Drafty old fireplace, or a room that needs one? We put in the insert, gas unit or wood fireplace that fits how you'll use it.
Fireplace installation in Santa Barbara means putting in a new masonry or factory-built fireplace, or fitting an insert into the firebox you already have, so you get the look of a fire, real warmth or some of both.
Most people who call me have an old brick fireplace that's drafty and barely used, a metal factory-built unit they'd like to upgrade, or a room with no fireplace at all. Most fireplaces end up as something to enjoy and a little extra heat, not the main way a house stays warm. So I start by asking whether you want the look of a fire or real warmth, since each points to a different setup.
The price moves with the kind of unit, how far the venting has to run, whether a gas line needs to come in and what shape your chimney is in. The schedule mostly turns on the permit review and when your unit arrives. When I come out, you get an estimate for your own fireplace, so you're not guessing from someone else's numbers.
Call (805) 456-2871 or use the form, and tell us whether you have a brick fireplace, a metal one or none at all. Your chimney type and where your house is help too.
I go over the firebox, the chimney and the room with you and ask how you want to use the fire. You get an estimate for your setup, so you know the price before anything starts.
We find out which office covers your address, handle the application and meet the inspector. In Santa Barbara a permit often goes through more than one city review, and each one after the first takes 10 business days, sometimes longer when staff are busy, so I'll show you up front how that fits your schedule.
Our crew and I put the fireplace in and clean up as we go. Before we pack up, we walk the finished job with you and show you how it runs.
For an insert, I confirm it's made for your firebox and that the flue liner, the lining inside the chimney that carries smoke and gas out, is right before it goes in. A good insert in the wrong opening or on a bad liner won't run the way it should. I work the job with our crew, so the person who looked it over is there when it goes in.
A new masonry fireplace gets built up on a solid base, much the way we lay concrete block walls, with the firebox and chimney sized to work together. The face can be brick, or stone veneer if you want the look of stone without the weight. Once a gas insert is in, it should be inspected every year, like any stove.
What we put in and build:
If your firebox and chimney are sound, an insert or a set of gas or electric logs in the opening you have usually costs less and keeps the brick you like, though logs are for looks more than heat. On an older brick chimney, I check its condition first, because loose chimney masonry can fall in an earthquake, and chimney repair may need to come first. A new build makes sense when there's no fireplace or the old one isn't worth saving.
The biggest swing is between fitting an insert into a fireplace you already have and building a new one from the ground up. After that, it comes down to the unit you pick, how far the vent or flue has to run, whether a gas line needs to come in and what the chimney needs before anything goes on it. Brick or stone around the opening and tight access inside the house add to it as well.
I've run C&D Santa Barbara Concrete & Masonry since 2017, and I still come out to look at every job myself and work it with our crew. We cover the floors and furniture near the fireplace, keep the dust down and leave the room clean at the end of each day.
I'll tell you what your fireplace needs and what can wait. I grew up on a farm where you fixed things so they stayed fixed, and that's still how we work. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Call (805) 456-2871 and we can talk through insert, gas or wood before I come out, so the visit goes further.
Tell us your fireplace type, chimney type and where your home is. We'll reply within one business day, and I'll come out for a free on-site estimate with no obligation.
Yes, but only an insert made and tested for that exact unit. A factory-built fireplace, the metal kind often called zero-clearance, runs more efficiently and pollutes less with its matched insert, so confirm the fit before you buy anything. I check the make and model when I come out.
Usually not, so plan on a vented unit. Gas burns very cleanly, but unvented models raise indoor air quality concerns, and installing an unvented gas stove is illegal in some places. Efficiency varies widely between vented models, so it's worth comparing them before you choose.
Plan on one for a new fireplace, because the city generally requires a building permit to build, alter, replace or improve a building. We confirm with the office that covers your address what your job needs, insert or new build, and we handle the application. We're licensed and fully insured, and if you'd like to ask yourself, the city's Building & Safety Counter is at (805) 564-5485.
Across the US, a gas insert or a direct-vent fireplace, a sealed gas unit that vents straight outside, usually costs about $1,500 to $10,000 per job, installed. That's a national range, not a Santa Barbara quote, and where your job lands depends on the unit, the venting and what your chimney needs. I'll give you your own number when I come out and look.
Don't count on an open wood fireplace for it, because it's generally a very inefficient way to heat a home. Drafts can pull warm air up the chimney and cool the other rooms, and your central heat works harder while the fire burns. That's why I ask first whether you want warmth or the look.
Properly dried firewood reads 20 percent moisture or less. A small moisture meter takes that reading, and it's worth checking before the first fire in a new wood-burning fireplace, since wet wood burns poorly and smokes.
We're based in Santa Barbara and install fireplaces from Goleta to Montecito and in other cities nearby. Pick your area below, or call if yours isn't listed.
