The Short Answer
On our estimates, fitting a fire and surround into an existing fireplace opening costs about £400 to £900, and a standard install takes two to three hours. Opening up a fireplace, with the hearth, lintel and flue work, is £1,500 to £3,500; adding a fireplace with a whole new chimney system is £1,900 to £3,500.
The flue and any building work decide the price; the surround and the fire you choose add to it. With no chimney at all, I'd look at an electric fire first.
Fireplace prices
| Job | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Fire and surround into an existing opening | £400 to £900 |
| Opening up or creating a fireplace (hearth, lintel, flue work) | £1,500 to £3,500 |
| Fireplace with a whole new chimney system | £1,900 to £3,500 |
| Cast iron fireplace, supplied and fitted | £600 to £1,300 |
| Stone fireplace, supplied and fitted | £600 to £2,600 |
| Flueless gas fire, fitted | £650 to £1,500 |
| Electric fire, fitted | £400 to £3,000 |
What moves the price
What takes a fireplace from a few hundred pounds to a few thousand:
- a new flue, or a new chimney;
- structural work to make or widen the opening;
- the hearth and surround, and a hearth has to be supplied if there isn't one;
- taking out an old fireplace first;
- access to the chimney and the room.
I'd find out what the opening and flue need before you fall for a surround; that's where the surprises are.
Adding a fireplace to a house without one
For a real fire you need a flue. HETAS, the solid fuel scheme, says homes without a chimney can have a twin-wall system chimney, inside or outside the house, while rebuilding a masonry chimney is a builder's job that may need planning permission and building regulations approval. A new flue on a house is permitted development unless it rises 1m or more above the highest part of the roof, or it's on a protected-area elevation facing a road.
Without a flue, the choice is a flueless gas fire (which may need a permanent air vent, depending on the fire and the room) or an electric fire. For a stove, see log burner costs: with a twin-wall flue that's £2,500 to £6,000.
Safety and sign-off
- Fitting or removing a gas fire must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer: it's the law, not advice. Ask for their Gas Safe ID card: the back lists the kinds of gas work they're qualified for. See checking a gas engineer.
- A wood or multi-fuel fire must be notified under building regulations: a HETAS registered installer does it for you.
- Approved Document J asks for a carbon monoxide alarm in the room when a new or replacement solid fuel or gas fire is fitted.
Gas fires
Gas fires come in inset, outset, glass-fronted, balanced flue and flueless versions, priced quite differently: see gas fire costs.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to have a fireplace installed?
On our estimates, about £400 to £900 for a fire and surround in an existing opening, and £1,500 to £3,500 to open up or create a fireplace.
How much does a built-in fireplace cost?
Creating one with the hearth, lintel and flue work is about £1,500 to £3,500, or £1,900 to £3,500 with a whole new chimney system, on our estimates.
Can you add a fireplace to a house without a chimney?
Yes. A twin-wall flue can run inside or outside the house for a real fire or stove; otherwise choose a flueless gas fire or an electric fire, which need no flue.
How long does it take to fit a fireplace?
A standard install into an existing opening takes about two to three hours on our estimates; building work on the opening or flue takes longer.
Do I need a Gas Safe engineer to fit a gas fireplace?
Yes. Any work on a gas fire must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer by law.
How we priced thisView sources (4, 3 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- IndustryConsumer FAQs, HETAS. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialThe Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 1, legislation.gov.uk. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialThe Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 3, legislation.gov.uk. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialApproved Document J: Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems (2010 edition incorporating 2010, 2013 and 2022 amendments), GOV.UK. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
