Fireplace Remodeling and Renovation Services

Your fireplace is probably the most outdated feature in your house, and you walk past it every single day pretending not to notice. Maybe it’s that brass trim from 1987, or the brick that’s been painted over three times in increasingly questionable colors. Here’s the good news: you don’t have to live with it anymore.

Why Kansas City Homeowners Are Finally Tackling That Fireplace

We’ve seen a huge uptick in fireplace renovation projects over the past few years. Part of it’s the home improvement boom, sure, but there’s more to it than that. People are actually using their fireplaces again, especially after experiencing those Kansas City winters where the temperature drops twenty degrees overnight and you’re scrambling for extra heat sources.

When you’re using something regularly, you notice its flaws. That dated look becomes impossible to ignore. And let’s be honest, if you’re thinking about selling eventually, that fireplace is one of the first things potential buyers see when they walk into your living room.

The thing is, most homeowners have no idea what’s actually possible with a fireplace remodel. They assume they’re stuck with what they’ve got, or that changing it means tearing down walls and spending a fortune. Not true. We’ve transformed fireplaces in as little as three days, and the results completely change how a room feels.

What Actually Goes Into a Fireplace Renovation

Every project’s different, but here’s what most people are working with. You’ve got the firebox itself, the surround (that’s the area directly around the opening), the mantel, and the hearth. Then there’s whatever material covers the larger wall area, whether that’s brick, stone, tile, or drywall. Any or all of these can be updated.

The simplest remodels focus on cosmetic changes. Maybe you’re refacing the brick with stone veneer, or replacing that builder-grade wooden mantel with something custom. These projects typically run between $2,500 and $6,000, depending on materials. You’re not touching the chimney structure or the firebox, just updating what people see.

Mid-range renovations might include converting from wood-burning to gas, which a lot of Kansas City homeowners are doing. You get the ambiance without the hassle, and your chimney doesn’t need cleaning as often. This involves installing a gas line if you don’t have one, adding a gas insert, and often updating the entire surround to accommodate the new setup. Budget anywhere from $7,000 to $12,000 for this type of project.

The Full Transformation Projects

Then there are the complete overhauls. These are for fireplaces with structural issues, or when you want to dramatically change the size, shape, or style. We’re talking about potentially relocating the firebox, rebuilding the hearth, adding built-in shelving on either side, or extending the stone all the way to the ceiling.

One project we did last year in Prairie Village involved taking a small, awkward corner fireplace and turning it into a floor-to-ceiling stone feature wall with a linear gas insert. The homeowners had been avoiding that room for years because the layout felt so off. After the renovation, it became their favorite space in the house. That project took about two weeks and ran close to $20,000, but it fundamentally changed how they used their home.

Look, those high-end projects aren’t for everyone. But they show what’s possible when you stop thinking of your fireplace as a fixed feature you inherited and start seeing it as something you can actually design.

Materials That Hold Up in Our Climate

Kansas City weather is rough on houses. We get freeze-thaw cycles all winter, humidity in the summer, and enough temperature swings to make any building material think twice about its life choices.

For fireplace surrounds, we’ve had the best luck with natural stone, manufactured stone veneer, and tile. Real stone costs more upfront but it’s going to look the same in twenty years. Manufactured stone veneer gives you a similar look at maybe sixty percent of the cost, and the quality has gotten impressive in recent years. Just make sure whoever’s installing it knows what they’re doing, because bad installation shows immediately.

Tile’s having a moment right now. Not the tile your grandmother had, but large-format porcelain or cement tiles in modern patterns. They handle heat well, they’re easy to clean, and they give you tons of design flexibility. We installed handmade zellige tile on a fireplace in Brookside last month, and the texture and color variation made the whole room feel custom.

For mantels, it really depends on your style. Wood mantels need to be installed at the proper distance from the firebox—usually at least six inches, though local code requirements can vary. Stone or concrete mantels can get closer, but they’re also heavier and need proper support.

