How much does it cost to convert a fireplace from propane to natural gas, or the other way around?
In Asheville the usual direction is propane-to-natural-gas, since the mains already run through Montford, North Asheville, and most of the city — so the conversion is a manufacturer's kit and a combustion check on your appliance, then whatever it takes to bring a gas line over from the street. We're headquartered right here on Emma Road, minutes from the work.
Two Ashevilles, two starting points
Which side of town you're on shapes the job more than the conversion kit does. The original masonry homes of Montford and North Asheville often sit on established natural-gas service, so a propane appliance moved in from a cabin — or an older LP unit — converts cleanly to the house's gas. Newer South Asheville construction with clean-face gas fireboxes is usually already on natural gas, so the question is rarely a conversion at all. Where we do see propane-to-natural-gas is the pocket homes and West Asheville streets that ran on a tank before service reached them. Once the main is at the curb, the running cost drops and the payback is easy math.
The kit is the contained part
The appliance side is one of the smaller gas visits we make. Modern units from Napoleon, Heat & Glo, and the other lines we carry take a manufacturer's conversion kit — correct orifices, a valve pressure adjustment, sometimes a different regulator spring — finished with a combustion check by an NFI-certified tech. Natural gas and propane run at different pressures and propane burns hotter, so the orifices are never interchangeable, and a wrong-fuel burn soots the glass and logs. This is a place to hire it done, not a DIY afternoon.
The line, the permit, and a showroom up the road
The number that moves is the supply side. Propane-to-natural-gas means trenching and permitting a new line from the meter to the firebox; the reverse means setting a tank and regulator for a unit headed to a cabin. In North Carolina that's licensed work — we pull the Buncombe County permit, meet the inspector, and pressure-test before anything lights. Being headquartered on Emma Road puts us minutes from Montford, West Asheville, and Biltmore Village, so the free in-home assessment that scopes all of this is easy to schedule. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Asheville
We install and service fireplaces throughout Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County — we're headquartered right here.
Related questions
- Is propane more expensive than natural gas for running a fireplace?
- How much does it cost to set up propane for a fireplace if I don't have natural gas — tank, line, and all?
- How much does it cost to run a gas line to a fireplace?
- Will my gas meter or regulator need to be upsized to add a fireplace, and what does that cost?
- Is it cheaper to rent or buy a propane tank for a fireplace?