What San Rafael's fireplace and stove rules mean for a repair
Two points from the City of San Rafael's wood-burning fireplace and stove rules matter most when you're deciding what to fix. One covers which fireplaces and appliances the rules exempt. The other covers older wood stoves during a large remodel.
Fireplaces installed before August 17, 2007
San Rafael's wood-burning rules exempt wood-burning fireplaces legally installed before August 17, 2007, along with gas- and pellet-fueled appliances (source: City of San Rafael - Wood burning fireplace and stove rules). If your fireplace was legally in place before that date, the most common repairs are fixes to the fireplace you already have. That includes brick fireplace repair in a worn firebox, replacing cracked refractory panels, repairing a smoke chamber, getting a stuck damper working again, and fixing glass or doors.
Replacing a fireplace is a different decision from repairing one. If you're weighing a replacement or a change of fuel type, ask the city how its rules apply to your plan before you commit. For the tradeoffs between fuels, read our guide to gas vs wood burning fireplace choices.
Gas and pellet appliances
That same exemption covers gas- and pellet-fueled appliances. For a gas fireplace that won't light, won't stay lit, or burns poorly, the repair is a matter of finding and fixing the fault. We do gas fireplace and gas appliance work, and we work on all major brands.
Older wood stoves and major remodels
In San Rafael, all new wood stoves must be EPA certified, and a non-EPA Phase II certified wood stove must be removed or replaced with an EPA-certified stove during a major remodel affecting more than 50% of the home's floor area when the stove is in a room being remodeled or enlarged (source: City of San Rafael - Wood burning fireplace and stove rules).
Planning a large remodel?
If your home has an older stove that isn't EPA Phase II certified and a remodel of that size is coming, settle the remodel plans before you spend money keeping that stove going. If the stove sits in a room being remodeled or enlarged, the rule requires it to be removed or replaced.
Fireplace repair in brief
Fireplace repair fixes the parts that contain the fire and move smoke up the chimney: the firebox and its brick or refractory panels, the smoke chamber, the damper, and the glass and doors. It also includes smoky fireplace repair, which means finding out why smoke spills into the room and correcting the draft problem. We repair both wood and gas fireplaces. For the full scope and what a visit involves, read how fireplace repair works.
Repair, or a different job?
- Smoke coming into the room: start with a fireplace inspection or draft repair. The cause may be in the fireplace or higher up in the chimney.
- Cracked or loose firebox brick, or damaged panels: this is firebox repair or refractory panel replacement, both part of fireplace repair.
- Nothing broken, just a long time since the last fire: fireplace cleaning or a chimney sweep may be all you need.
- Missing or rusted cap at the top of the chimney: that calls for chimney cap installation for homes in San Rafael instead.
- Gas unit that won't light: gas fireplace repair, or regular gas fireplace service and maintenance to keep it running.
Booking fireplace repair in San Rafael
Emergency calls are accepted, and 24-hour service runs Sunday through Friday. Commercial and property-manager work is offered too. To request an estimate, call or get in touch, and tell us what you're seeing and whether the fireplace burns wood or gas.
For details on the work itself, go to our fireplace repair service page. For other work we handle in the area, browse everything we do in San Rafael.
Sources (1)
The sources of the San Rafael facts on this page.
- 1City of San Rafael - Wood burning fireplace and stove rules
