Fireplace installation in Brentwood CA - heat that stays in the room, not up the chimney
Old fireplace sending your heat up the chimney, or no fireplace at all? We'll install an insert or gas unit that warms the room.
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Should I put an insert in my fireplace or add a new gas one?
Fireplace installation in Brentwood is usually one of two jobs. We either set a heating unit called an insert into the fireplace you already have, or add a new factory-built fireplace where there isn't one. An insert turns an old fireplace into a heater for the room instead of a hole that loses your heat up the chimney.
At Allied Brentwood Masonry and Concrete, most fireplace calls start one of two ways. Either there's a brick fireplace that looks nice and does next to nothing for the room, or there's no fireplace and you'd like one. The price mostly comes down to which of those you have, how far the vent has to run, and how much framing and surround work goes around the new unit, and those same things set the schedule. If your chimney needs fixing before it can take a liner, we'll handle that with chimney repair first. Your written estimate lays out what your job needs, with photos of what I found.
How we handle fireplace installation
First I sort out how the fireplace will vent, because everything else hangs on that. An insert vents up your chimney through a new flue liner, a pipe run down inside the old chimney, and a direct-vent gas fireplace sends its exhaust through a pipe out the wall or roof. Next we pick a fuel that fits how you use the room. Inserts burn wood, gas or pellets, and the choice mostly comes down to how easy you want it to run against how you want the fire to look and feel. Then our crew sets the unit, keeps every clearance the maker requires, which is the air space between the hot parts and anything that can burn, and follows the maker's installation instructions. A venting maker warns that missing those clearances is a major cause of vent fires, so ask any installer how they'll meet them. I'll show you on yours.
Once the unit is in, most people want the wall around it finished, and stone veneer installation gives it a real stone surround without rebuilding the wall. When a new fireplace needs a solid chase or wall behind it, we build that core out of concrete block walls before anything gets faced.
What to know about fireplace installation in Brentwood
Wood smoke is regulated here, and that should shape your fuel choice before anything goes in the wall. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District's rules cover all of Contra Costa County. When the district forecasts fine-particle pollution above its limit, it calls a mandatory burn ban that stops wood burning. The district recently lowered that limit, so bans now come at lower pollution levels than they used to. If you're set on a wood insert, I'll make sure you know this going in, because you won't be able to light it on every winter night you want to.
We're based in Brentwood and work the cities around it and farther out. On jobs here and in Oakley and Antioch, we see both kinds of houses, older ones with a brick fireplace that hasn't been lit in years and newer ones built without one, so we plan around whichever you've got.
- Call (925) 503-1047
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
- Brentwood, CA 94513
What happens when you call Allied Brentwood Masonry and Concrete in Brentwood?
Call or send the form
Call (925) 503-1047 or use the form and tell us what you have now, a fireplace, a chimney or a bare wall. We'll get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I look it over with you
I come out myself, look at the fireplace, chimney or wall with you and point out what I'm seeing. Then I send a written estimate with photos, so you can see what the job needs before you spend a dime.
Our crew does the install
If you go ahead, we take care of any permits and our own crew does the work. The vent goes in first, then the unit, then the surround.
We walk it together
When it's done, we walk the finished fireplace together. I show you how to run it and what to keep an eye on, so you know how to look after it.
Why Brentwood homeowners call Allied Brentwood Masonry and Concrete for a fireplace
The owner comes to every job
I look at every fireplace job and write the estimate myself, then I'm on site to set the layout and check the work as it goes. You deal with the person answerable for the job from the first visit to the last.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured. On a fireplace job we're cutting through a wall or roof or working inside your chimney, so that's the cover you want behind the crew in your house.
Taught to fix the cause first
I spent years learning this trade under older masons before starting this business in Brentwood in 2021. They taught me to fix the cause, and on a fireplace that means getting the vent and clearances right before anything pretty goes on.
Burn bans raised before you choose
In Contra Costa County a wood fireplace comes with the Air District's burn bans, and I bring that up before you settle on a fuel. Better to hear it from me than to find out after the insert is in.
The vent is the part you'll never see and the part that matters most, so that's where we start. Call or send us the form and I'll come take a look. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Request an estimateGet a written fireplace estimate with photos
We reply within one business day, and then I come out to look at your fireplace or wall, talk through venting and fuel with you, and send a free written estimate with photos. No pressure, no obligation.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Phone
- (925) 503-1047
- Location
- Brentwood, CA 94513
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Questions about fireplace installation in Brentwood
How much does it cost to install a gas fireplace in Brentwood?
Gas fireplace installation across the US usually costs about $2,500 to $10,000 per job, going by 2026 figures. A gas insert going into a fireplace you already have is the most common job and sits near the low end, while a new direct-vent fireplace costs more. Your own number comes in the written estimate after I've seen the space.
What is the best way to add a fireplace to a house with no chimney?
A direct-vent gas fireplace is usually the way to go, because it vents through a pipe out the wall or roof and needs no masonry chimney. A room on an outside wall is easiest, since the pipe has a short way out. For an inside room with no way to vent, one Bay Area contractor's guide points to electric or ethanol units instead.
How long does fireplace installation take?
Most gas fireplace projects take one to three days, with an insert going into a sound existing fireplace at the short end. New framing, venting and surround work stretch that out, and I'll tell you which of those your job involves at the estimate.
Does a gas fireplace work when the power goes out?
It depends on the ignition. A unit with a standing pilot and millivolt valve keeps working with no electricity, while an electronic ignition model needs power, though many offer a battery backup. The blower stops either way, so during an outage you get radiant heat from the fire only.
Can I add a gas fireplace in a room that already has a wood fireplace?
Yes, but the new unit needs its own vent. One direct-vent maker's instructions require each gas unit to have its own separate vent system, not one tied into a chimney serving another appliance. If you're adding one near an old fireplace, ask how the new one will vent, and I'll walk you through it.
What styles of new fireplace can I choose from?
Factory-built fireplaces come in a range of sizes and styles, including see-through, corner, peninsula and oasis models. The hearth industry's trade group calls them surprisingly inexpensive, though the vent run and the surround still shape what your job costs.
Work that often goes with a new fireplace
Stone veneer installation
A new fireplace looks half done against plain drywall or tired brick, and a thin stone face over the wall gives it a proper masonry surround.
Concrete block walls
When a new fireplace or an outdoor fire feature needs a solid wall, base or chase behind it, a block wall gives it a sturdy masonry core.
Tell us about the fireplace you want
Have your current fireplace or chimney type, the room you're picturing and your fuel choice in mind, and the first call gets us most of the way to planning your job.
Request an estimateCall (925) 503-1047