Fireplace and chimney service in Arvada
Arvada's biggest building decade was the 1970s, and its newest homes are going up in Candelas and Leyden Rock. We inspect for free and price every job first.
Arvada was platted in 1870 as Ralston Point, near the spot on Ralston Creek where Lewis Ralston found gold in 1850, and was incorporated in 1904. For a while it called itself the Celery Capital of the World. Its big growth came later. The Census Bureau's 2024 survey counts about 26 percent of Arvada's homes from the 1970s and another 16 percent from the 1960s, more than four in ten from those two decades. Gas heats about 75 percent of homes, and seven in ten are detached houses.
That gives Arvada two main kinds of fireplace. The 1960s and 1970s houses usually have a brick fireplace and chimney, often sharing the stack with a furnace flue. Newer neighborhoods in the north and west, such as Candelas and Leyden Rock, have factory-built gas fireplaces with metal chimneys and chase covers. At the free inspection we check whichever you have, from the roof and from inside, take photos and write down the price of any work.
1970s brick fireplaces: gas inserts and no-burn days
Arvada is inside the state's winter no-burn area, so an open wood fireplace can't be used on Action Days from November through March. The state health department's FAQ says it may be used only if fitted with gas logs, an EPA Phase III insert, an approved pellet insert or an electric device. Gas logs typically run $500 to $2,000 and a gas insert $2,000 to $8,000. A full wood-to-gas conversion typically runs $1,500 to $8,000.
The chimney itself also needs attention after 50 years: cracked crowns, worn flashing and open joints in the clay liner are the usual findings. A crown typically runs $600 to $2,200 and flashing $300 to $1,800.
Newer Arvada: chase covers and altitude
On a factory-built fireplace the sheet-metal chase cover takes the hail, then holds water and rusts. A new one typically runs $300 to $700. The gas unit below needs setting up for altitude: gas appliances usually lose about 4 percent of their input for every 1,000 feet above 2,000 feet, roughly 14 percent at Arvada's 5,525 feet. A yearly service typically runs $150 to $350.
Where we work in Arvada
Olde Town · Ralston Creek · Ralston Valley · Westwoods · Candelas · Leyden Rock
FAQ
Arvada chimney questions
Can I make my Arvada fireplace usable on no-burn days?
Yes. Gas logs, a gas insert, an EPA Phase III wood insert or an approved pellet insert all qualify. Gas logs typically run $500 to $2,000, a gas insert $2,000 to $8,000 and an EPA wood insert with liner $3,000 to $7,000.
Our 1970s chimney has a furnace flue next to the fireplace. Is that a problem?
Not by itself, but gas exhaust is moist, and over decades it can wear down old clay tile and mortar. We check both flues at the free inspection. A furnace or water-heater liner typically runs $625 to $2,250.
Is there a rebate for switching my fireplace to gas?
None that we know of right now. The federal 25C credit for efficient biomass stoves ended after 2025, and we found no active Colorado or Denver-area change-out program.
When can you come to Arvada?
We book Sunday through Friday in 3-hour windows: 8 to 11, 11 to 2 or 2 to 5. We call ahead to confirm. We are closed Saturday.
Book online
Book in Arvada. The inspection is free.
Free inspection in a 3-hour window: 8 to 11, 11 to 2, or 2 to 5. We call to confirm before we arrive.