Fireplace installation in Torrance CA - a fire that suits the room and the house
Want a fire where there isn't one, or a better one than you've got? We'll help you pick electric, gas or wood, then build it.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What does it take to add a fireplace to a Torrance home?
Fireplace installation in Torrance means putting an electric, gas or wood-burning fireplace into your house, or fitting an insert into the firebox of the fireplace you already have, so you get a working fire in the room where you want one.
Most people call with one of three things in mind: a room that's never had a fireplace, an old brick one that smokes more than it heats, or a gas line they'd like to put to use. The price mostly comes down to the fuel you pick, whether there's already a gas line and a vent, and how much masonry goes around the unit, and the schedule turns on the same things, because setting an insert into a sound firebox takes far less time than building new venting or a chimney. If the chimney you've got is cracked or leaning, that's a chimney repair to sort out first. Your written estimate spells out the scope, so you know what's included before anyone picks up a tool.
How we handle fireplace installation
I start by looking at three things: the room, whether the house has a gas line and whether a vent is already in place, because those decide most of the choice between electric, gas and wood. If you want wood, I'll be honest with you. It costs the most to build and doesn't do much to heat the house. Once you've picked, our crew opens up and frames the wall, sets the unit or lays up the firebox, ties in the venting, finishes the surround and hearth, and cleans up before we leave.
The masonry around a fireplace is where most of the look comes from, and it's where we spend our time. A lot of our surrounds are stone veneer installation work, thin stone set over the wall so a gas or electric unit gets a real masonry face. When a wood fireplace needs a chimney built from the footing up, the core is often block, the same work as our concrete block walls. Either way we match the mortar to the material, because mortar harder than the brick next to it wins that fight, and the brick loses.
Electric fireplace
Electric costs the least and is the most flexible, because it needs only an outlet and the space for it. It suits townhomes and rooms you can't vent, but it isn't the cheapest way to heat a room and it quits when the power goes out.
Gas fireplace or gas insert
A gas fireplace can go just about anywhere in the house as long as it vents outside, and it costs less when you already have a gas supply. It's also cheaper where a vent is already in place, since adding a new vent system is the expensive part.
Factory-built wood fireplace
This is an insulated steel box that burns real wood and sends the smoke out at the roof. It costs less than masonry, so it suits you if you want a wood fire without paying for a full chimney.
Masonry wood-burning fireplace
This is the traditional brick or stone fireplace, and it's usually the most expensive to install because the chimney gets built along with it. The EPA calls a wood fireplace a very inefficient way to heat a home, since drafts pull warm air up the chimney, so you're buying the fire and the look more than the heat.
Fireplace installation in Torrance and the air district's burn rules
If you're set on wood, know that the South Coast air district decides when you can burn it. Its rule covers the non-desert parts of Los Angeles County, and on No-Burn days, when fine-particle pollution is forecast to pass the district's limit, wood burning has to stop. Those days fall in the wood-burning season, from the start of November through the end of February, which is right when you'd want a fire. So before you pay for a chimney, I'd rather we talk about whether gas gets you what you're after.
A lot of the houses we work on here are older single-story homes with a brick fireplace that's been there since the house was built, and many already have gas service. That usually makes an insert or a gas unit the simplest path, and we see the same setup on jobs in Redondo Beach and Lomita. We're based in Torrance and work in many of the cities around it, so if yours isn't on our list, call and ask.
Why Torrance homeowners call AJ Torrance Concrete and Masonry for fireplaces
I come out myself
I come out to look at the room, the wall and whatever vent or chimney you've got. The person who sizes up your job is the same person who writes the estimate.
Our crew, with a lead mason
Our own crew does the work, with a lead mason running the site and me stopping by to check on it. You know who's in your house and who's in charge of it.
In Torrance since 2013
I spent years at a masonry supply yard hearing how jobs went after the trucks left, then started this business in Torrance in 2013. I learned what goes wrong on other people's jobs before I ever laid a brick.
Licensed and insured before we start
We're licensed and insured. A fireplace means opening a wall in your house, and that's not a job to hand to someone who isn't.
The right fuel gets picked before anything gets cut, and that's a conversation we have standing in your room. Get in touch and we'll set a time. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Request a quoteGet a written fireplace estimate for your room
Send the form and we'll reply within 1 business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done at your property and obligation-free. You get it in writing with the scope spelled out.
What happens after you call about a fireplace in Torrance?
Call or send a request
Call (424) 318-3093 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Tell us which room you have in mind so I know what I'm walking into.
I look at the room
I check the wall, the gas supply and any vent or chimney you already have, and tell you what I see. Then you get a written estimate with the scope spelled out, so you can see what's included and compare it fairly.
Our crew does the work
If your job needs a permit, we handle the application with the city or county office that covers your address and tell you what we learn before any work starts. Then our crew does the job, with a lead mason running the site.
I check it before we finish
I look the job over before we call it done. We clean up so the room is ready to use.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to install a gas fireplace in Torrance?
Across the US, putting in a gas fireplace insert or a new direct-vent gas fireplace usually costs about $2,500 to $11,000 per job, labor included. That's the market's range, not our price, and the gas line and venting covered above decide most of where yours lands. Your written estimate gives you your own number.
Can I put in a fireplace if my house doesn't have a chimney?
Yes. An electric fireplace needs only an outlet and the space for it, and a gas fireplace can go just about anywhere in the house as long as it's vented outside. Wood is the one that needs a chimney, either masonry or a factory-built flue up to the roof.
How long does fireplace installation take?
Most fireplace projects take one to three days, according to a national cost guide. An insert going into a sound existing fireplace sits at the short end, while new framing, venting and surround work take longer. I'll tell you what your job involves at the estimate.
Can I burn wood in my fireplace every night in winter in Torrance?
Not every night. On the air district's No-Burn days, which fall in the winter season described above, wood burning has to stop. The same rule bars burning anything not meant as fuel and bars the sale of wood that hasn't dried out yet.
Does a gas fireplace work when the power goes out?
A gas fireplace with a standing pilot, a small flame that stays lit, keeps working without electricity, but an electronic-ignition model needs power. Many electronic models offer a battery backup, though the blower stops either way, so you get radiant heat only.
How do I add an insert to my existing fireplace?
An insert fits inside the firebox of the masonry or metal fireplace you already have. If yours is a factory-built, or zero-clearance, fireplace, the EPA says the insert has to be one designed and tested for that unit, so I find out what you've got before we choose one.
Other work that often goes with a new fireplace
Stone veneer installation
A stone veneer face around the opening gives a gas or electric unit the look of a full stone fireplace without the weight or cost of solid stone.
Concrete block walls
When a wood fireplace needs a chimney built from the ground up, or the wall behind it needs a solid core, block is usually what we start with.
Torrance, CA
Set up your fireplace estimate today
Tell us which fuel you're leaning toward and whether the house has a gas line and a vent, and I'll come out ready to talk through what fits.