How much does it cost to add or replace a gas fireplace remote control or wall switch?

Your ignition type sets the part — and the price

A millivolt fireplace runs its controls on a tiny voltage the pilot generates itself, so the switch is a simple low-voltage circuit — a basic wall switch or an affordable on/off remote wires right in. Electronic-ignition units are pickier: they want the manufacturer's own control ecosystem, like the IntelliFire handsets on Heat & Glo and Majestic units — the Majestic Meridian we carry pairs with IntelliFire Touch and app control. Brand handsets cost more than a generic switch, but they add thermostatic operation, timers, and flame control, not just on/off.

Either way, the labor side is short. This is bread-and-butter work for our technicians, and the parts are stocked on the truck for the common systems.

When the "broken remote" isn't the remote

Half the dead-remote calls we run turn out to be something upstream — most often a weak thermopile on a millivolt unit, no longer making enough voltage to hold the valve open, which mimics a bad switch perfectly. Batteries, receiver boxes, and wall-switch wiring take turns too. That's why a repair call starts with our $125 diagnostic: you get the actual cause and an upfront quote, not a new remote stacked on an old problem.

The economical move: have controls added or swapped during your annual service visit (from $189). We're already at the fireplace with it apart — same trip, same ladder, one bill.

Is it worth doing at all?

For daily users, genuinely yes. A thermostatic remote turns the fireplace into a real zone heater — set the room temperature, let the flame cycle, and stop heating the whole house for one occupied room. On a cool mountain evening that's the difference between a fireplace you admire and one you actually use. Call (828) 545-0525 and we'll match the right control to your unit.