Fireplace installation in Chico CA - a fireplace built around how you'll use it
Your fireplace sits cold, drafty or dated. We fit the right insert or build the masonry around a new unit, so it works the way you want.
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Should you put in an insert or a whole new fireplace?
Fireplace installation in Chico usually means one of two jobs: fitting an insert into the firebox of the masonry or metal fireplace you already have, or building a new fireplace where there isn't one. Either way, most people use a fireplace for the look and some extra warmth rather than as their main heat.
Most calls start the same way. Some people have a brick fireplace that's drafty and does little for the room, some have a metal box the builder put in that looks tired, and some have a wall where they've always wanted one. Brick or stone all the way through is a masonry fireplace, and a metal unit framed into the wall is a factory-built, low-mass one. That difference matters before anything else. The price depends on whether we're fitting an insert or building new, which fuel you pick, how much stone or brick goes on the face and what shape the chimney's in. The schedule mostly waits on your unit arriving and on any permit the job needs. Your written estimate spells out each of those for your house.
How we handle fireplace installation
I ask two questions before anything else, because the answers decide what can go in. Do you have a masonry fireplace or a factory-built one, and do you want real heat or mostly the look? Then I check the firebox and chimney. If the chimney has a problem, I'd rather tell you now than build a nice surround on top of it. Once you pick a unit that fits, our crew fits or builds the masonry around it. We lay fire brick, a dense brick made to take direct flame, where the firebox needs it, then set the hearth and build up the face. We clean up as we go so the room's usable when we leave.
Most fireplaces get a new face while we're there, and stone veneer installation is the usual way to get a stone look on the wall without building a solid stone chimney breast. When the plan is a brand-new fireplace, indoors or out on a patio, the core behind it is often block, which is the same work we do on concrete block walls.
Fireplace installation in Chico and the rules that shape it
I won't guess from the driveway whether your fireplace job needs a permit. First we find out whether your address falls under the City of Chico or Butte County. The city takes permit applications online through its permit portal, so when your job needs one, we handle that paperwork as part of the work. If your house might be on a historic list, I'd check with the city early, before you settle on a look.
If you want a real wood fire, plan for an EPA-certified unit from the start, because Butte County's air district requires one for any new wood-burning installation. Around Chico we mostly run into older brick fireplaces that look great but do little for the room, and builder metal units that are due for a change. We see the same mix on jobs in Paradise and Oroville and across the other cities around Chico.
- Call (530) 399-1517
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
- Chico, CA 95928
What happens when you call Cornerstone Chico Concrete and Masonry in Chico?
Call or send the form
Call (530) 399-1517 or fill out the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. We take calls Monday through Sunday, 7 AM to 10 PM.
I come out and look
I look at your fireplace, the chimney and the room, and I work out what's really going on before I price anything. I'll also ask how you actually use the room, since that steers the unit.
You get a written estimate
The estimate spells out what's in it, from the unit to the masonry to the finish, so you can see what's driving the number. We also sort out whether the city or the county covers your address.
We build, then walk it together
Our crew does the work with me on site. When it's done, we walk the finished fireplace together so you can ask about anything before we leave.
Why Chico homeowners call Cornerstone Chico Concrete and Masonry for fireplace work
The owner stays on site
I come out to look at your fireplace and write the estimate myself, and our own crew does the work with me there. The person who told you what the job needs is the one watching it get built.
Commercial roots, in business since 2020
I learned on a big commercial crew laying brick, block and stone, and I started this business in Chico in 2020. On those jobs I saw good brick ruined by the wrong mortar or a fast tool, so your firebox gets slow, careful work from us.
Fully licensed and insured
Cornerstone is fully licensed and insured. Before you hire anyone, ask for their California State contractor's license number and their City of Chico business license number, since the city wants both from contractors applying for permits online for the first time.
On a fireplace, most of the job is matching the unit to the fireplace you have and how you'll use it. Tell us about yours and I'll come take a look.
Request an estimateGet a free on-site estimate for your fireplace or insert
We reply within one business day. I'll come out to look at your fireplace, chimney and room and write you a free estimate, with no pressure to book.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Phone
- (530) 399-1517
- Location
- Chico, CA 95928
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
Questions about fireplace installation in Chico
Can I put an insert in my factory-built fireplace?
Yes, but only an insert designed and tested for that specific unit. A factory-built fireplace, often called a zero-clearance unit, decides which inserts can go in. I'll look for its make and model on my visit, and we'll pick from there.
Will a fireplace insert heat my home better than an open fireplace?
Usually, yes. An open fireplace is a very inefficient heater that sends most of its heat up the chimney. EPA's national guidance suggests a gas, pellet or EPA-certified wood insert for more efficient heat with less smoke. If you mostly want the look, an open fireplace can still be the right call, and I'll say so.
How much does a gas fireplace insert cost in Chico?
Across the US, a gas insert for an existing masonry fireplace usually costs about $3,500 to $7,500 per job, including the gas line and liner. That's a national planning figure, not our price. Your written estimate is where you'll see the Chico number for your house.
Can I install a new wood-burning fireplace in Chico?
Yes, as long as the unit is EPA-certified, which is the Butte County rule on new wood-burning installations I mentioned above. Pick a certified model from the start and we'll build the masonry around it.
How do I choose a gas fireplace insert?
Compare the efficiency of the models you're looking at. Gas inserts burn very cleanly and need no EPA certification, but how well they heat varies a lot from one model to the next. They can vent through your existing chimney or straight out through the roof or wall. EPA doesn't support unvented models, which are illegal in some places, and it advises having a certified technician install a gas unit and inspect it every year.
What is the best way to make an old wood fireplace burn cleaner?
One step EPA points to is an EPA-qualified retrofit device fitted to your existing fireplace, which can cut pollution by about 70% if it's installed and run properly. The retrofit maker can tell you which devices suit your fireplace, so check with them before you buy.
Other masonry work around a fireplace
Stone veneer installation
Stone veneer gives a plain or dated fireplace wall a full stone face for less weight than solid stone, and it pairs well with a new insert.
Concrete block walls
Concrete block gives a new fireplace, indoors or out, a solid core to build on, and it's the same skill behind garden and privacy walls.
Get your fireplace or insert planned right
Have a floor plan handy and know whether your fireplace is masonry or factory-built, because those two things tell me fastest what fits your room.
Request an estimateCall (530) 399-1517