If the firebox, smoke chamber and flue have all failed, an insert with a new liner can cost less than a full masonry rebuild and heats better. We lay out both numbers on the same free quote.
Do you install gas fireplaces too?
Yes, but that is a different job with different venting and a gas line run by a qualified gas fitter, so it has its own page: gas fireplace installation. If you are undecided between wood and gas, say so when you call and we will go over both on the same visit.
How long does a fireplace installation take?
An insert with a liner is often a one-day job once the unit is on site. A factory-built fireplace with a new chase usually takes several days, and a new masonry fireplace and chimney takes longer still. We give you a schedule with the quote, and same-day service is often available for the inspection visit.
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