Converting to Gas (And Why So Many People Are Doing It)

We do more gas conversions than any other type of fireplace project. The reasons make sense when you think about it. Wood fires are great, but they require planning, cleaning, maintenance, and a steady supply of properly seasoned wood. Gas fires turn on with a switch or remote.

Your existing chimney can usually accommodate a gas insert, though it’ll need a liner installed. The insert sits inside your current firebox, and we build out the surround to make it look intentional. The newer models are shockingly realistic—we’re talking flame patterns and log arrangements that fool people from ten feet away.

The efficiency difference is substantial too. Old masonry fireplaces actually pull heat out of your house more than they add. Gas inserts with sealed combustion can hit seventy to eighty percent efficiency. In a Kansas City winter, that’s not nothing.

Gas conversions do require annual inspections, just like wood-burning fireplaces. The chimney still needs to be checked for blockages, the gas connections need to be verified, and the unit itself needs maintenance. Don’t let anyone tell you gas means zero maintenance.

Design Trends We’re Seeing Locally

Kansas City homeowners have been moving away from the floor-to-ceiling brick look that dominated the ’70s and ’80s. Most people now want something cleaner and more integrated with the room.

The biggest trend is extending the fireplace material to the ceiling but keeping the surround relatively narrow—maybe four to six feet wide instead of the entire wall. This creates a dramatic vertical element without overwhelming the space. We’re using a lot of light gray and white stone for this look, sometimes with subtle texture or veining.

Another direction that’s popular, especially in older homes, is going traditional with painted brick and a substantial wooden mantel. This works great in homes with architectural character where you want the fireplace to feel original to the house, even if you’re actually renovating it.

Linear fireplaces—those long, horizontal gas units—show up in a lot of modern and contemporary renovations. They don’t work in every house, but when they fit the architecture, they create a completely different vibe than a traditional fireplace. More like a design element than a heat source, though they do produce plenty of warmth.

What About Those DIY Fireplace Makeovers?

You’ve seen them online. Someone paints their brick, slaps up some shiplap, installs a beam mantel, and posts the before-and-after photos. Total cost: $300 and a weekend. It looks great in pictures.

Here’s the thing: some fireplace updates are genuinely DIY-friendly. Painting brick, replacing a mantel, updating the hearth tile—these are projects a handy homeowner can tackle. But anything involving the firebox, the chimney structure, gas lines, or major structural changes needs a professional. Not because we want your money, but because fireplace work has real safety implications.

We’ve been called out to fix botched DIY projects, and it’s never fun. Usually the homeowner spent their $300, realized something was wrong, and then spent considerably more to have it corrected. The worst cases involve painted brick that wasn’t properly cleaned first, or mantels installed too close to the firebox opening. These aren’t just aesthetic problems—they’re fire hazards.

If you want to save money, do the demolition yourself. Strip off the old surround material, remove the existing mantel, prep the surface. Then have professionals handle the installation and anything touching the actual fireplace mechanics. You’ll save labor costs without compromising safety.

Timeline and What to Expect

A straightforward cosmetic update takes about three to five days from start to finish. That includes demo, installation, and cleanup. You’ll have some dust and disruption, but it’s manageable.

Projects involving gas conversion or significant structural work take longer—figure two to three weeks. Part of that is coordinating inspections and making sure everything’s up to code. You can’t rush the process, and honestly, you don’t want to.

The planning phase is where time investment really pays off. We typically spend an hour or two with homeowners just discussing options, looking at materials, and talking through how they actually use the space. The homeowners who skip this step or rush through it are usually the ones who wish they’d made different choices six months later.

Getting Started With Your Kansas City Fireplace Project

If you’re tired of looking at that outdated fireplace, we should talk. We work throughout the Kansas City metro area, and we’ve probably tackled whatever situation you’re dealing with. Schedule a consultation, and we’ll walk you through what’s possible for your specific fireplace and budget.

Most people are surprised by how much impact a fireplace renovation has on their entire living space. It’s not just about updating one feature—it changes how the whole room feels and how you use it. That’s worth getting right.