What questions should I ask a fireplace installer before hiring them?
In Asheville, ask five things: are you a licensed North Carolina gas contractor who can tie into the city's natural-gas mains, do you pull the Buncombe County permit and meet the inspector, are you insured with liability and workers' comp, does your own crew run the gas line, and what's your workmanship guarantee? On Montford masonry or a South Asheville new build, clear answers to all five separate the pros from the risks.
Match the question to your Asheville house
The right questions depend on what you own. A Montford or North Asheville home with an original masonry chimney needs an installer who will inspect and, if needed, reline that flue before setting a sealed insert into it, so ask how they handle old brick. A newer South Asheville home suited to a clean-face gas unit raises a different question: how far does the natural-gas line have to travel, and who runs it?
On the mains, licensing still rules
Being on Asheville's gas mains does not mean any handyman can connect you. Extending or tapping a gas line is licensed work in North Carolina; a furniture showroom or a mason can sell and set a firebox, but the law reserves the fuel connection for a licensed gas contractor. Ask that question without softening it, then ask about the Buncombe County permit. Unpermitted gas work can jeopardize your homeowner's insurance and snag a future sale in Asheville's fast market.
Insurance, accountability, and the showroom test
Ask for proof of general liability and workers' compensation, and ask whether one crew owns the whole job, from appliance to venting to gas line to permit to inspection, or whether the gas line gets handed to a sub. Then ask about the workmanship guarantee layered on top of the manufacturer's warranty. We're headquartered right here at 629 Emma Rd; come watch the units burn and ask us every one. 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.
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