Purchasing a Fireplace or Wood Stove

When selecting a fireplace or wood stove, you will be confronted with logistical questions as simple as whether the fireplace will physically fit into your home without requiring some sort of surgery on entryways, whether or not gas lines are available in your chosen location, and whether or not your budget can support as much fireplace or wood stove as you desire. The last question is the most difficult and generally causes the most discussion among prospective fireplace or wood stove buyers.

The first point to bear in mind is that fireplace and wood stove prices vary widely, depending on such issues as the price of their fuel, and the time of year or even the price of the raw materials (such as iron or steel) used in their construction. As well, since most retailers are free to set their own prices, your local area may have considerably higher prices for fireplaces and wood stoves than another area or buying online.

As a rough price comparison, most basic fireplaces fall in the $1,000 - $2,000 range. More advanced or “premium” fireplaces can cost more than $5,000. The price can vary depending on additional options, such as construction materials (plate steel vs. cast-iron), heat-circulating blowers, gold accents, fireplace tools and accessories, or types of flame visualizations in electric fireplaces or gas fireplaces. Know what options come with any fireplaces that you are considering so that you can decide whether or not you're getting good value for your money. Of course, the prices of custom-designed fireplaces and high-end luxury fireplaces can quickly rise to dizzying heights, costing $25,000 and more.

Wood stoves range in price from a few hundred dollars for the smallest and most basic plate steel units to several thousand for cast-iron wood stoves with large fireboxes and which conform to EPA Phase II regulations. While a basic functional wood stove may cost around $1,000, aesthetic accents, additional cooking space, or specialized materials can push that price well over $5,000.

So in the end, it's just a matter of deciding what characteristics really are the most important to you and buying a wood stove, gas stove or one of may other types of stoves or fireplaces that fits into your budget.