Fireplace installation in Hawthorne CA - the right unit for your room, vented outside
Drafty open fireplace, empty firebox or no fireplace at all? We fit an insert or a vented wall unit and finish it clean.
Custom Hawthorne Concrete and Masonry is a masonry crew based in Hawthorne. We're best known for careful brick repair and solid block walls, and we also handle fireplace installation in Hawthorne and the cities around it, from fitting an insert into an old brick opening to building the hearth and surround around a new vented unit.
- We check what you have first
- Gas plans settled up front
- Floors covered, cleaned as we go
Fireplace installation for Hawthorne homes
Fireplace installation in Hawthorne usually goes one of two ways. If you have an open fireplace or an empty firebox, we fit an insert into the opening, often venting up the old chimney with a liner. If the room has nothing, it's usually a direct-vent wall unit, which means cutting through an outside wall and running a vent pipe and a gas line.
The first thing I ask is what you've got, because an open fireplace, an empty firebox and a factory unit each take something different. Price moves with that, the vent run, the finish, like stone veneer, and whether a licensed plumber has to bring in a gas line, which adds time too. It's all in your written estimate. California's Contractors State License Board licenses our trade, and we're licensed and insured.
- Checking the chimney. When an insert will use the old chimney, we check the flue and the mortar inside before anything gets ordered.
- Planning the vent. We work out whether the vent goes up an existing chimney with a liner or straight out through an outside wall.
- Vented units only. We install units that vent outside, because the EPA doesn't support unvented gas stoves over indoor air concerns, and some places ban them.
- Lining up the gas. If a gas line has to come from another part of the house, we bring a licensed plumber into the plan early.
Fireplace work we handle
Most fireplace jobs start with either an old opening that needs an insert or a bare wall that needs a new unit, and then the brick or stone around it.
Fireplace inserts
We fit an insert into an open fireplace or an empty firebox. It's often the most cost-effective way to a working fireplace, since the structure's already there.
Direct-vent wall units
No fireplace at all? We set a new unit into an outside wall, with the vent running out through it and the gas line brought to it.
Raised hearths
We build hearths in brick or stone over a solid base, the same kind of block work we do on concrete block walls.
Surround refacing
Already have a unit but can't stand the wall around it? We can redo the surround in brick or stone so it looks like it belongs in the room.
Got a fireplace job that isn't on this list, like a cracked firebox or an old mantel wall to rebuild? Ask about it when you call.
Why fireplace installation is worth doing right
A fireplace fitted right vents where it should, and the brick or stone around it stays tight to the wall. Skip the prep and you get a bad meal with nice plating. It looks fine for a year, then it doesn't.
- The right unitWe match the unit to what you already have, so nothing gets forced into an opening it wasn't built for.
- One vent per unitOne vent maker's instructions say each direct-vent gas appliance needs its own separate vent system, so we don't tie into another one.
- A sealed wall cutWhere we cut an outside wall, we take our time sealing it, because a sloppy hole lets in drafts and water for years.
- Solid backingThe hearth and surround go on a level, solid base, because brick laid over something soft cracks along the joints.
How your fireplace job runs
I come out and look
You call, and I come out myself to see the fireplace or the wall and what's around it, like the chimney, the outside wall and where the gas runs.
Written estimate and plan
You get the price in writing, with the type of unit, the vent route and whether a licensed plumber needs to be part of the job.
The work and walk-through
Our own crew, run by me or our lead mason, covers what needs covering and cleans as we go. When it's done, I walk it with you.
Why homeowners call us for fireplaces
I worked restaurant kitchens for years before I picked up a trowel, and the habits stuck. Prep first, clean as you go, and don't send out anything you wouldn't eat. That's how we fit a fireplace.
I write your estimate
I look at the job and write the estimate myself, so the person pricing it is the one who actually stood in front of your fireplace.
Prep before speed
I'd rather spend the extra time on the slow part than save a day and hand you a fireplace that gives you trouble later.
Backed by our guarantee
Backed by our satisfaction guarantee. Call (424) 307-8119 or use the form below, and I'll come take a look.
Fireplace work in Hawthorne and nearby cities
Anywhere in California, the state licensing board caps a contractor's down payment on home improvement work at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. Any other payments have to be listed in the contract and tied to work done or materials delivered. That holds in Hawthorne and in Lawndale, so read any fireplace contract with it in mind.
Around Hawthorne and Gardena, we see plenty of older homes with brick fireplaces nobody's lit in years, and newer homes with factory-built units. With a factory unit, I find the maker's label first, since that narrows which inserts can go in.
Tell us about your fireplace
Tell us if you have a fireplace, an empty firebox or a factory unit, and where your gas line runs. We reply within one business day to set up a free, no-obligation look on site.
Call (424) 307-8119Fireplace installation questions
Can a fireplace insert go into my existing fireplace in Hawthorne?
Usually, yes, as long as the insert is made for what you have. EPA guidance says a factory-built, or zero-clearance, fireplace needs an insert designed and tested for that exact unit, so find out which kind yours is before you shop. If you're not sure, I'll tell you when I come out.
What if my room has no fireplace or gas line?
Then it's usually a direct-vent wall unit, set in an outside wall with its vent running out through it. If the nearest gas line is in another part of the house, one guide says a licensed plumber has to extend it, and that adds to the timeline.
How often should a gas fireplace be inspected?
At least once a year. One maker's manual says a professional should inspect the unit before you first use it and at least annually after that, with a qualified service person handling any repairs. Another maker strongly recommends a carbon monoxide alarm wherever gas appliances are in use.
What should I do if I smell gas near my fireplace?
Don't light anything, put out any open flame, and leave light switches and phones in the house alone, as one maker's manual puts it. Then call your gas supplier right away from a neighbor's phone, or the fire department if you can't reach the supplier.