Fireplace installation in Bellingham WA - built around how you'll use it
A bare wall that needs a fire, or an old firebox that never warms the room? We'll help you pick the right fireplace and build it.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What goes into installing a new fireplace or insert in Bellingham?
Fireplace installation in Bellingham means building a brick or stone fireplace on site, or setting a factory-built unit, an insert or a gas stove, usually finished with a hearth and a brick or stone surround. Most fireplaces end up giving a room its look and some extra heat rather than heating the whole house, and the right type depends on which of those you want more. We're based in Bellingham and do this work across Whatcom and Skagit counties.
Most people who call us have either an empty wall they'd like a fire on or an old fireplace that looks nice and does little else. The price turns mostly on the type you pick, then on the size, the brick or stone veneer around it and whether there's a sound chimney already in place. The schedule turns on those same things, since a masonry fireplace goes up course by course while a unit gets set and framed in, and on what the office for your address needs before we start. When I come out, I put what I'd do in writing, so you see your own figure instead of a guess.
How do you know it's time for a new fireplace or insert?
The fire doesn't warm the room
You light a fire, sit close, and the rest of the room stays cold, sometimes colder by the end of the night. That usually means an open fireplace is sending its heat and your warm air up the chimney, and every winter you wait is more wood burned mostly for the view.
An old unit showing wear
Cracked panels inside the firebox, doors that don't close tight or a surround pulling away on an older factory-built fireplace usually mean it's near the end of its life. It's better to plan a replacement or a matched insert now than to find out in January, when you want to use it.
A bare wall in a remodel
If you're opening walls or redoing a room anyway, that's usually the easiest time to add a fireplace, because the framing, floor and finishes are already being worked on. Adding one later means opening up finished work again.
Often built alongside a fireplace
Stone veneer installation
Thin stone set over a fireplace surround or chimney breast gives you a natural stone face, and it can tie the fireplace to stone elsewhere on the house.
Concrete block walls
A solid block backing often sits behind a brick or stone face, and block is the usual starting point for an outdoor fireplace or chimney.
How we handle fireplace installation
I start every fireplace job with one question, whether you want it mostly for the look or for some real warmth, because your answer points us toward a masonry fireplace, a factory-built unit, an insert or gas. Then I look at what's already there, the wall, the floor under it and any firebox or chimney, since that decides what will fit and what has to be built. Once you've chosen, our masons lay the base, build or set the fireplace, finish the hearth and surround in brick or stone that suits the house, and clean up before we leave.
A lot of fireplaces need masonry around them. If you'd like the look of stone without the weight of a full stone build, stone veneer installation can cover the surround or the whole chimney wall, and when a masonry fireplace or an outdoor fire feature needs a solid core, we build it with concrete block walls first.
Masonry fireplace
This suits you if you want brick or stone built into the house and the look matters most. Our masons build the firebox, hearth and chimney on site, so it can match the brick or stone you already have.
Factory-built fireplace
This suits a room without a chimney, or a homeowner who wants a fire without a full masonry build. Washington state doesn't allow a new or used factory-built fireplace to be installed unless it's certified and labeled for smoke emissions under the state's test, so that label is the first thing to look for.
Fireplace insert
This suits a fireplace you already have and would like more warmth from. The insert sits inside your existing firebox, so you keep the hearth and surround you've got.
Gas stove
This suits you if you'd like a fire at the turn of a knob without splitting or hauling wood. We plan it around where it can vent in your house, which often decides where it goes.
Get a written fireplace estimate for your home
We'll reply within one business day, then I'll come out, look at the room with you and leave a free written estimate with no obligation. Or call (360) 255-7006.
Call (360) 255-7006Why Bellingham homeowners call Allied Bellingham Concrete and Masonry for a fireplace
I see the job myself
I come out, look at the room with you and write the estimate myself, then check in with our masons and with you while the work goes on. You're dealing with the same person from the first visit to the last course of brick.
Selling stone before laying it
I spent my first years selling brick, block and stone across a supply counter, and I've run this business since 2013. That's where I learned to explain a choice as many times as it takes rather than rush anyone into one.
Licensed and insured, plainly stated
We're licensed and insured. Ask about it when I'm out, and I'll answer before you sign anything.
Materials matched to your house
Around Bellingham we work on everything from older brick homes to newer builds, and I pick the brick, stone and mortar to suit the house the fireplace is going in. A fireplace that looks like it belongs is one you'll be glad to sit by for years.
With a fireplace, the choice of type decides most of what follows, so tell me how you'd like to use yours and we'll start there.
What happens when you call about a fireplace in Bellingham?
Call or send a request
Call (360) 255-7006 or send the form and tell us about the room and any fireplace already there. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I walk the room with you
I look at the wall, the floor and any firebox or chimney, ask how you want to use the fire and answer your questions. Then I leave a written estimate of what I'd build and what it costs, so you know the price before anything starts.
We check rules, set a start
Before work starts, we check with the office that covers your address and tell you what it says, and if a permit is needed, we help you sort out the application. Then we pick a start date that works for you.
Our masons build and finish
Our masons build or set the fireplace, finish the hearth and surround, and clean up. I check in with them and with you along the way.
Common questions
Which type of fireplace costs less to install in Bellingham?
A factory-built unit usually costs less, which is a big part of why so many new homes in the US have one. A masonry fireplace built on site from brick or stone costs more, and what you're paying for is a custom look that can match the rest of the house. I'll put the cost of the option you want in writing once I've seen the room.
Will a new fireplace actually heat my house?
An open wood fireplace usually won't, because most traditional open fireplaces lose over 90 percent of the fire's heat up the chimney and pull a lot of the room's warm air out with it. An open fireplace makes sense when the look matters most to you, and if you want real warmth, an insert or a gas stove is usually the better choice.
Can I put an insert in my factory-built fireplace?
Yes, as long as the insert is designed and tested for that particular unit. A factory-built fireplace, sometimes called zero-clearance, can't take just any insert, and one matched to it burns more efficiently and puts out less smoke. Know the make of your fireplace when you shop, and tell me what it is when you call.
How do I vent a gas stove in my house?
A gas stove can vent through an existing chimney, or straight out through the roof or the wall behind it. The EPA doesn't support unvented models because of indoor air quality, and some places make them illegal to install, so plan on a vented stove. Gas stoves vary in efficiency, so compare models before you buy.
Can I use my fireplace during a burn ban in Bellingham?
Not during a Stage II ban, which stops burning in any fireplace, wood stove or pellet stove, and not in an uncertified fireplace during a Stage I ban. The Northwest Clean Air Agency calls these bans when air pollution is unhealthy or heading that way, usually in the colder months, and a household with no other adequate heat can ask the agency for an exemption. If you're counting on wood for heat, keep that in mind when you choose a type.
How do I apply to the City of Bellingham for a building project?
The city takes building and land-use applications by email at permits@cob.org. Its permit center lists electrical, fire, mechanical and plumbing permits, and fireplace installation isn't named on its own, so ask the city what your job needs, or we can check for you as part of getting started.
Tell us what fireplace you have in mind
Have a floor plan and the type of any fireplace you already have handy when you call (360) 255-7006, send the form or email sales@bellinghamconcreteandmasonry.com, so I can match the options to the space you want to warm.