Do fireplace dealers charge for in-home estimates or quotes?

After the flooding, the distinction is real money

When a fireplace has been under water, the question is rarely cosmetic — it's whether the gas valve, controls, and connections are safe to relight at all. If you already know the unit is done and you want it replaced, that's a free estimate: we price the new appliance, venting, and gas line like any new install. If you want a technician to test the existing unit and rule on repair-versus-replace, that's the diagnostic, because it's skilled troubleshooting whether or not you buy anything. We won't nickel-and-dime a lost cause.

Why the gas inspection can't be skipped here

Canton is mixed-fuel, and after flooding the integrity of every gas connection matters — which is exactly the kind of work a licensed gas contractor is required for in North Carolina. On any Canton job we pull the permit with Haywood County and pressure-test the line, so a rebuilt or replaced hearth is documented and your insurance and resale hold up. Valley-floor fog and dampness also rust dampers and caps early, so we check those on the visit.

For neighbors still sorting out what the water left behind, that honesty matters: if a unit is clearly finished, there's no reason to pay a diagnostic to confirm it, so we'll price the replacement free. If it's a coin-flip whether the controls survived, the diagnostic buys you a real technician's verdict before you spend on a new appliance. Either way we tell you which path fits before we come out, so nobody pays for a visit they didn't need.

Free to price, quoted to diagnose

New installs and replacements are free to estimate; a diagnostic on an existing unit is $125, quoted before any work. It's a 20-minute run west for us. If the drive to your rebuild isn't convenient yet, start at our Asheville showroom and compare units burning live. Call (828) 545-0525.