How much does an electric fireplace cost?
An electric fireplace unit can be a few hundred dollars — by far the lowest entry price in the hearth world — and installation stays modest too. A wall-mount that plugs into an existing outlet is nearly a hang-and-go job, while a recessed or built-in unit like the Dimplex IgniteXL Bold 50 adds framing and finish carpentry to the picture.
Why electric is the budget door into a fireplace
Everything that makes gas and wood projects expensive is absent here: no gas line, no venting, no chimney, no flue. That's the entire reason an electric unit can be a few hundred dollars while a fully vented gas or wood fireplace with a new fuel line and chimney runs $4,000–$12,000. Cost steps up with how built-in you want it — a surface wall-mount is the simplest, a recessed unit means opening the wall, and a full built-in with a surround is a small carpentry project. Where a dedicated circuit is needed, we coordinate that with a trusted electrician partner rather than pretending it's our trade.
The honest fine print
An electric fireplace delivers roughly 5,000 BTU — about 1,500 watts — which is genuine supplemental warmth for a space up to around 400 square feet, and not one square foot of whole-house heating. And when the power goes out, an electric fireplace goes dark with it. After Helene left much of WNC without electricity for days, we tell every customer that part plainly: if outage heat matters to you, that's a gas unit with millivolt or battery-backup ignition, or wood. What electric does brilliantly is ambiance on demand — the flame-only mode earns its keep on cool mountain evenings from April to October, no heat required.
See the flame before you decide
The gap between a cheap electric flicker and a good one is enormous, which is why we carry Dimplex — the most convincing electric flame on the market. The 50-inch IgniteXL Bold is burning in our showroom at 629 Emma Rd in Asheville; stand in front of it before you commit either way. For recessed and built-in projects, the in-home estimate is free: call (828) 545-0525.
How we can help
Related questions
- How much does it cost to install a built-in electric fireplace, including the wiring?
- How much does it cost to run an electric fireplace per hour?
- Will an electric fireplace noticeably raise my electric bill?
- How much does a gas fireplace cost installed?
- What's the cheapest way to add a fireplace to a home?
- How much does a direct vent gas fireplace cost?
Still deciding? Talk to a real installer.
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