Fireplace installation in Riverside CA - a fireplace you'll actually light
A drafty fireplace you never light, or a room that needs one? We fit gas log sets, inserts and direct-vent units that heat the room.
Tell us about the fireplace you have
Call (951) 462-2880 or use the form, and a quick note on your current fireplace or chimney and the room you want warm tells me what to look at when I come out.
What does it take to put in a fireplace in Riverside?
Fireplace installation in Riverside, CA is usually one of three jobs: a gas log set in a fireplace you already have, an insert in an existing chimney, or a new direct-vent unit that heats the room and sends the exhaust outside.
Most people who call have an old wood fireplace they've stopped lighting, or a family room with no fireplace and a lot of chilly evenings. Price and schedule both turn on how much of your house we can reuse, because a log set uses the whole fireplace while a new direct-vent unit needs new framing, venting, gas and finish work. If the chimney needs chimney repair first, it's better to find that at the estimate than after the insert shows up. Your written estimate spells out which job you're getting and how we'll build it.
Why Riverside homeowners call Keystone Riverside Concrete and Masonry for fireplaces
The owner measures every job
I come out myself, look at your fireplace and chimney and write the estimate, then a lead mason runs the crew on site. The person who priced your job knows exactly what was promised.
Built to the drawings since 2017
I laid block and brick for a big commercial outfit before starting this company in Riverside in 2017. That taught me the firebox, flue and hearth behind the pretty stone matter most.
Licensed and fully insured, every job
We're licensed and fully insured, which counts when the work is gas and venting inside your house. I'd also rather tell you a job can wait than sell you one you don't need.
When you're ready, send us the details or call (951) 462-2880, and I'll come take a look at what you've got.
How we handle fireplace installation
We start with what you already have, since reusing a sound fireplace or chimney usually costs less than starting over. I look at the firebox, the flue and the chimney, and if the old chimney isn't fit to carry an insert, I'll tell you before you buy one. A log set or insert goes into the opening you have, so most of our work there is fit, seal and finish. A new direct-vent unit is a bigger job, with framing, venting, gas and finish work before the surround goes on. We close out with the hearth and the face, then clean up, because brick dust gets into everything, including the couch.
A new fireplace usually needs a good face, and plenty of owners finish the surround with stone veneer installation so it looks like full stone without the weight. When a unit needs a solid wall or a raised hearth behind it, we build that the same way we build concrete block walls, on a proper base with the steel where it belongs.
Gas log set in your fireplace
This suits a fireplace and chimney in good shape that you mostly want for looks, since it uses the whole fireplace as is. If you still like burning wood, EPA guidance notes a gas log lighter kit can go into the fireplace you already have.
Insert in your existing chimney
This suits a sound chimney when you want the fireplace to actually heat the room. The insert sits in the old firebox and vents up the chimney, so the chimney has to be in shape to carry it.
New direct-vent unit
This suits a room with no fireplace, or a chimney that isn't worth saving, and it's the most work of the three. On any gas unit I'd steer you to a vented model, because EPA doesn't support vent-free gas stoves over indoor air quality and they're illegal in some places.
How do you know it's time to redo your fireplace?
A fireplace you never light
If it just collects dust because hauling wood is a hassle, a gas log set or insert usually makes it worth using again. Waiting mostly costs you another winter with a cold corner.
Smoke drifting into the room
Smoke that rolls back out usually means a draft problem or a flue that's damaged or blocked. Putting it off keeps smoke in your house and lets the damage behind it grow.
Crumbling mortar in the firebox
Joints that turn to sand when you poke them mean the mortar has given up, which bad mortar does early. Left alone, heat works into the gaps and loose brick follows.
Cracked or leaning chimney
An old brick chimney with cracks or a lean needs a look before you reuse it, because FEMA treats older masonry chimneys as a falling hazard in an earthquake. Waiting won't improve it.
What happens after you call about a fireplace in Riverside?
Call, and I come measure
Call or send the form, and I come out to look at the fireplace, the chimney and the room. You get a written estimate saying what we'll build and how.
We pull permits, then build
If the job needs a permit, we pull it and book the inspections before work starts. Then our lead mason runs the crew through the framing, venting and masonry.
I check it before we're done
Once the crew wraps up and any inspection is passed, I go over the unit, the vent and the surround myself. It isn't finished until I've checked it.
Fireplace questions we hear most
These are the questions I get standing in front of somebody's hearth. If yours isn't here, ask when you call, since the answer usually depends on what's already in your wall.
How much does a gas fireplace cost to install in Riverside?
Gas fireplace installation across the US usually costs about $2,500 to $10,000 per job, by one industry guide's count. That's the national market for the whole install, not our price. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your house.
Do I need a permit to install a fireplace in Riverside?
Plan on one, because the city issues permits to alter a building or install gas systems, and its list of work that needs no permit names finish jobs like tiling, not fireplace installation. The city also warns that work outside its codes can significantly cut a home's value, and insurers may decline to cover work done without permits and inspections. When your job needs one, we pull it and schedule the inspections, and if it isn't clear, we check with the city before we start.
How do I check on a fireplace permit in Riverside?
Use the city's online permit portal, which lets owners submit applications and plans, pay fees, track progress and schedule inspections at any hour. When we pull the permit we handle the inspection scheduling, but you can still look up where it stands whenever you like.
How long does fireplace installation take?
One industry guide puts most gas fireplace projects at one to three days of work. An insert going into a sound fireplace sits at the short end, while new framing, venting and surround work stretch it out. Your estimate tells you which end your job lands on.
Is a wood fireplace a good way to heat my home?
Not really, since EPA guidance calls a wood-burning fireplace a very inefficient way to heat a house because drafts pull warm air up the chimney and leave other rooms cooler. If you want more heat with less smoke, EPA points owners to gas, pellet or EPA-certified wood inserts.
Who should install a gas fireplace insert in my house?
Someone trained and licensed for the work, and EPA says any stove should be installed by a certified technician and inspected every year. In Riverside, a contractor taking out the permit shows a California Contractors State Licensing Board license and a current city business license, so ask to see both. It's also fair to ask any installer about their training and about yearly inspection.
Get a written fireplace estimate
Tell us about your current fireplace or chimney and the room you want heated, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out, measure and write you a free estimate, with no obligation.
Fireplace and hearth work
Work that often goes with it
Stone veneer installation
If your new fireplace needs a surround, stone veneer gives the hearth wall the look of real stone, and it can freshen up a tired brick face too.
Learn moreConcrete block walls
When a fireplace needs a solid wall behind it or a raised hearth under it, block is what holds it, built on a footing that won't settle.
Learn more