Fireplace installation in brief
Fireplace installation means fitting a new fireplace in your home. The job starts with choosing a unit that suits the room and the way you want to heat it. It continues with planning how the unit vents, setting it in place, and connecting the flue or chimney and, for gas units, the gas supply. The finishing pieces that make a fireplace ready to use, such as a chimney cap or spark arrestor, are part of the job too. For the full scope and the order of the work, read how fireplace installation works.
What the city asks about fireplaces, chimneys and flues
The city's documents raise three points that affect how a new fireplace and its chimney or flue are planned. Each one below names the document it comes from.
Chimneys and flues visible from neighbors or the street
The City of Mill Valley Planning Department's Design Review application checklist asks applicants to show the location of chimneys and flues that would be visible from adjoining properties or the public right-of-way (source: City of Mill Valley Planning Department - Design Review Application Submittal Checklist). For an installation, this means the vent route matters for more than how the fireplace draws. If a new chimney or flue would be seen from next door or from the street, its location needs to appear on the design review drawings. Settle where the flue exits before those drawings are prepared.
Fireplace and spark arrestor details on submitted plans
The City of Mill Valley Building Department's plan submittal requirements ask applicants to provide details for special features, including fireplaces and a spark arrestor at new or existing chimneys (source: City of Mill Valley Building Department - Plan Submittal Requirements, Residential & Commercial). For an installation, the fireplace unit and the spark arrestor on top of the chimney belong in the plan details from the start. We install spark arrestors and chimney caps as part of finishing a new fireplace, so these pieces can be specified early.
A 10-foot limit above the building's height limit
The City of Mill Valley's design guidelines quote Municipal Code 20.60.060, under which chimneys and other accessory units mounted on buildings may not exceed 10 feet above the building's height limit (source: City of Mill Valley Planning - Multi-Family Residential, Downtown Residential & Mixed Use Design Guidelines and Development Standards). Those guidelines are written for multi-family, downtown residential and mixed-use projects. Where the limit applies, a new chimney's height needs to be planned so its top stays within it.
Ask the city early
Whether your project goes through design review, and which drawings the city wants, is decided by the Planning and Building departments. Ask them before the installation is scheduled, so the fireplace, flue route and chimney top are settled while plans are still easy to change.
Useful to have ready for the estimate visit
- The room where you want the fireplace and roughly where it would sit
- Whether you want it to burn wood or gas
- Where a chimney or flue could exit, and whether that spot is visible from neighbors or the street
- Any design review or plan drawings already started for the project
- Questions from the city's Planning or Building departments you want answered
When a new fireplace is the right job
A full installation fits when there is no fireplace in the room yet, or when you are replacing one outright. If you already have a working fireplace, a smaller job may suit you better. Fireplace insert installation, fireplace conversion and prefab fireplace replacement each change what you have without starting from scratch. If the existing fireplace simply needs fixing, fireplace repair may be enough. If you're still choosing a fuel, our guide to gas vs wood burning fireplace sets out the trade-offs. We do gas fireplace and gas appliance work as well as wood-burning installs.
Booking and next steps
To compare scope and options before you call, the fireplace installation service details are a good starting point. You can also see everything we do in Mill Valley, from sweeping and inspections to chimney repair. When you're ready, request an estimate.
Sources (1)
The sources of the Mill Valley facts on this page.
- 1City of Mill Valley Planning Department - Design Review Application Submittal Checklist; City of Mill Valley Building Department - Plan Submittal Requirements, Residential & Commercial; City of Mill Valley Planning - Multi-Family Residential, Downtown Residential & Mixed Use Design Guidelines and Development Standards
