Fire Installation Cost

Do you want to install a fire in your home?

We've created this guide to cover all the costs included in fitting a fire and everything else that's involved - such as time frames and types of fires to choose from.

So, why not take a look below?

How Much Does It Cost to Install a Fire?

Fireplaces include a nice, warm, and cosy focal point in every home. A fireplace installation can lower your home heating costs while also increasing the value of a home.

However, fireplace installation may involve gas or electricity; therefore, it is critical to hire a professional from a reputable heating company to prevent hazards.

Depending on the type of fire you've chosen for your home, some installations may necessitate completely clearing out the walls in the area where the installation will take place. In addition, the cost of installing a fireplace will be affected by the addition of running gas lines or proper ventilation.

The average cost of installing a fire in your home will vary depending on the type of fire you select, the size of the fire, and your placement in the United Kingdom. If additional pipework is required, this may result in additional costs.

The labour costs for installing a fire in your household are generally around £50 - £100, and a standard installation takes about 2 - 3 hours.

If you are installing a gas fireplace, you will need to have the lines, flues, and wiring inspected to ensure that they are all safe.

The average price to install a gas fireplace in your home will vary depending on the price and type of the gas fire and any additional pipework required, but it is usually around £150 - £300 for installation, not including the cost of purchasing a gas fire separately.

Gas fires are less expensive to run than electric heaters and heat up much faster, so it's no surprise that they're so popular! However, unlike some electrical heaters, which can be simply plugged into a wall socket, a Gas Safe registered engineer must link main gas appliances for essential safety and legal reasons.

The supply cost of a cast iron fireplace is estimated to be between £500 and £1,000, with labour costs ranging between £100 and £300. The total cost is estimated to be between £600 and £1,300.

The supply cost of a stone fireplace is assumed to be between £500 and £2,000, with labour costs ranging between £100 and £300. The total cost is estimated to be between £600 and £2,600.

A wood-burning fireplace is expected to cost between £200 and £3,000 in materials and between £100 and £100 in labour. The cost is around £300 and £3,300.

The cost of putting in a new fire in your home will typically range between £300 and £700.

Fire Installation Prices

Supply Only Costs

The cost of a fireplace can vary because they come in various sizes and fuel types.

Fire prices vary depending on size, efficiency, and style. Naturally, the bigger or more efficient the fire you desire, the higher the cost. The same is true for style; more contemporary or classic fires can be more expensive.

Electric fires can cost as little as £100 and as much as £2000. Gas fires are more costly than electric fires, but prices range from around £200 to £3000. Solid fuel is more expensive due to coal or wood, and prices range from £200 to £3000.

An open front gas fire will typically cost between £200 and £400, while an outset living flame gas fire will cost between £200 and £700.

A glass-fronted high-efficiency gas fire will cost between £700 and £1,000, while a flueless gas fire will cost between £600 and £1,000. A balanced flue gas fire will cost between £800 and £1,400, while a power flue gas fire will cost between £900 and £2,000.

Additional Costs

When it comes to installing a new fire, several additional costs are to consider. The following are some of the additional costs that may be associated with this type of work:

Fire Alarms

The price of installing a fire alarm is not prohibitively high. The type of alarm primarily determines it and the number required.

If you only need an additional battery-powered alarm, you can get one for £10 - £15. The cost of installation will range between £40 and £75. Mains-powered alarms are more expensive because an electrician must fit them. The average cost is between £75 and £125. This fee is charged per alarm.

If you want a smart fire alarm, the price will be higher. A battery-powered alarm will cost between £80 and £100 with installation. The price of a mains-powered smart alarm will be between £105 and £250.

If you would like further information, please refer to our guide on the costs of installing a fire alarm.

Electrical Safety Certificate

For an average-sized home, the cost of obtaining an Electrical Safety Certificate in the UK ranges between £80 and £150. However, the cost will vary based on the job's complexity, among other factors. Nevertheless, every homeowner, including landlords, should recognise the significance of an Electrical Safety Certificate.

Only certified electricians are legally permitted to release an Electrical Safety Certificate, which certifies that all electrical appliances and connectors on the property are in good working order. In most cases, an Electrical Safety Certificate test can be completed in one day or less.

If you would like further information, please refer to our guide on the costs of an electrical safety certificate.

