Fireplace installation in Fort Lauderdale FL - a hearth built around the right unit
Want a fireplace but not sure about wood, gas or electric? We help you choose, then build the masonry around the unit you pick.
Show us the room you have in mind
Call (754) 228-0031 or use the form, because where a vent can reach outside shapes the whole plan, and I'd rather see your house than guess.
What does it take to add a fireplace to your house?
Fireplace installation in Fort Lauderdale means putting a wood, gas or electric fireplace in your house along with the vent it needs and the floor protection in front of it, and we build the brick, block or stone that frames it.
Most people who call us have a room picked out and a fuel half chosen. Most new fireplaces are factory-built units from the big makers rather than brick-and-mortar fireboxes, and they often cost less than people expect. They come in many shapes, from units open on one side to see-through, corner and peninsula models, so the first job is matching one to how you use the room. The price moves with the fuel and unit you pick, how far the vent has to run to get outside, whether there's an old chimney to work with and how much masonry goes around it. The schedule mostly turns on when your unit arrives and how big the surround is. My written estimate lists each step and material, so you can see where the money goes before anything starts.
Why Fort Lauderdale homeowners call J&R Fort Lauderdale Concrete & Masonry for fireplace installation
On site with the crew
I'm on site with our crew while the work is done, not just at the estimate. The person who measured the room and the vent route is the one checking the build.
Estimates that list every step
We've been in business since 2023, and I still run every job the way office work taught me, measured and written down. Your estimate lists each step and material, so you can compare it line by line.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured. For a propane, or LP gas, unit, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services licenses whoever installs the gas appliance, so ask to see that license on any quote.
On a fireplace, the parts you don't see, where it sits and how it vents, matter most. Get in touch to set up a visit. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
How we handle fireplace installation
We start by helping you settle on wood, gas or electric, because that choice decides the unit, the vent and most of the masonry. Once you've picked a unit, we place it and run its venting the way that maker's instructions say, since the chimney's airflow and the space the unit needs from anything that can burn decide where it can sit. One vent maker warns that missing those air spaces is a major cause of vent fires, so we check them before any masonry closes them in. Then we set the floor protection, the fireproof hearth in front of the opening, and build the brick, block or stone around the unit so it sits square and plumb.
A fireplace usually brings some work around it. Many people want the surround faced in stone, and that's our stone veneer installation, a thin layer of real or cast stone set over the wall. A unit that stands out from the house or sits on a patio often needs a chase or base built first, and we put that up as one of our concrete block walls before the finish goes on.
Wood-burning fireplace
This suits you if you want a real fire and don't mind hauling wood and cleaning out ash. It needs a working chimney, so it fits best where there's one already or room to build one.
Gas fireplace
This suits you if you want a fire at the flip of a switch with little cleanup. It needs a gas supply and its own vent to the outside, and that shapes where it can go.
Electric fireplace
This suits a room where a vent can't reach outside, or where you mostly want the look. It plugs in and needs no chimney, so it's the easiest to place, and we build the surround the same way.
How do you know it's time for a new fireplace?
An old firebox you never use
If the old fireplace sits cold because it's a chore to run, it's usually a good candidate for a newer unit. Leaving it means a dead wall and a chimney that still needs upkeep.
A cracked or loose hearth
Cracks or loose brick in the hearth usually mean the protection in front of the fire has moved or broken. Using it that way lets heat and embers reach what's underneath.
Soot above the opening
Black stains on the face or smoke drifting into the room usually point to a firebox or chimney that isn't drawing right. Waiting lets the stains set and keeps the fireplace unusable.
A remodel that needs a centerpiece
If you're redoing a room and want a fireplace in it, plan the unit and vent now. Adding one after the floors and walls are finished usually means opening them back up.
What happens after you call about a fireplace in Fort Lauderdale?
Call and set a visit
Call or send the form and we'll set up a visit. I come out myself, look at the room and any chimney, and write up each step and material.
We build around your unit
Once you're ready, our crew sets the unit, vent and hearth to the maker's instructions. Then we build the brick, block or stone around it.
Walk through it together
When the masonry's done, we clean up and walk through it with you. I show you the unit, where the vent ends outside and how the hearth sits.
Fireplace questions we hear most
Here are plain answers to what Fort Lauderdale homeowners ask before adding a fireplace. If your room or chimney doesn't fit these, ask about your own job when I come out.
How much does fireplace installation cost in Fort Lauderdale?
Fireplace and chimney installation in Fort Lauderdale usually costs about $2,500 to $13,500 per project for the whole job. A simple unit with little masonry sits toward the low end, and a larger unit, a long vent run or a full stone surround pushes it up. Your written estimate gives you your own number.
What is the best way to choose between a wood, gas or electric fireplace?
Pick the fuel whose upkeep, cost and convenience suit how you actually use the house. If you'd light it a few evenings a year, convenience usually wins, and if you want real wood and crackle, the hauling and cleanup are part of the deal.
Can I install a fireplace myself?
We'd say no, and the hearth industry agrees, advising a professional install rather than doing it yourself. The National Fireplace Institute, the group that certifies installers, says floor protection, sizing, placement and vent height should be settled with someone who knows the work. It also advises budgeting for a professional install and comparing bids on more than price.
Is NFI certification the same as a license?
No, NFI certification shows training, not a license or a guarantee of good work, so ask an installer about both. The institute certifies separately for gas, pellet and wood appliances, and certifications are good for 3 years, so ask whether one is current. If you're still deciding on fuel, look for a Hearth Design Specialist.
Where can a gas fireplace vent end outside a house in Fort Lauderdale?
The vent has to end where it stays clear of decks, windows, soffits, the underside of your roof overhang, gas regulators, air intakes and public walkways, with the distances set by the unit maker's instructions and local building codes. One vent maker's instructions also say each direct-vent gas fireplace needs its own vent straight outside and can't share a chimney with another gas or wood-burning appliance.
How do I know my propane supplier is licensed in Florida?
The same state department that licenses LP gas installers also licenses the businesses that sell, transport, dispense or store LP gas, so the company filling your tank should hold one. Propane has no color or smell of its own and the odor added to it can fade, so you can't count on smelling a leak, which is one more reason the gas side goes to licensed hands.
Get a written fireplace estimate
Tell us the fuel you're leaning toward, the room you have in mind and whether there's an existing chimney. We reply within one business day, and I come out for a free on-site estimate with no obligation.
Fireplace and hearth work
Work that often goes with it
Stone veneer installation
Want stacked stone on the fireplace wall without the weight of solid stone? Veneer gives the surround that finish over the wall you already have.
Learn moreConcrete block walls
A fireplace set out from the house or on a patio usually needs a block chase or base, built square and solid before any finish goes on.
Learn more