Fireplace Contractor in San Pedro: What to Ask

Hiring a fireplace contractor in San Pedro

A fireplace contractor in San Pedro should be able to tell you two things before any finishes are chosen: does the fireplace draw well, and what the new face will sit on. Ramsey Chimney Care takes on fireplace remodels with that order. Draft is checked first. Then the opening, firebox, hearth and surround are designed so the new look works.

If you are comparing contractors, that order is the test. A remodel built on a smoky fireplace looks good for a week. Ask for a remodel quote and we will start with the draft check.

What a remodel quote should contain

A remodel is a stack of separate decisions, and a good quote lists them separately. Ours is written after the design is set, and each of these is its own line:

• - The draft check, plus any fix to the opening, damper or flue it calls for.
• The firebox lining, in new panels or brick.
• The hearth extension, rebuilt to its required clearance.
• The surround, in tile, stone or plaster.
• The mantel, in wood or built in place.
• Gas conversion, if you want it, planned into the same job.

Stone, tile, plaster and mantel work are quoted in writing once the design is set. We do not print one number for a remodel, because the finish alone can double or halve it. What we can say is what moves the price, so you can compare quotes fairly.

What sets the price

• - The size of the surround and how much material it takes.
• The material: tile, stone, plaster or wood.
• Whether the opening has to be made smaller because smoke spills now.
• Whether the firebox needs a new lining.
• Whether the hearth sticks out and has to be rebuilt to meet clearance.
• Whether the plan includes gas.

For the gas piece, an installed gas insert for the fireplace in place costs $2,650 to $5,300. Where no fireplace stands today, a direct-vent gas fireplace is $4,200 to $8,450. Both are separate from the surround and the mantel, which is why we show them as their own lines. If you are weighing a gas conversion, ask us to price it with the surround. We plan it into the same project, so the wall is only opened once.

Why draft comes first

Most remodels start with looks: dated tile, a painted brick face, a hearth that sticks out into the room. Before choosing finishes, we check whether the fireplace ever drew well. That check changes the design in practical ways:

• - A smaller opening, if smoke spills into the room now.
• A new firebox lining, if the old one has failed.
• A gas conversion, if the wood fire never behaved and you would rather not fight it.
• A different hearth depth, if the current one reaches too far into the room.
• A cap or damper swap, if the problem turns out to be at the top and not in the room.

In the Torrance tracts north of the harbor, fireplaces were built with an opening wider than the flue. Owners tell us it smokes only when the logs are stacked high. A remodel there is a chance to fix the proportion of the opening while the face is open. On the peninsula, in Rancho Palos Verdes, a fire that behaves differently every evening is worth a draft check before any tile is ordered.

Comparing two contractors

A fair comparison asks the same questions of each:

• - Do you check the draft before the design is approved?
• Will the quote list opening, firebox, hearth, surround, mantel and gas separately?
• Who decides the opening size, and why?
• Will the work meet clearance on the hearth extension?
• What is the plan if the check turns up a flue problem?

A contractor who starts with stone samples and finish boards has a different priority than the one who starts with the flue. Ask each of them what happens if the draft check fails, and who pays to fix the opening before the new face goes up. Both can do good work, but only one has answered the question of whether the room will fill with smoke. Ask for the draft check with your remodel quote and compare what each company puts in writing.

Where a smaller job fits

A remodel quote is also easier to read when it sits next to a plain repair price. If a damper swap, a firebox patch or a cap would solve the complaint, we will tell you, and we will write that quote first so you can decide with both numbers on the table.

Not every fireplace needs a full remodel. A tired face with a sound firebox may only need new tile and a repaired damper. We never refuse a small repair. If the better answer is to fix the draft and leave the face alone, we say so and quote that.

If you are not sure which way to go, start with a Level 1 inspection at $52. It tells you what the fireplace is like before you commit to a design. A Level 2 inspection with a camera scan is $370 and is the step up when the flue is in question.

Start the project

Call (562) 232-9680 or send the form with the address, a photo of the fireplace as it stands today and a few lines on what you want it to look like. We will book the draft check, write the quote with each part on its own line, and confirm the design before any work begins.