New Gas Supply

In some cases, you may need to purchase a new gas supply for your home. For example, if your home is brand new, it may not have a mains connection installed.

Some older homes may lack a gas supply, or you may be transitioning to a gas supply for central heating. Installing a gas supply at your home will typically cost between £300 and £1000.

If you would like further information, please refer to our guide on the costs of running gas to a property.

Boiler Service

In addition to your annual gas fire service, you will need an annual boiler service if your boiler is gas-powered.

This is critical to ensuring that your boiler runs efficiently and that all the parts perform optimally. An annual boiler service costs around £50 - £90 on average.

If you would like further information, please refer to our guide on the costs of getting your boiler serviced.

Chimney Repairs

If scaffolding is not required, the average cost to replace leadwork on a chimney is £350 to £460; however, if scaffolding is required, the cost ranges from £700 to £920.

The average cost of removing an entire chimney without the stack is around £2200 - £2400, while the average cost of removing a whole chimney stack with the breast is somewhere around £3000 - £3500.

A chimney system will cost between £600 and £1,000. The average cost of removing an entire chimney without the stack is around £2200 - £2400, while the average cost of removing an entire chimney stack with the breast is around £3000 - £3500.

Labour Costs and Timescales

If you are purchasing your fire separately but then hiring a contractor to install it for you (as most people do), you may be curious how much it will cost to hire a professional.

When you hire a professional to fit your fire, you can expect to pay between £50 - £200 for the work. The cost will be determined by the type of fire you are installing, the size of the fire, or your location in the United Kingdom. Those in the London area can consider paying more for work than those in the North or elsewhere in the UK.

If you intend to install a new fire, you may be interested in the timeframes involved with this type of work. It usually takes about 2 - 3 hours to install a gas fireplace. However, if additional pipework is required, it may take longer.

If you hire an electrician to install an electric fire, the process should take about 1 - 2 hours, but it could take longer if additional wiring is required.

Cost Factors of installing a Fire

The cost of installing or removing a fireplace is not standardised. However, there is a wide range of pricing options available for installation and removal, which is due to the factors involved with the process that may increase your final cost.

Fireplace Size

If you already have a larger fireplace or are considering installing one, you should expect the cost of this job to be on the higher end of your budget. A larger fireplace will require more labour to remove or install, raising the overall cost.

If you want to keep your costs low when installing a fireplace, you can always go with a smaller model, which is less likely to be expensive than larger models. You will need the fireplace insert and basket, the fires, the surround and mantel, the framing and flashing, and the chimney, flue, and vent to remove a fireplace.

There is a lot of equipment to disassemble and take down. The bigger and more diverse the design, the more labour required to remove it and the more expensive the job.

Fireplace Design

When it comes to installing and removing traditional fireplaces, the process differs from gas or electric fireplaces. Traditional fireplaces do not typically require any cabling or wiring, so this is a step you can skip!

A chimney is required when installing a wood-burning fireplace. It is usually more expensive to install than other options because you must find space in your home for the chimney, and the materials used to install the fireplace insert can be heavy or difficult to work with. However, the procedure for removing a traditional fireplace is relatively simple.

However, the fireplace is likely to be heavy and bulky, making moving them difficult. To prevent water damage, the top of the chimney will be removed or capped.

Location

Pricing is also affected by where you are in the United Kingdom. For example, prices for installing or removing a fireplace in London are two or three times higher than prices in the Midlands and Northern regions, so be prepared to pay more if you live there.

If you try to hire a contractor who lives outside their usual radius for work, the price could be increased by up to £50 depending on the individual or business, due to the additional travel required to get to your property.

Also, keep in mind that any additional costs for parking or tolls are the homeowner's responsibility.

What's Involved in Installing a Fire?

There are some requirements to meet when installing a traditional fireplace. These are primarily that the fireplace must be installed on a non-combustible hearth of varying thickness temperature of the heat output.

Any experienced professional will be able to walk you through the laws and fire regulations for this type of project. To ensure that the work meets requirements, you will almost certainly need a HETA installer to complete the installation. Before installation, your chimney should be swept and pass all necessary inspections, with a new lining installed if necessary.

The hearth must also be installed beforehand. After that, the fireplace can be fitted and installed. Removing a traditional fireplace is a time-consuming process that includes demolition of the fireplace, debris disposal, chimney capping, and patching the walls, ceiling, and roof.

