Fireplace installation in Lincoln CA - a unit matched to the fireplace you have
Got a fireplace that sits unused most of the winter? We find out what kind you have and fit a unit built for it.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Can my old fireplace actually heat the room?
Fireplace installation in Lincoln, CA usually means fitting an insert, a heating unit that sits inside the firebox of your existing brick or metal fireplace and works much like a wood stove, so a fireplace that mostly looks nice can actually heat the room.
An open fireplace is mostly for looks and makes a poor heater, so if you want the room warm, an insert is usually the better buy. What moves the price is the kind of fireplace you have, whether you want wood or gas, how the unit will vent, whether you need chimney repair or a new liner first, and the mantel and finish you want around it. The schedule turns mostly on the permit review, and I give you your own figure after I've seen the fireplace. We're licensed and insured, the City of Lincoln requires anyone doing this work in Lincoln to hold a current city business license and carry workers' comp, and you can check any contractor's state license with the Contractors State License Board.
How we handle fireplace installation
The first thing I check is what kind of fireplace you have, a masonry one built of brick or block or a factory-built metal box, because that decides which units can go in it. Then we look over the chimney and the flue liner, the channel that carries smoke and exhaust out, set the unit in the firebox, run the vent and finish the hearth and surround. We work to the maker's installation instructions for the unit, the mantel and the trim around it, since that's where the safe distances for anything that can burn are set.
A new unit is a good time to rethink the wall around it, and plenty of owners have us cover old brick or drywall with stone veneer while the room is already a work site. For a fireplace or raised hearth out back, we usually build the core with concrete block walls, then finish it to match the house.
Wood-burning insert
This suits you if you have a masonry fireplace and a steady wood supply, and you want the room warm, not just lit. It sits in the firebox and burns much like a wood stove, so you get real heat out of the fireplace you already have.
Gas insert
This suits you if you want heat at the flip of a switch with little cleanup and almost no smoke. It needs a vent to the outside and a gas line to the unit, and I'll tell you where both can run once I've seen the house.
Planning on fires this winter? Call before the cold weather, because the permit and inspections usually set the pace more than the install does.
What happens when you call us about a fireplace in Lincoln?
Here's how a fireplace job runs with us, from your first call to the finished hearth, and who handles each part along the way.
Call or send the form
Call (916) 587-8582 any day from 7 AM to 11 PM, or send the form, and we'll set a time to come out.
I look it over myself
I check the fireplace, the chimney and where a vent can run, then tell you what it needs and what can wait. We go over the work together before I put a number on it, so you know what the price covers.
We handle the permit side
If your job needs a permit, we pull it with the city, set up the inspections and tell you where it stands before work starts. Lincoln usually issues permits for electrical work and replacing gas lines over the counter, but a project that needs plan check can take 2 to 6 weeks.
Install it and walk through
I run the job on site with our crew and keep the work to what we agreed on. When it's done, I walk the finished fireplace with you and show you how the unit runs.
Get a free fireplace estimate at your house
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, and the estimate is free with no obligation to book.
(916) 587-8582Fireplace installation in Lincoln and the city's permits
The city requires a building permit when a structure is altered or improved, and its list names all electrical and plumbing work but doesn't name fireplaces, so I won't guess whether your install needs one before I've seen the job. Running a new gas line or adding a circuit is the kind of work the list does name. When a permit applies, we pull it and set up the inspections, and if you'd like to ask yourself, the city's building permits page is the place to start.
We're based in Lincoln and work across the cities around it. Many newer houses here have factory-built fireplaces and older ones tend to have brick, and we see the same mix on jobs in Roseville and Rocklin, so the first visit starts with figuring out which one you've got.
Fireplace installation questions from Lincoln homeowners
How do I know if an insert will fit my fireplace?
It comes down to what kind of fireplace you have, because a factory-built fireplace, the metal kind often sold as zero-clearance, can only take an insert designed and tested for that exact unit. A masonry fireplace built of brick or block gives you more choices. If you're not sure which you have, I can tell when I come out.
What is the best way to vent a gas fireplace insert?
Vent it to the outside, through the existing chimney, the roof or the wall behind the unit. Gas units made without outside venting aren't recommended because of what they do to the air in your house, and some places don't allow them at all, so I steer people away from them. Whatever you put in should be installed by a certified technician and checked once a year, so plan on that yearly visit.
How much does fireplace installation cost in Lincoln, CA?
There's no set price, because it comes down to the unit you choose and what your fireplace and chimney need to take it. A new vent run, a new chimney liner or a stone face over the old brick usually adds to the job, while a sound masonry firebox that only needs the insert keeps it simpler. I'll give you your own number after I've looked at it in person.
Who schedules the fireplace inspections in Lincoln, CA, and what do I sign?
The person doing the work schedules the city's building inspections, so on our jobs that's us, including the ones before grout goes into masonry and before a gas line is connected. You sign the city's Permission to Enter Property form for each inspection where you aren't represented, and the city won't accept one a contractor signs.
Does a chimney liner need insulation for a fireplace insert?
It does for a wood-burning insert, but not for a gas one, going by makers' installation and warranty requirements. In a masonry chimney, getting that liner in right is part of the install, so we check it before the unit goes in.
Should my fireplace installer be NFI certified?
It's a fair thing to ask about, since the National Fireplace Institute calls its certification a sign of professional commitment and training. It isn't a license, though, so check the contractor's state license as well.
Fireplace work that often goes with it
A new insert can leave the old brick or plaster surround looking dated, and a stone face over it changes the whole wall without rebuilding the fireplace.
Block is the strong, fire-safe base for an outdoor fireplace, a raised hearth or a seat wall, and it takes brick, stone or stucco on top.
Tell us what fireplace you have
Call (916) 587-8582 or send the form with your fireplace type and the fuel you'd like, wood or gas, so I come out with the right questions already in mind.