Fireplace and Chimney Service in Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Highlands Ranch homes date from 1981 on, so the fireplace is usually a factory-built or gas unit. We inspect them for free, roof and inside, with photos.
Highlands Ranch is not a city. It is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, counted by the Census as a census-designated place, and it is the county's largest community. The Mission Viejo Company bought the land in 1978 and the first homes went up in 1981. Each development carried its own name as it opened, so the community grew as a series of separate neighborhoods, commonly grouped around four recreation centers in Northridge, Eastridge, Westridge and Southridge. The old ranch house, Highlands Ranch Mansion, was built between 1891 and 1904.
Census figures (ACS 2024) date 60 percent of homes to 1980–1999 and 38 percent to 2000 or later; fewer than one in fifty are older. Gas heats about 75 percent of them. Homes built since 1993 also fall under Colorado's rule that a new fireplace in the metro restriction area be gas, electric or a certified clean-burning unit. In practice that means metal fireboxes, glass-front gas units and metal flues running up framed chases, with sheet-metal chase covers on top. Those parts fail differently from brick, and hail is a big reason why.
Hail and the chase cover
A chase cover is the metal lid on top of a framed chimney chase. Hail dents it, and a dented cover holds water instead of shedding it. Over time that water rusts the cover, stains the siding below and leaks into the chase around the flue. Storms here can be rough: on June 22, 2023, the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in Highlands Ranch, and South Metro Fire Rescue answered dozens of calls south of C-470 for roof damage, downed trees and gas leaks, CBS Colorado reported.
After a storm we check the chase cover, cap and storm collar and photograph any damage so you can give it to your insurance adjuster. A new chase cover typically runs $300 to $700 and a cap $250 to $850. We can't say what your policy will pay, but the photos give the adjuster something concrete to look at.
HRCA covenants
The Highlands Ranch Community Association sets a community covenant with firm guidelines on things like exterior decoration and fencing. If a repair would change how the chimney looks from outside, such as a different cap style, a new chase cover color or new siding on the chase, check the covenant and any sub-association rules before the work. We give you photos and product details for the request.
Gas fireplace service at altitude
Many Highlands Ranch fireplaces burn gas, and like any gas appliance they need a yearly check of the pilot, burner, glass seal and vent. Gas appliances typically lose about 4 percent of their input for every 1,000 feet above 2,000 feet, roughly 13 percent at Denver's elevation, so a unit that isn't set up for altitude can soot the glass or lose its pilot. A yearly service typically runs $150 to $350, a pilot, thermocouple or igniter repair $100 to $350, and a valve or control board $300 to $1,000.
Where we work in Highlands Ranch
Northridge · Eastridge · Westridge · Southridge · BackCountry · Firelight · Falcon Hills · Weatherstone
FAQ
Highlands Ranch chimney questions
Do factory-built fireplaces need inspections?
Yes. NFPA 211, the national standard, calls for a yearly inspection of any chimney or vent. On a factory-built unit we check the firebox panels, the metal flue sections, the chase cover, cap and storm collar, and the gas parts if it burns gas.
My chase cover has rust stains running down the siding. What does that mean?
Usually that the cover is holding water, often because hail dented it or because it is galvanized steel that has rusted. It should be replaced before the water damages the chase framing. A new chase cover typically runs $300 to $700.
Do I need HRCA approval for chimney work?
If the work changes how the chimney looks from outside, check the HRCA covenant and your sub-association rules first. We give you photos and product details for the request.
Can I add a wood stove in Highlands Ranch?
Only an EPA-certified one. Anything sold or installed in the seven-county metro has to meet current emission standards, and new stoves sold in Colorado must meet the EPA's 2015 Step 2 standard. A wood stove install typically runs $3,000 to $8,000.
Book online
Book in Highlands Ranch. 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.