Fireplace and chimney service in Golden
Golden was a territorial capital before Denver, and its 1870s houses still stand near Clear Creek. We inspect old and new chimneys for free and price them first.
Golden was founded in 1859 during the Pike's Peak gold rush and served as capital of the Colorado Territory from 1862 to 1867. It is the Jefferson County seat and home to the Colorado School of Mines and the Coors brewery. The Census Bureau's 2024 survey puts 7.1 percent of Golden's homes before 1940, about the state's share, but the median home is from 1989, and about 36 percent were built in the 1990s and 2000s. Gas heats about 73 percent of homes.
Golden sits higher than Denver, at about 5,780 feet, in a valley between Lookout Mountain and the two Table Mountains. That height matters for gas fireplaces, which need setting up for thinner air. The older houses near downtown have brick chimneys well over a century old, and the newer subdivisions have factory-built fireplaces and chase covers. At the free inspection we check whichever you have, take photos and write down the price of any work before it starts.
Victorian chimneys on 12th Street and in Goosetown
The Twelfth Street Historic Residential District, listed on the National Register in 1983, is described as the most intact of Golden's early residential neighborhoods, with homes mainly from the 1870s to 1920. Goosetown, north of Clear Creek, was Golden's German neighborhood from the 1870s. Chimneys this old usually need repointing, typically $500 to $2,500, a new crown at $600 to $2,200, or a liner where the flue was never lined, $1,500 to $5,000. We match the soft old brick and mortar.
Golden has its own Historic Preservation Board. If your house is a designated landmark, ask the city before changing how a visible chimney looks.
Gas fireplaces at Golden's altitude
Gas appliances usually lose about 4 percent of their input for every 1,000 feet above 2,000 feet. At Golden's elevation that is about 15 percent, a little more than in Denver. A gas fireplace or insert set up for lower elevations can burn with a yellow flame, soot its glass and make more carbon monoxide. A yearly service typically runs $150 to $350, and a pilot, thermocouple or igniter repair $100 to $350.
Where we work in Golden
Downtown · Twelfth Street · Goosetown · East Street · Mesa Meadows · Village at Mountain Ridge · Canyon Point
FAQ
Golden chimney questions
Is Golden inside the no-burn area?
Yes. Golden is in Jefferson County below 7,000 feet, so from November through March only EPA Phase III stoves and inserts, approved pellet stoves and masonry heaters may burn on Action Days. Gas fireplaces aren't restricted.
Our house near 12th Street has a chimney nobody uses. Should we keep it?
That's your call. Many people keep and repair an old chimney for the look of the house. If it leaks and is never used, removing the stack below the roof typically runs $1,000 to $2,500. In a historic setting, check with the city first.
Can you fix a gas fireplace that soots up the glass?
Usually. Sooting often comes from a burner or logs out of position, a dirty pilot or a unit not set up for altitude. We find the cause at the free inspection and write down the price before any work.
When can you come to Golden?
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 Golden. 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.