Fireplace Installation Requirements

Permit and Insurance

• Contact your municipal center regarding fireplace addition regulations. Every city has different processes, but in general you must pay a fee and apply for a permit in which you indicate your address, the installer name and address, the specifications of your fireplace and chimney and the location of the fireplace in your home. Contact your home insurance provider to see if your policy covers a fireplace and if any changes need to be made in the policy.

Chimney and Stovepipe

• The chimney needs to be either masonry or a prefab stainless steel class-A insulated chimney. Regular stovepipe cannot be used in lieu of masonry or stainless steel. The chimney must extend, at a minimum, three feet higher than the roof and two feet higher than any other roof elements found within 10 feet. The stovepipe connects the fireplace to the chimney via a triple-wall pipe in the roof. The stovepipe must be 18 inches from walls or ceilings unless it has a heat shield or is a double-wall steel stovepipe.

Floor and Walls

• The flooring below the fireplace must be either a legitimate fireplace hearth of concrete, brick, tile, marble or slate or a noncombustible flooring such as stove boards and mats. The flooring should extend 12 inches from the sides and 18 inches in front of the fireplace. Non-built-in fireplaces should be 36 inches from a combustible wall. If the wall is lined with an approved non-combustible wall protector, this distance can be reduced to 12-inches.