Fireplace Remodel in Arleta, Built on a Clean Report

Most remodel calls start with a photo of a dated brick face or a builder-grade surround and a picture from a magazine. Before any of that, we inspect the fireplace and chimney behind it, because a remodel is the one time the face comes off and everything under it can be seen and fixed at a lower cost. The report tells you what kind of fireplace you have, which matters a great deal: a factory-built unit has clearance rules from its manufacturer that limit what can go around it, and some stone and tile setups that look fine in a showroom are not allowed on certain units. A masonry fireplace has more freedom, but its clearances to a wood mantel and trim still have to be met.

The report also catches the problems a new face would hide: a cracked firebox, missing mortar in the smoke chamber, a damper that does not seal, or a chimney with open joints letting water in. Fixing those during the remodel is simpler than fixing them after new stone is set. If the report shows the fireplace is near the end of its life, the scope can include an insert or a new gas unit, and the remodel is planned around that instead.

The written scope lists each part of the job: removal of the old face, any repairs found by the inspection, the new surround material, the hearth extension, the mantel with its height above the opening, and any insert or gas work. Clearance figures are written in, so the measurements are agreed before the mantel is ordered rather than discovered after. Where a permit is needed, as it usually is for gas line work or a new appliance, the scope says so and lists the steps.

If the remodel includes a gas insert in the existing fireplace, our installed price for that part of the job runs from $2,700 to $5,400, depending on the unit, the liner and the gas line run. A direct-vent gas fireplace in a new spot in the house costs $4,350 to $8,700. Stone, tile and mantel work are quoted in writing for your materials and layout. At the end you get a completion report with photos from each stage, including what is behind the new face, since that is the part no one will see again.