The builder-installed fireplace in my new-construction home has never worked — what should I check?
Start with the basics builders often leave undone: the gas supply may not be turned on at the shutoff, the pilot may have never been lit, the wall switch or remote batteries could be dead, or the unit was roughed-in but never commissioned. New-construction fireplaces are frequently installed by the framing crew and never actually fired. Have it checked before you assume it's broken.
New-build fireplaces are often never finished
In a lot of new homes, the firebox goes in during framing, the gas line gets stubbed to it, and then everyone moves on — nobody comes back to light the pilot, set the flame, or confirm it runs. So "it's never worked" frequently means "it was never turned on."
First checks: is the manual gas shutoff open, with the handle in line with the pipe rather than crossways? Is the wall switch on, and does the remote have fresh batteries? Is there power to any electronic-ignition module or WiFi board? A surprising number of these calls end right at the shutoff valve.
What a real commissioning finds
When the basics check out and it still won't run, we look at the rough-in itself. We see fireplaces piped for natural gas in a propane neighborhood or the reverse, units left on the wrong orifice for the fuel, air still sitting in a freshly run line that needs purging, a pilot assembly full of construction dust, or venting that was never fully connected or got blocked by drywall debris.
Any one of those will stop a brand-new unit cold. This is also the moment to confirm the install was permitted and inspected — builder gas work sometimes wasn't, and that matters for your home's insurance and resale.
Get it done right the first winter
There's a real advantage to having a licensed gas contractor commission a builder's fireplace: we verify the fuel type and orifice match, purge and pressure-test the line, light and tune the flame, confirm the venting is correct and clear, and make sure it's safe in a tight, well-sealed new home where direct-vent is usually the right call.
If something was roughed-in wrong, we catch it before you're depending on the heat. We serve new-construction across Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood, and Transylvania counties. Call (828) 545-0525.
Related questions
- I just bought a house with a gas fireplace that doesn't work and there's no manual — how do I figure out what's wrong?
- Why won't my gas fireplace turn on at all?
- Nothing happens when I flip the switch on my fireplace — where do I start troubleshooting?
- How do I tell whether my gas fireplace has a standing pilot or electronic ignition?
- Do gas fireplaces have batteries, and can dead batteries stop the fireplace from working?
- My gas fireplace pilot is lit but the main burner won't come on — what's wrong?
Still deciding? Talk to a real installer.
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