What a fireplace installation covers
Installing a fireplace means choosing the unit, deciding where it goes, and building the venting it needs to work safely. The unit can be a wood-burning fireplace with a chimney or a gas unit, and we handle gas fireplace and gas appliance work. We fit the firebox or unit, run the chimney or vent, and check that the finished installation drafts properly before you use it. For the step-by-step details, read about how fireplace installation works.
The chimney projection rule in San Mateo's municipal code
If your plan puts a chimney on the outside of the house, check one local rule early. San Mateo Municipal Code 27.70.020 allows chimneys to project two feet or less into a required yard, provided the outside face of the chimney stays at least three feet from the property line. Source: City of San Mateo Municipal Code, Section 27.70.020, Structures or Building Projections in Required Yards.
Who it applies to
The rule matters when a new chimney would stand in a required yard, meaning the setback area the zoning code keeps open along a lot line. A chimney built against a side wall or rear wall close to a neighboring lot is the typical example. A chimney that stays inside the house, or one that rises well away from any required yard, doesn't run into this projection limit.
What it changes about the installation
The rule sets two limits on an exterior chimney, and both have to be met:
- Depth: the chimney can extend two feet or less into the required yard.
- Clearance: the outside face of the chimney has to stay at least three feet from the property line.
A narrow side yard can meet the depth limit and still fail the clearance limit. That is why we measure from the wall to the property line before the fireplace type and location are settled, not after. If an exterior chimney won't fit on the wall you had in mind, the usual next options are another wall or a different fireplace layout. We go over these choices with you at the estimate.
How we plan around it
Measure the wall and the lot line
We note how much room sits between the planned chimney location and the property line.
Check the chimney's footprint
We compare the chimney's depth and outside face with the two-foot and three-foot limits in Section 27.70.020.
Pick the fireplace and layout
Once the location works, we settle on a fireplace and venting that fit it.
Not sure where your property line is?
Have a survey or plot plan ready if you can. The three-foot clearance is measured to the property line, and a fence doesn't always sit on it.
When a new fireplace is the right job
New installation makes sense if the house has no fireplace, if you want one in a different room, or if the existing unit can't be put back into safe working order. If you already have a fireplace that smokes, has cracked panels, or has a damaged firebox, fixing it is often the better choice, and we handle fireplace repair for homes in San Mateo as well. If you are still choosing a fuel, our guide to gas vs wood burning fireplace options sets out the tradeoffs in maintenance, venting and everyday use.
Booking the work in San Mateo
To read up on the job itself, start with our full fireplace installation service. To see the other work we do locally, browse everything we do in San Mateo. When you're ready, call or request an estimate.
Sources (1)
The sources of the San Mateo facts on this page.
- 1City of San Mateo Municipal Code - Section 27.70.020 Structures or Building Projections in Required Yards; City of San Mateo - Building Division FAQs
