Fireplace installation in San Diego, CA - a sealed unit that suits your home
An old fireplace that drafts or sits unused? We put in an insert or new fireplace that suits your house and heats the room.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What's involved in installing a fireplace in San Diego?
Fireplace installation in San Diego, CA means putting a gas insert into the fireplace you already have, or adding a new sealed unit such as a direct-vent gas fireplace, which draws outside air in for the fire and sends the exhaust out through a wall or roof vent. Either way, the heat comes into the room instead of going up the chimney.
Most calls start with a fireplace that's drafty, smoky or never used, or a room that needs heat it doesn't have. Price and schedule turn mostly on whether we're using what's there or building new, because a new unit means framing, a vent run and a finished surround, while an insert in a sound fireplace skips most of that. If the chimney needs chimney repair first, that comes before the install, and the estimate gives you the figure for your own house.
Is fireplace installation right for your home?
Sound fireplace, little heat
A sound open fireplace that sends its heat up the chimney is a good fit for an insert.
No fireplace in the room
A room with no fireplace can take a new vented unit set on an outside wall.
Tired of hauling wood
If you're tired of hauling wood, a gas unit lights with a switch and leaves nothing to sweep.
Remodel or room addition
Opening walls for a remodel or addition makes it the easiest time to frame in a new fireplace.
How we handle fireplace installation
We start by looking at what you have now, because putting an insert into a sound fireplace is often simpler than building new. If an old fireplace is moving to a different fuel or a different unit, we want the chimney checked before anything goes in, so a new unit isn't set on a flue that can't carry it. Then we lay out where the unit and its vent will go, open or frame the space, set the unit and vent it the way its maker's instructions call for, and build the hearth and surround. We finish by cleaning up inside and out.
A fireplace usually brings masonry work with it. If you want the surround or chimney faced in stone, our stone veneer installation puts a thin stone face on the wall without rebuilding what's behind it. When a new unit needs a chase, the boxed-in column that hides the vent, or a solid wall around it, we build that with the same block work we use for concrete block walls.
Gas insert in your existing fireplace
This suits a house with a sound brick fireplace you hardly use, because the insert sits inside the firebox and keeps the face you already have. Once the chimney has been checked, it's usually the simplest way to get real heat from a fireplace.
New direct-vent gas fireplace
This suits a room with no fireplace, since the unit vents straight out through a side wall or the roof and doesn't need a chimney. It takes more framing and finish work, so it's the bigger of the two jobs.
Sealed wood or pellet unit
This suits owners who want a wood fire or the steady heat of pellets, burned in a sealed firebox or stove. We talk through venting and where you'd keep the wood or pellets before you decide.
What happens when you call about a fireplace installation in San Diego?
Call or send us a message
Call (619) 220-2261 or use the form and tell us what you have now and what you'd like. It helps to mention any existing fireplace or chimney, the fuel you want and where the unit would go.
I come out and look
I look at the fireplace, the chimney and the wall it sits on, and ask what's been going on with it. Then I give you an estimate on site, with the price and whether an insert will do or a new unit makes more sense.
We check what's required
Once you say go, we check with your city or the County of San Diego on what the job needs before anything starts. If inspections are part of it, we plan the work around those visits.
We build it and walk through
Our crew sets the unit, runs the vent, builds the hearth and surround, and cleans up. When it's done, we walk through the finished fireplace with you and show you how it works.
Choosing a surround for your new fireplace
Make it look like it belongs to the house.
The surround and hearth are what you look at every day, so we match them to the house before the room. A brick house usually wants brick, a ranch or Spanish-style home often suits plaster or stone, and a sound old brick face around an insert can stay just as it is.
My advice is to keep good existing masonry rather than tear it off for something new, because a cleaned and repointed brick face usually looks better around an insert than a fresh cover-up. For a new fireplace, stone veneer gives you a stone look on an inside wall without a heavy rebuild.
Examples of masonry work
Look through these examples of brick, stone and concrete work to get a feel for finishes and styles you might want around your own home.