You can have the chimney completely removed from the property, but this is best done by skilled people who have experience safely removing chimneys.

Can I Install a Fire Myself?

You should not attempt to install a fire yourself as a DIY job. An improperly installed stove may become a fire hazard, but it may also release deadly carbon monoxide into your home, increasing pollution.

Like any other heating and cooling appliance, a stove must be installed professionally and follow building codes to keep you and your loved ones safe.

Even before installation, there are several factors to consider with a stove, including the type and wattage and any changes that may be required to your home to accommodate it. That is why we recommend consulting with a professional before purchasing one.

Installing The Flue Properly

The flue should prevent gases from entering your home. A flue is required for stoves to allow fumes and potentially dangerous gases to escape from the top and not into your room. This contains carbon monoxide, produced when fuel is not properly burned. It is invisible and odourless, making it difficult to detect but lethal.

The flue can be routed through an existing or custom-built chimney or straight up and out of the ceiling. An installer should perform a smoke test to ensure that nothing leaks into the room when inspecting an existing chimney or after installing a flue. If they do not, request that they do so.

The chimney/flue will need to be sealed off at the bottom with a metal plate and a chimney topper installed to prevent birds from nesting. We would also suggest purchasing a smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide detector.

Insulating the flue will reduce the risk of a fire. In addition, insulating the flue implies that the gases will be kept warm, preventing condensation.

This will keep tars and creosotes from accumulating in your chimney and catching fire. You should also have your stove and chimney/flue swept and checked regularly to ensure that any deposits are eliminated and that it is not cracked or distorted.

Building Regulations

The fire must comply with the fire install regulations. Part J of UK building regulations must be followed, Part F in Scotland, and Part L in Northern Ireland. Other specifications may necessitate changes to your room. All stoves, for example, should have a hearth, the size of which depends on the fire and location.

As a result, if you don't already have one, you'll need to get one. To help the fuel burn without producing extra carbon dioxide, the stove's room must also have adequate ventilation. This means that you may need to install a vent, especially if you have a high-wattage stove.

Fires must also be kept a certain distance away from combustible materials; depending on the fire, the amount varies. Building control must be notified. Building control must be notified when your stove is installed due to regulations. That is why it is important to use a government-approved installer.

Make sure your installer goes over how to use your fire properly once it's installed. Use the proper fuel as well. Wet wood or high-sulphur house coal will produce more smoke and pollution. In contrast, dry wood and smokeless fuels are far less polluting and far more efficient.

Don't let your stove 'slumber' or 'smoke.' Using your stove's air vents to keep it burning well with a visible flame will ensure that harmful gases are burned off rather than expelled.

Scheme for Competent Persons Installers registered with a system will have received solid fuel heating installation training and will be able to certify the work themselves, eliminating the need for building control approval.

In addition, correctly using your fire will reduce pollution. Although the way a fire is installed is critical to its safety, so is the way it is used.

Building Regulations & Planning Permission for a Fire Installation

There are no Building Regulations that stipulate the size of your builder's opening fireplace recess/inglenook/hole in the wall, anything you want to call it, as long as it is made of brick or stone with no combustible materials.

Likewise, there are no regulations that determine any air gap around that stove once it is in the recess.

This wood surround might have failed the distance to combustible materials test if not for the 7mm concrete-board shield and an air gap between the surround and shield.

However, there are building regulations if you have combustibles in or around your builder's opening. These regulations can be found here: combustible distance.

There are requirements for wall thickness, which can be found in ADJ. The side walls should essentially be brick or stone and at least 200mm thick, while the rear wall should be 200mm thick or 100mm if there are back-to-back fireplaces in the same building and if the rear wall is a cavity wall: these regulations were structured for open fires and were never updated to consider advanced free-standing stoves.

Any work that affects or changes the dynamic of a current chimney is considered building work, which means you'll need to consult the building regulations to ensure you comply with your council and housing regulations.

The simplest way to accomplish this is to visit The Government Issue, which offers advice on complying with building regulations and can be found here. To summarise, you should:

• Before beginning any work, have your chimney swept and checked. Make sure you have a carbon monoxide alarm.
• Have the proper flue size.
• Allow for ventilation.
• Allow someone who is HETAS qualified and on The Gas Safe Register to complete the installation.

