How much does it cost to install a built-in electric fireplace, including the wiring?
Arden has two answers: in the Biltmore Park retail and office spaces, a built-in electric fireplace makes an easy no-vent feature wall, while in the older Royal Pines and Skyland homes with tired open masonry, electric is the budget ambiance play — real heat there means a sealed insert. Either way the unit's a few hundred dollars; the wall work is the cost. Call (828) 545-0525.
Biltmore Park and the commercial feature wall
Around Biltmore Park's retail and office space, electric is the practical choice for a warm focal point — no gas line, no venting, no permit for fuel, just a recess and a dedicated circuit finished into the wall. The Dimplex IgniteXL Bold 50 gives a 50-inch linear flame and can run flame-only in summer, which fits a commercial space that wants ambiance year-round without the heat.
The older neighborhoods' honest choice
Skyland, Royal Pines, and Glenn Bridge are full of 1980s-90s homes with open masonry fireplaces that pull heat straight out of the room. If real, efficient warmth is the goal, a sealed gas insert is the upgrade that turns that draft into a heater — a separate project. An electric built-in is the different, budget move: put it on another wall for a clean flame, and leave the old masonry alone. The appliance is a few hundred dollars; the recess and dedicated 1,500-watt circuit are the job, coordinated with a licensed electrician.
Know what electric is
It's about 5,000 BTU of supplemental heat for a space up to 400 square feet, and it produces nothing in a power outage — worth remembering for a home in a valley where the Hendersonville Road corridor funnels cold air on winter nights. For ambiance, electric wins on cost by a wide margin. For heat you can lean on, gas. We're 15 minutes north — free quote at (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.