Get a free estimate for your fireplace installation
Tell us about the fireplace or chimney you have now, the fuel you want and where the unit would go. We'll reply within one business day to set up a free estimate on site, with no obligation.
Why San Diego homeowners call Artisan San Diego Concrete & Masonry for fireplace installation
The owner looks at it first
I'm the one who comes out to look at your fireplace and give the estimate. Our own masons and helpers do the work, and I'm on site checking it as it goes, so the person who priced it sees it built.
In business since 2023
We've been in business since 2023, and I learned the trade on a San Diego crew fixing what others got wrong. That's why I'll tell you when a simple insert will do instead of selling you a new build.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured for fireplace work in San Diego homes, in city limits and county areas alike. That matters when our crew is cutting a vent through your wall or roof.
Backed by our satisfaction guarantee
Every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee, and the walk-through at the end is where you look over the finished work with us. To get started, call (619) 220-2261 or send us a message.
Fireplace installation questions
How much does it cost to install a gas fireplace in San Diego?
Installing a gas fireplace across the US usually costs about $2,500 to $10,000 per job, and that's a national figure, not a San Diego quote. A gas insert in a sound existing fireplace costs less than a new direct-vent fireplace, while new framing, venting, the surround and a custom design push the price up. The estimate gives you the figure for your own house.
How do I know if my chimney needs an inspection before a gas insert?
If you're replacing an old fireplace with a unit that burns a different fuel or is a different type, chimney industry guidance recommends a Level Two inspection before the install. Switching a wood fireplace to a gas insert counts, so plan for that check up front. If it turns up a problem, it gets fixed before the insert goes in.
How long does a gas fireplace installation take?
National cost guides put most gas fireplace projects at one to three days, with an insert in a sound existing fireplace at the short end. A new fireplace that needs framing, a vent run and a finished surround takes longer, so leave more room in the schedule for it.
Can I install a wood-burning fireplace in San Diego?
Yes, as long as it's sealed. In the city, only a direct-vent sealed-combustion gas fireplace, a sealed wood-burning fireplace, or a sealed woodstove or pellet stove may be installed, so an open-front wood fireplace isn't on the list. That means you're choosing among sealed gas, wood and pellet units from the start.
Will the city inspect my fireplace installation in San Diego?
Yes, on a permitted job the city requires inspections during construction, covering the foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, the fireplace installation itself and the interior and exterior wall covering. Expect an inspector at your house more than once while the work is underway, and we line those visits up as part of the permit work.
Do older brick chimneys need work before a new fireplace goes in?
Sometimes, and it's worth finding out first, because federal guidance warns that unreinforced masonry chimneys, built without steel inside, can fall outward onto the yard or into the home. When I look at your fireplace I look at the chimney too, and if it needs chimney repair I'll say so. If it's sound, we leave it alone.
Thinking about a new fireplace?
Ask for an estimate and I'll come out, look at what you have now and give you a price on site.
Other work that goes with a fireplace
Fireplace installation rules and homes in San Diego
In the city of San Diego, the city issues a building permit when you add or replace a fireplace, though some gas-burning decorative fireplaces may need only a plumbing or electrical permit, so the unit you pick decides which one applies. A new fireplace enclosure can reach into a required yard by no more than 2 feet 6 inches or half the yard's width, whichever is less, and it has to stay at least 2 feet 6 inches from the property line, which settles where a new unit can go on a tight lot. A custom-designed fireplace needs plans and calculations stamped by an architect or engineer and may go to structural plan review, which adds a design step. We check all of this with the city, or with the County of San Diego if you're outside city limits, and when a permit is needed we take care of the paperwork and the inspections.
A lot of the older homes we see have a brick fireplace that's still sound but barely used, and those usually take an insert well. We do the same fireplace work in La Mesa and Chula Vista, and across the cities around San Diego in both city limits and county areas, so give us a call if you don't see your city listed.