Cold drafts from an old fireplace, or no chimney at all? We fit an insert or a direct-vent gas unit that heats the room.
Fireplace installation in Aliso Viejo usually means one of two jobs. We either set an insert inside the firebox of the masonry or metal fireplace you already have, or add a direct-vent gas unit where there's no usable chimney, and an insert makes an old fireplace work more like a stove than an open fire.
Most people who call us have an old fireplace that does more for looks than for heat, or have no fireplace and figure they can't get one. Either way, I look at what's there first, because the kind of fireplace you have decides which units can go in. We're based in Aliso Viejo and do this work in the cities around it across Orange County.
The price and the schedule both turn on how much is new. Dropping an insert into a sound fireplace is the simpler job, while a new vent through the wall or roof, new framing and a brick or stone veneer surround add days and cost. Once I've seen your house, the estimate gives you the figure for it.
Call (949) 619-8220 or use the form, and tell us what kind of fireplace you have and whether there's a chimney. We'll set a time for me to come out that works for you.
I check the firebox, the chimney or where a new vent could run, and answer whatever you want to ask. You get an estimate that names the unit that fits, the venting it needs and the price for the work.
We check with the city's building office before we start, and when a permit is needed we handle the application and each inspection the city requires for it. Plans here go to the Planning Department for approval before the Building Department, and that application needs your signature and your association's, so we help you put the association request together early.
Our crew works inside the city's construction hours, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, with no work on Sundays or federal holidays. When the unit's in, we clean up and walk the finished fireplace with you.
I start every fireplace job by finding out what kind of fireplace you have, because a factory-built box, the metal kind some people call zero-clearance, limits which inserts will fit. If it's masonry with a sound chimney, a gas insert can reuse that chimney with a new liner inside it, and it's fair to ask any installer how they make sure that liner goes in right.
If there's no usable chimney, I walk you through a direct-vent unit instead, which vents through a pipe in the wall or roof. Where that pipe comes out matters, since the vent maker's instructions and local code set how far it sits from decks, windows, soffits, gas regulators, air intakes and public walkways. When a surround needs a solid wall behind it, our crew lays block the same way we build concrete block walls.
What a fireplace job can cover:
If your fireplace is sound and you only light it a few nights a year for the look, it may just need chimney repair to keep it safe to use. If you want it to heat the room, I'd put in an insert, because an open wood fire is a very poor heater, with drafts pulling the room's warm air up the chimney. A gas, pellet or certified wood insert gives you more heat with less smoke.
The biggest swing is whether we're reusing what's there or building new. A direct-vent unit is priced higher than an insert, since its price carries the labor and parts for a whole new vent setup. On an insert job, a chimney that needs a new liner adds to the number. New framing, the gas line run, the unit you choose and the surround material you pick, plain brick or stone, move it too.
I come out to every job, write the estimate myself and then work on it alongside our masons and helpers, so the person who told you what's going on is the one doing it. I'd rather spend extra time explaining your fireplace than have you pay for a unit or a liner you don't need, and I'm happy to go over the same question twice.
Inside your house, we cover the floor and furniture near the work and clean up as we go. If part of the job needs a gas or electrical trade, I'll tell you that up front. We're licensed and insured, satisfaction guaranteed, and when you're ready, call (949) 619-8220 or use the form below.
Have your fireplace type, chimney details and any association rules handy when you call, so I come out knowing what to check.
Tell us your fireplace type and chimney details. We reply within one business day to set a visit, and the estimate is free with no pressure to book.
No, a direct-vent gas fireplace vents through a pipe in the wall or roof and doesn't need a masonry chimney. If you do have a chimney, a gas insert can put it back to work with a new liner.
Most gas fireplace projects take one to three days, and an insert going into a sound fireplace sits at the short end. New framing, venting and surround work stretch that, so plan on more days if you're adding a unit where there wasn't one.
Across the US, gas fireplace insert installation usually runs about $2,500 to $8,000 per project, with materials and professional labor included. That's a national figure, not our price, and your estimate gives the number for your house once I've seen the fireplace.
A yearly inspection looks over the firebox, the venting, the dampers and the chimney. It's there to catch problems before they turn costly or dangerous, so it's worth putting on the calendar.
You need an insert that's designed and tested for your specific factory-built unit, so the first step is finding out which one you have. If you're not sure, I'll check it when I come out.
EPA doesn't support using vent-free gas units, because of concerns about indoor air quality. That's why we walk people through an insert or a direct-vent unit that sends its exhaust outside.
We're based in Aliso Viejo and do fireplace work in Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo and the other cities below. Pick yours, or call (949) 619-8220 if you don't see it.
