Refacing Fireplace Cost
,

Cost of Refacing a Fireplace

Last Updated on December 27, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by Certified CFA CFA Alexander Popinker

Today’s fireplace is more than just an object that heats the space and completes the look of the room. It gathers family members around it and awakens the warmest moments in each of us. What could be more desirable than the pleasure of staring at the burning flame and spending time with our loved ones?

Sometimes, however, refacing a fireplace can be a problem that can give you headaches and stress. In this article we are going to talk about what goes into this process and how much would you have to budget for this job.

How Much Does Refacing a Fireplace Cost?

There are some factors that would influence the cost of refacing a fireplace such as the contractor you hire to do this job, the size of the fireplace, the type of materials used, the amount of tear-out required, and the complexity of the design.

Expect to spend just around $230 if you choose to reface a fireplace by yourself to as much as $4,500 if you choose to hire a professional to perform this job. These costs can be even higher if the fireplace is larger than average or if you want a customized design. For instance, if you want to use in-stock material, expect to pay anywhere between $15 and $20 per square foot to hire a contractor like a mason to install an artificial stone. Also, the costs may skyrocket if you want to use customized materials. For example, the cost of refacing a fireplace with real stone would be more than $30 per square foot. Moreover, the cost of full-dept or stacked stone is anywhere between $55 and $85 per square foot.

You might also like our articles about the cost of a wood stove, a chimney sweeping, or the convertion of a wood fireplace to gas.

Plan on spending anywhere between $220 and $1,800 for a refacing kit, which can be completed by yourself without the help of any professional.

According to a House Logic post, you would have to spend only around $180 for a simple refacing project which involves replacing the worn-out wood and painting the brick. On the other hand, jobs that involve refacing the fireplace with new wire mesh, mortar, and stone, plus adding wood shims and shingles would cost around $900.

Refacing a fireplace details

Refaced FireplaceIf you hire a contractor for refacing the fireplace, he will first show you some of its previous projects to help you decide what to choose and then will help you pick out the materials needed. In general, contractors will replace older fireplaces with painted brick, tiles, or other materials. Also, the fireplace can be enhanced with new doors and mantels.

But if you want to do this job by yourself, you can get your inspiration from the Internet as you can find multiple examples of refacing jobs performed by other homeowners.

The refacing procedure involves preparing the whole surface by cleaning it of any scratches or dents and removing the old materials. After that, the fireplace will be painted or will be completely resurfaced with new materials like veneer, brick, or others. If you resurface the fireplace, you can apply a material like stucco to it and when the whole procedure is finished a mantel can also be installed.

What are the extra costs?

The appearance of a fireplace can be enhanced by the fireplace doors and these are not included in the refacing, so they come at an extra cost. Their costs would start at around $550, depending on the make, design, and size.

According to a post on Angie’s List website, the new fireplace must be able to hold the new weight otherwise you will have to consolidate it. Be prepared to spend another few thousand dollars to consolidate the fireplace foundation.

In case you want to add a new fireplace mantel, this will come at an additional cost.

How can I save money?

Take into consideration refacing the fireplace by yourself and verify and compare the prices of refacing kits you can find at different stores. These kits come with simple step-by-step instructions and cost just a few hundred dollars.

However, if you want to hire a contractor, take into consideration getting more price offers. The majority of the professionals would be more than happy to offer you a free quote for your project.

There are cheaper alternatives such as painting the fireplace instead of refacing it with stone or tile. Even though you hire a professional to paint the fireplace, the entire job would cost less than $550.

Alec Pow
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *