An insert for real heat
An insert sits inside the firebox, the burning area, of a brick or metal fireplace and works a lot like a free-standing wood stove, so it's the pick when you want the room actually warm.
Fireplace installation in Rialto CA - a fireplace that fits the heat or look you want
An open fireplace that barely warms the room, or none at all? We'll help you choose an insert or vented gas unit and install it.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What putting in a fireplace involves
Fireplace installation in Rialto, CA means setting a fireplace, an insert or a gas log set into your house, and for most homes it's about the look and some extra warmth, not the main heat.
Most calls we get start with an open fireplace that looks good but barely warms the room, or a family room that's never had one. Those lead to very different jobs, so the first visit is mostly about sorting out which one you're in.
The price moves with the kind of unit, whether you have a brick or factory-built fireplace now, the fuel, how far the vent has to run and how much brick or stone goes around it. The schedule mostly turns on getting the unit, any permit review and inspections, and how much masonry the surround needs. My written estimate spells out what we'll do and why, so you can see what's driving your number.
A straight answer on what fits
If your fireplace isn't worth converting, or an insert won't give you the heat you're hoping for, I'll tell you on the walk-through so you're not left wondering where things stand.
Planned once, built once
We work out the unit, the hearth and the masonry before anything gets cut, because a fireplace that has to be torn out and redone costs a family twice.
Masons build the surround
Our crew lays the brick, block and stone around the fireplace, and I'm on site running the job, so the setting and the finish stay in one set of hands.
How we plan and build your fireplace
I start with what you want from it, real heat or mostly the look, because that tells us whether an insert or an open fireplace makes sense. Then I look at what's there now, the firebox, the chimney and the wall around them, since what you already have sets what can go in.
For gas, we stick to vented models and plan the vent route early, because where the vent runs decides how the wall, the roof and the masonry get laid out. Once the unit is in, our crew builds the hearth and surround, and for the face, stone veneer installation gives you the look of stone without building a full stone wall. Where a new fireplace needs a solid masonry backing or a chase, a boxed-in run for the vent, we build it in block the same way we put up concrete block walls. We keep the room covered and clean up as we go.
Here in Rialto, the city's Building and Safety office takes permit applications through its Online Permit Center and checks that work follows California building codes and city rules. We're licensed and insured, and when a job needs a permit, we handle the application and we're there for the inspections. If I'm not sure yours needs one, I check with that office before we start. If your house is in one of the city's High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, the Rialto Fire Department says renovations there follow Wildland-Urban Interface, or WUI, building codes meant to harden homes against wildfire, so we plan the work around them. We're based in Rialto and do the same work in Fontana, Colton, San Bernardino and the cities around it.
Which fireplace setup fits your house
An open fireplace for the look
Open fireplaces are very inefficient heaters, but if you mostly want a fire to look at, keeping yours open makes sense, and we can redo the brick or stone around it.
A gas or propane log set
Log sets run on natural gas or propane and fit into an existing fireplace, so you get a flame without burning wood, but they aren't built to heat the room much.
A new built-in gas fireplace
A new built-in gas fireplace gives a room without one its own fire, and because it means opening a wall and building the surround from scratch, it's the biggest job of the four.
Get a written estimate for your fireplace
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, measure, take photos and give you a written estimate, free and with no obligation.
Tell us the room
Say which room you have in mind and whether it has a fireplace now, so I can think about the vent route and the wall before I come out.
A written estimate to compare
You get it in writing, with what we'll do and why, so you can set it beside any other bid and see what each one actually covers.
Our satisfaction guarantee
Once you book, our crew does the work your estimate lays out, and the finished fireplace is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Fireplace, brick and stone finish examples
Examples of brick and stone surrounds, hearths and mantel layouts we can talk through when we plan the finish around your fireplace.
Common questions about fireplace installation
Straight answers to the questions Rialto homeowners ask about inserts, gas venting, burning wood and what a fireplace costs.
Can my factory-built fireplace take an insert?
It can, as long as the insert is designed and tested for that exact unit. Factory-built fireplaces, sometimes called "zero-clearance" units, need a matched insert, so the kind of fireplace you have narrows the choice. If you have the unit's tag or manual, keep it handy for the walk-through.
Should I get a ventless gas fireplace?
No, and that's why we stick to vented models. Gas units that don't vent outside raise indoor air quality concerns, and some places make installing them illegal. A vented model settles both problems, and it's the only kind of gas unit we'll put in your house.
Can a gas fireplace vent without a chimney?
Yes, through the roof or the wall behind it, so a house without a usable chimney still has a route. One vent maker's instructions give a direct-vent unit its own vent, never tied into a chimney serving another appliance. We plan the vent to keep its required air space from anything that can burn, since that maker names missed clearances as a major cause of vent fires.
When can I burn wood in my fireplace in Rialto?
On any day that isn't a "No-Burn" day. The South Coast air district's wood-burning rule, as a notice about a proposed amendment sums it up, requires wood burning to stop on No-Burn days from the beginning of November through the end of February. Those are days when fine particle pollution is forecast to pass a set limit, so a wood fireplace sits idle then.
How much does it cost to install a gas fireplace?
Across the US, installing a gas insert or a new built-in gas fireplace usually costs about $3,400 to $16,800 per job. That's the national range for that work, not our price. Where your job lands shows up in the written estimate I give you after the walk-through.
Masonry work that goes with a fireplace
Tell us which fireplace you have now
Call (909) 546-5001 or use the form and mention brick or factory-built, plus gas or wood, so I come out ready.