Average fireplace cost

Summary: How much does a new fireplace cost, average fireplace installation costs and average fireplace fixture costs.

Most people regard a fireplace as a beautiful feature of any home and installing one will almost certainly add value to your property. This means it is an attractive project to undertake. In the majority of cases, if you are considering installing a new fireplace it means there is, or has been, an existing fireplace.

Average Cost

Factors to consider

Before you start any work, remember that any alterations are classified as building work and subject to Building Regulations. You should contact your local authority before starting work for guidelines relating to fireplaces. In the interests of health and safety, some areas of work such as fitting a flue lining should be carried by a qualified professional. If you are installing a gas fire then it must be put in by a Gas Safe Registered member, while a solid fuel appliance must be installed by a HETAS registered fitter.

The first thing that should always be checked is the flue – the shaft that draws smoke and fumes up and out through the chimney pot. It’s a good idea to use a chimney sweepfor this and he can also clean the chimney. To check the flue, a smoke test will be carried out. This involves burning a smoke pellet and checking that the smoke emerges properly through the chimney pot. Whilst the pellets are burning any rooms that the flue passes through, including the loft space, will be checked to make sure there are no leaks. If there is a problem then a builder or flue-fitting company should be taken on to fix it, as it’s a specialist job. It may also be necessary to have the chimney lined. If you have a brick wall where you think the fireplace used to be, or it’s boarded up, then remove the vent or knock a hole in the wall to allow the smoke test to be done. Check building regulations for size and construction standards for areas of work including the chimney, the hearth and the fireplace recess.

When your chimney and flue are safe the next step is to fit a clay or metal fireback. The fireback will come in two parts: the fireback and a lintel that sits on top of the fireback to make the throat of the fireplace. The lintel supports the brickwork of the chimneybreast and the channel it creates allows air to flow up the chimney. You now need to install a constructional hearth from a non-combustible material such as concrete, brick or stone. A constructional hearth acts as a barrier between the fire and under floor wooden joists and is an important safety feature. The fireplace surround can now be fitted. Surrounds come in a variety of styles from reproduction Victorian through to contemporary designs. You could also search for a reclaimed original fireplace.

Doing all this yourself, apart from the areas where a specialist is required, is considered a fairly major piece of work and should not be undertaken lightly. If you don’t feel up to doing it then a general builder or an expert from a specialist fire place showroom will be able to remove any uncertainties you may have about the job. They will be able to advise on the correct size of the fireplace and take care of the measuring as well as giving ideas and recommendations on what styles best suit the period of your home. A showroom can also arrange to carry out all the work required to prepare the site and install the fireplace, removing all the potential hassle.

Costs to consider

The cost of the job will vary depending on the size and type of fireplace to be fitted and the complexity of the preparation and installation work being carried out. Limestone and marble fireplaces range from around £1,000 to more than £7,000 plus fitting.

Remember even if you are doing much of the work yourself, you will still need to budget for the elements that must be done by a qualified professional. For example, the cost of having a chimney swept and a smoke test carried out will be around £70.

A simple alternative is to install a flueless fire as there is no need for a chimney and it can be fitted by a Gas Safe Register member. If it is being fitted on an open chimney then the flue must be blocked. An annual service is all that’s required to check it’s running properly.