Fireplace installation in Lakewood CA - a fireplace that fits the room and vents right
Cold room or a tired old firebox? We settle fuel and venting first, then put in a fireplace that suits your house.
- Fuel and venting first We settle these before deciding where the unit goes.
- Old chimney checked first We look at whether your chimney can serve the new unit.
- Honest about what's needed If your old firebox is fine, I'll tell you so.
- Built to hold up We build the hearth and surround to last for years.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
How do you know it's time for a new fireplace?
Many fireplace installation calls we get in Lakewood start with an old firebox that smokes, leaks cold air or never gets lit. Dealing with it early keeps the job simpler.
Smoke coming back into the room
When smoke rolls into the room instead of up the flue, the fireplace usually isn't drawing right. Keep using it and you breathe it while soot creeps up the wall.
A fireplace you never light
If the old firebox just collects dust because it's messy or smoky, you're keeping masonry that does nothing. A gas insert often turns it into something you'll actually use.
Cracked bricks in the firebox
Cracks in the firebox or hearth mean heat has been working on the masonry for years. Keep burning in it and that heat can start reaching the wood framing behind it.
Cold air coming down the chimney
A cold draft from the fireplace in winter usually means a worn damper or a flue with nothing stopping the air. You're paying to heat air that just leaves the house.
A room that won't warm up
A family room or back room that stays chilly all winter is a common reason people call us. A unit sized for that room usually fixes it for good.
Loose bricks at the chimney top
Loose or missing bricks up top, or a chimney leaning away from the house, need sorting before anything new ties into it. Left alone, those bricks can come down.
How we do fireplace installation
On a fireplace installation in Lakewood, I settle fuel and venting first, because those two decide where the unit can sit and whether your old chimney is any use to it. Then we pick the spot with enough room between the fire and your furniture and framing, size the unit to the room, build or protect the hearth under it so the floor is safe, and run the vent at the right fit and height. Price and schedule mostly follow that venting question, the fuel and how much hearth and surround work the room needs, and you'll get your own figure from the estimate when I come out.
Most of the look comes from the surround, so we can face the wall or chimney breast with stone veneer installation when you want stone without building in solid stone. For an outdoor fireplace, we build the base and back from concrete block walls and finish over them. If the old chimney is staying, chimney repair usually comes first, so it's sound before anything new ties into it.
What happens when you call about a fireplace in Lakewood?
From your first call to the final walk-through, here's how a fireplace job runs with us and who you'll be dealing with.
Call or send the form
Call (562) 249-2437 or use the form, and tell us which room you have in mind and what fireplace or chimney is there now.
I come out and look
I look at the room and the chimney myself, ask what you want and whether you lean gas or wood, then give you an estimate.
Permit, then the work
If you go ahead, we get any permit your job needs from the office for your address. Then our crew sets the unit, hearth and vent.
Clean up and walk it
We clean up, then I walk the finished fireplace with you and show you how it runs before we call it done.
Why Lakewood homeowners call Caliber Lakewood Concrete and Masonry
The owner looks at your room
I come out to look at the job myself, so the person pricing your fireplace is the one who knows the work.
In business since 2017
I started this business in 2017 after learning the trade under older masons, and we still don't rush the work.
Licensed and insured for every job
We're licensed and fully insured, so you're not left carrying the risk of the work done in your house.
Based right here in Lakewood
We're based in Lakewood, where plenty of houses have an original brick fireplace, so we check yours before planning around it.
Get a fireplace estimate for your room
Tell us the room, your current fireplace or chimney, and whether you lean gas or wood. We reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate with no obligation, and I'll come out to look.
Fireplaces and hearths to browse
Scroll through these examples of fireplaces, hearths and surrounds to get a feel for the styles and materials you might want in your room.
Fireplace questions we hear
These are the questions people ask us most about putting in a fireplace in Lakewood. If yours isn't here, give us a call and ask about your own room.
Is a gas fireplace cleaner than a wood fireplace?
Yes, gas is the cleaner choice. Older EPA guidance, now archived, says gas stoves and gas fireplace inserts burn very cleanly on natural gas or propane and give off very little pollution. Gas units don't need EPA certification, so don't worry if a gas listing doesn't show one, and the same guidance says to have any stove inspected every year.
Can a new gas fireplace insert use my old chimney?
Not always. One maker's instructions say a direct vent gas unit vents straight outside through its own separate vent system, apart from any chimney serving another appliance. So a house with a wood fireplace may still need a new vent run for gas, which changes the plan and the price, and that's why I settle venting before anything else.
What is the best way to vent a gas fireplace?
Vent it to the outside. EPA guidance doesn't support gas stoves built to run without outside venting because of indoor air quality, and some places make installing one illegal. If you're shopping, plan on a vented model, and we'll work out the route for it when I look at the room.
How do I choose a fireplace installer in Lakewood?
Hire a trained pro, and don't let the lowest bid decide for you. The hearth industry group tells homeowners not to install a fireplace themselves or pick on price alone, and EPA says any stove should be put in by a certified technician. NFI certification isn't a license or a guarantee of good work, but it's a good sign an installer has the training and takes the trade seriously.
When are wood fires limited in Lakewood?
On No-Burn days from the start of November through the end of February, a regional air quality rule says to stop burning wood. The same rule bans burning anything not meant as fuel and bans selling unseasoned wood. A proposed change would lower the pollution level that sets off a No-Burn day and drop the current low-income exemption, so if you want a fire on any winter night, weigh that when choosing between wood and gas.
How much does fireplace installation cost in Lakewood?
The cost comes down to the venting, the fuel and how much masonry goes around the unit. A gas insert set into a sound firebox with a simple vent run usually costs less than building a new fireplace with its own hearth, vent and surround, while chimney repairs, a stone face or a long vent run all add to it. I'll price your room when I come out.
Cities we work in
Based in Lakewood, we work across the cities around it, from Long Beach up to Fullerton and out to Costa Mesa. Pick yours below or call us.
Ready to plan your new fireplace? Call us.
Talk to us before you buy a unit so fuel and venting are settled first, with every job backed by our satisfaction guarantee.