How much does it cost to add a fireplace to a house that doesn't have one?
In Arden, most homes with no fireplace are newer Biltmore Park townhomes and additions, since the 1980s–90s Royal Pines and Skyland houses mostly came with open masonry. Plan a few hundred for electric, $3,500–$8,000 for sealed direct-vent gas installed, or $4,000–$12,000 for a fully vented build. Arden's on gas mains, and we're 15 minutes south.
Arden's two fireplace realities
Most of Arden's housing — the 1980s and '90s homes in Royal Pines and Skyland — came with open masonry fireplaces that are tired and drafty, and for those the answer is usually a sealed insert that turns a heat-losing hole into a real heater. The genuine no-fireplace jobs tend to be the newer Biltmore Park townhomes, condos, and additions off older homes. Those take a direct-vent unit framed into an exterior wall, vented out the side, no chimney required — we handle a 1970s ranch and a new infill build the same way.
Why sealed venting is the retrofit answer
A direct-vent gas fireplace seals its combustion off from the room — it draws no indoor air and needs no flue — which is exactly why a room that never had a hearth isn't the problem people assume. With natural gas on the Arden mains, we're usually tying into an existing line and finishing the surround in a day. A Heat & Glo 6000CLX anchors a great room; a Napoleon Ascent 36 handles a den. Our [insert cost guide](/guides/fireplace-insert-cost) helps if you're weighing an insert instead.
Buncombe permit, minutes away
We pull the Buncombe County permit and meet the inspector, and at 15 minutes out we're close for follow-up. Connecting gas is licensed work a showroom or mason legally can't finish. A free in-home assessment prices your room. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Arden
We install and service fireplaces throughout Arden and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- Is it cheaper to put a fireplace in during new construction than to add one later?
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- Is adding a fireplace worth it if I already have central heat or a heat pump?