Fireplace Installation Services – Wood, Gas, and Electric Options

You’re sitting in your living room on a January evening when the temperature outside drops to 15 degrees, and you’re thinking how much better this space would be with a fireplace. You’re not alone. Nearly half the homeowners we talk to in the Kansas City area have been daydreaming about adding a fireplace for years but never pulled the trigger because they think it’s too complicated or expensive.

Here’s the thing: fireplace installation isn’t what it used to be. You’ve got options now that weren’t around twenty years ago, and some of them are surprisingly straightforward to install. Whether you want the real-deal wood-burning experience or something you can turn on with a remote, there’s a setup that’ll work for your home and budget.

Wood-Burning Fireplaces: The Traditional Choice

Let’s be honest. Nothing beats the smell and crackle of a real wood fire. If you grew up with one, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

The catch? Wood-burning fireplaces require the most work upfront. You need a proper chimney system that vents all the way through your roof, and in Kansas City, that means accounting for our temperature swings. When it’s 70 degrees one day and 30 the next, your masonry expands and contracts. We build for that. A full masonry fireplace with a brick or stone chimney typically runs between $3,500 and $10,000 depending on materials and complexity. If you’re adding one to an existing home rather than building new, expect to be on the higher end of that range because we’re cutting through walls and roofing.

The installation timeline runs about two to three weeks for most projects. That includes building the firebox, constructing or installing the chimney, adding the hearth and mantel, and making sure everything’s up to code. The city inspector will need to sign off on it before you burn your first log.

One thing most people don’t consider: where are you storing the wood? You’ll need a dry spot that’s protected from our humid summers but accessible when it’s snowing. And you’re looking at annual chimney cleaning and inspection. Wood fires create creosote buildup, and that stuff is legitimately dangerous if you let it accumulate.

Gas Fireplaces: Convenience Meets Ambiance

Gas fireplaces have come a long way from those fake-looking blue flames you remember from the ’90s. Modern gas units produce realistic flames and throw serious heat.

The big advantage? You’re not dealing with ashes, you don’t need to stock firewood, and you can control the flame height with a wall switch or remote. Some newer models even have smartphone apps, though I’m not sure you really need to adjust your fireplace from the grocery store. But hey, it’s there if you want it.

Installation is generally simpler than wood-burning, but you still need venting. Direct-vent gas fireplaces are the most common setup we install. They vent horizontally through an exterior wall, which means we don’t always need to run a full chimney through your roof. This makes them perfect for basement installations or rooms on exterior walls. A direct-vent system pulls combustion air from outside and sends exhaust back out, so it’s efficient and safe. You’re looking at $2,500 to $6,000 for a quality direct-vent gas fireplace installation.

There’s also vent-free gas fireplaces, which don’t require any external venting at all. They’re designed to burn so cleanly that they can exhaust into your living space. Some people love them because installation is dirt simple and inexpensive. Others won’t have them in their homes because they add moisture to your indoor air and, well, you’re technically burning gas inside your living room. They’re legal in Kansas and Missouri, but you need to run them with a window cracked for fresh air. Personally, I’d stick with vented options.

Electric Fireplaces: The Simple Solution

Don’t write off electric fireplaces as cheap imitations. Modern electric units have gotten impressive, and for certain situations, they’re the smartest choice.

The installation is about as simple as it gets. Most electric fireplaces plug into a standard 120-volt outlet. You can mount them on a wall like a flat-screen TV, build them into a mantel unit, or insert them into an existing fireplace opening. We’ve installed them in condos, apartments, bedrooms, bathrooms, and even outdoor covered patios. Total installation time? Usually a few hours, maybe a full day if we’re building custom cabinetry around it.

Cost-wise, you’re looking at $500 to $3,000 depending on size and features. The flame effects use LED lights and rotating mirrors or screens to simulate fire, and honestly, some of the higher-end models look pretty convincing from across the room. They also produce heat, typically around 5,000 BTUs, which is enough to warm up a medium-sized room on those chilly KC evenings when you don’t want to crank up the whole-house furnace.

The obvious downside is that it’s not real fire. You’re not going to get that authentic experience. But if you live in a condo that doesn’t allow wood or gas, or you’re renting and want something you can take with you, electric makes perfect sense.

What Works Best for Kansas City Homes

The “best” fireplace depends entirely on your situation, but here’s what we typically recommend based on common scenarios around here.

For newer homes in subdivisions like those out in Overland Park or Lee’s Summit, gas fireplaces are usually the sweet spot. They’re clean, convenient, and you’re not dealing with the hassle of wood storage or regular ash cleanup. Most builders are putting them in during construction now because homeowners want the ambiance without the maintenance.

Older homes in areas like Brookside or Prairie Village with existing chimneys? If that chimney’s in good shape, a wood-burning fireplace or wood insert makes sense. You’ve already got the infrastructure, so you might as well use it properly. We inspect the existing chimney first to make sure the liner’s intact and the structure’s sound. If it needs relining or repair, we handle that before installing anything new.

Basements are perfect for direct-vent gas units since we can vent straight out through foundation walls. It’s way easier than trying to run venting up through multiple floors. Electric works great down there too if you just want zone heating for a home theater or game room.

The Installation Process

Every installation starts with an in-home consultation. We need to see your space, understand what you want, and figure out what’s actually feasible. Not every wall can support every fireplace type, and sometimes there’s structural issues or electrical considerations that change the plan.

For gas installations, we coordinate with licensed gas fitters to run supply lines if needed. The venting has to meet manufacturer specs exactly, and we pull permits for everything. Kansas City’s building codes are pretty straightforward, but they exist for good reasons. We’ve seen too many DIY fireplace disasters to cut corners on permitting and inspections.

Wood-burning installations are the most involved. We’re often coordinating with masons for the chimney, carpenters for framing and mantels, and roofers for proper flashing where the chimney penetrates the roof. It’s a multi-trade job, which is why the timeline stretches longer.

Electric? That’s usually a one-day affair unless we’re building elaborate millwork around it. Mount it, plug it in, enjoy.

Ongoing Costs and Maintenance

Don’t forget to factor in what happens after installation. Wood-burning fireplaces need annual inspections and cleaning, which typically runs $150 to $300 depending on how much you’ve used it. You’re also buying firewood unless you’ve got a free source, and good seasoned hardwood isn’t cheap anymore.

Gas fireplaces should get inspected every couple of years to check the gas lines, pilot assembly, and venting system. It’s usually around $100-150 for a service call. The gas itself is relatively inexpensive since you’re probably on municipal natural gas here in the metro.

Electric fireplaces need basically nothing except occasionally wiping down the glass front. The LED components are rated for 50,000+ hours, so they’ll outlast most other components in your house.

Making Your Decision

Start by figuring out what matters most to you. Is it the authentic experience of real fire? The convenience of instant-on heat? Your budget? The physical constraints of your house?

We install all three types regularly throughout the Kansas City area, and there’s no wrong answer. Well, there’s wrong installations, but there’s no wrong type of fireplace if it fits your needs and lifestyle. The guy who wants to split his own wood and tend a fire on winter weekends isn’t going to be happy with an electric unit. And the busy family who wants instant ambiance without the mess isn’t going to use a wood-burning fireplace enough to justify it.

If you’re thinking about adding a fireplace to your Kansas City area home, we’re happy to walk through your options without any pressure. Sometimes a fifteen-minute conversation can save you from going down the wrong path. Give us a call and we’ll figure out what makes sense for your space and how you actually live.