However, you'll be relieved to learn that no planning permission is required to install a gas fire. Of course, this is only applicable if your asset is a historical landmark or close to a conservation area, but your installation will most likely not require any planning approval.

Types of Fire Installation

There are many different types of fire to choose from, each with its own set of benefits and drawbacks. Below is a list of the various types of fire that you can get on your own, along with their prices and a list of pros and cons for each type:

Open Front Gas Fireplace Cost

An open-front gas fire has several different controls and can be decorated in various ways. This allows you to select a fireplace that perfectly complements your home's décor. They are warmed by a heat exchanger and expelled through the upper canopy.

The price is standard, and if you're looking for a cheap gas fire, you could find lower-priced open fronts. They will usually cost between £250 and £400.

PROS

✔ Beautiful in appearance

✔ It has a variety of control options

CONS

✖ Less efficient than other types of gas fireplaces

Living Flame Gas Fire Cost

An outset living flame gas fire spreads from the hearth wall. This type of fire produces a lot of heat since the body of the fire heats up and efficiently converts heat around the room. They frequently have a clear glass cover that amplifies warmth and converts cold air into heat, and they can even have a log effect if wanted.

Some even have remote controls, ideal for elderly people or anyone who has trouble bending over. These can range in price from £300 to £700.

PROS

✔ Produces a lot of heat and has large, easy-to-use controls

CONS

✖ It takes up a lot of room in the room

High-Efficiency Gas Fire with Glass Frontage Cost

A glass-fronted high-efficiency fire will typically have an efficiency rating of 80-90 per cent. This type of fire employs technology to improve energy efficiency beyond a standard gas fire. High-efficiency gas fires with glass fronts are built into the property's wall, and force heats out through the glass front.

These are slightly more expensive, with prices ranging from £800 to £1,500.

PROS

✔ Extremely effective

CONS

✖ Aesthetically pleasing

✖ It is possible that this gas fire will not produce as much heat as other gas fires

Gas Fireplace with No Flue Cost

Flueless fires are intended for people who do not have a chimney in their homes. This is a clean-burning appliance with a built-in catalytic converter. This catalytic converter reduces the emission that passes through it and removes any toxic gases before safely releasing them into the atmosphere.

The price ranges from £500 to £1,000.

PROS

✔ No chimney is required

✔ Very effective

CONS

✖ The release of safe air is dependent on a catalytic converter

Gas Fire with Balanced Flue Cost

A balanced flue fire is intended for homeowners who want all the advantages of a gas fireplace but do not have a chimney or flue constructed into their home. Instead, this type of fire has a flue that runs through an exterior wall.

PROS

✔ Allows you to have a fire without requiring a chimney

✔ Extremely effective

CONS

✖ It could be difficult to install

Electric Fireplace Cost

Electric fireplaces are typically less expensive than gas fireplaces, and this could be the best choice for you if you're on a tight budget. However, However, frequently have higher long-term operating costs because they use electricity rather than cheaper fuels like gas or costs.

PROS

✔ Purchasing upfront is less expensive

✔ They are available in a variety of styles

✔ Simple to set up

CONS

✖ Long-term operating costs are higher

Hiring Contractors to Install a Fire Checklist

You want to ensure that any work done in your home is done by someone you trust and know will do a good job, so it is critical to find the right installer for you. It can feel overwhelming and as if you don't know where to begin, but we're here to help.

The following is a list of questions to ask and things to look out for when speaking with various tradespeople.

Correct Qualifications or Certifications

You should always be checked against The Gas Safe Register.

Images and References

This will give you an idea of how your installation will turn out and allow you to assess the quality of their work.

Quotes Comparison

Asking several potential gas engineers for a quotation for your job and checking if they're all in the same range for the same gas fire service cost is the best way to ensure you're being quoted in the right price range.

Likeable

This is often overlooked when hiring a tradesman, but it's critical that you feel comfortable with your fitter because you may need to leave them in your house while you go out, and you don't want the extra stress of walking on eggshells in your own house. In addition, knowing your installer makes the job easier and better for both of you.

FAQs

Sources

https://www.direct-fireplaces.com/resources/how-much-does-it-cost-to-put-in-a-fireplace/
https://www.stovefitterswarehouse.co.uk/pages/building-regulations-for-fireplaces