Got a ballpark number for flue installation..yikes!

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LittleTea

New Member
Dec 14, 2016
17
North Carolina
Husband spoke to a local chimney sweep company and the guy said for a 23 foot class A stainless flue was in the neighborhood of $3K material and install. Doesn't include him installing the stove. My jaw nearly dropped and I may table the wood stove. That seems really expensive. Any thoughts, tips, etc. on a two story install?
 
I know our stainless and double-wall pipe cost us more than our stove when we had it installed. That doesn't seem THAT out of line.

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Not out of the ballpark really for quality materials and installation labor. Many stove buyers are shocked to find chimney often cost more than the stove. I would negotiate for that price to include the installation of the stove. Especially if the guy is selling you the stove.

For reference, a masonry chimney would cost you north of twenty thousand.

In North Calina if you have an efficient central heating system a stove may not be cost efficient for ya.
 
When you figure cost of materials alone is around $2k depending on length, then the cost of insurance and bonding and a days labor it doesn't seem to unreasonable. If they aren't the only show it town I would get several quotes and recommendations. Or you can always DIY.
 
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Mine was about $2500 for a thimble, a roof thingy and 8-10 feet of pipe, installed.

I burn 75-80 MBTU annually for oil heat and domestic hotwater. I supplement that with about 200MBTU out of my woodstove.

The rider on my homeowners policy dor supplemental wood heat, having used the installer my insurance agent selected, is just under a buck per week.
 
Hmmmmmm go to lowes and buy the pipe. It was roughly $100 per 3 foot section of class A 3 wall 6". It's made by supervent and is twist lock installation. Very easy.

You would either need 8 to make a 24 foot stack or buy 1 shorter section of 24 inches to make 23 feet.

Then there's the wall thimble kit or ceiling install kit depending on which way you are installing. Wall kits cost a bit more. Here's what I used. The locking rings are like $2 each and you need wall brackets every 10 ft. The wall thimble kit comes with 2 though so that gets you 20 feet roughly. If you need more they are like 5 each.

My total cost for everything including a hearth pad and the stove was 2k ( granted no labor fee..... have a contractor friend who oversaw my work ).

[Hearth.com] Got a ballpark number for flue installation..yikes!

[Hearth.com] Got a ballpark number for flue installation..yikes!

[Hearth.com] Got a ballpark number for flue installation..yikes!

[Hearth.com] Got a ballpark number for flue installation..yikes!

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
 
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I paid for professional installation, and had to pull it all out and reinstall it the next year anyway. Can't recommend that experience. (Not that the install was bad, but knowing that I had just paid a hojillion dollars for it the previous year made the whole experience very unpleasant.)
 
Not out of the ballpark really for quality materials and installation labor. Many stove buyers are shocked to find chimney often cost more than the stove. I would negotiate for that price to include the installation of the stove. Especially if the guy is selling you the stove.

For reference, a masonry chimney would cost you north of twenty thousand.

In North Calina if you have an efficient central heating system a stove may not be cost efficient for ya.


Not to get offtrack but why would a masonry chimney cost over $20K?
 
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Wayne Nestor what was your total cost? You wrote 20... PS Nice job!


My total cost for everything including a hearth pad and the stove was 20 ( granted no labor fee..... have a contractor friend who oversaw my work ).


I paid for professional installation, and had to pull it all out and reinstall it the next year anyway. Can't recommend that experience. (Not that the install was bad, but knowing that I had just paid a hojillion dollars for it the previous year made the whole experience very unpleasant.)

Ouch
 
I know our stainless and double-wall pipe cost us more than our stove when we had it installed. That doesn't seem THAT out of line.

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Sounds about right for around here as well! I paid a friend of a friend cash for a weekend intall. Would have cost close to another grand otherwise. I've got equal amounts invested in both. And another just over a grand into the chase to box in the pretty, shiny class A!!

This whole free heat thing is.... well.... kind of gotten expensive!!!!!! I figured out about an 8 yr payback. I think, er hope.
 
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Wayne Nestor what was your total cost? You wrote 20... PS Nice job!


My total cost for everything including a hearth pad and the stove was 20 ( granted no labor fee..... have a contractor friend who oversaw my work ).

Ouch

Well, that's what you get when you buy something first and research it second.
 
I paid for professional installation, and had to pull it all out and reinstall it the next year anyway. Can't recommend that experience. (Not that the install was bad, but knowing that I had just paid a hojillion dollars for it the previous year made the whole experience very unpleasant.)

If the install was not bad why did you have to re-do it?
 
The install that I paid for was bad.

Pulling it out and redoing it wasn't bad in that it wasn't that much labor, and there was nothing tricky about it.

The bad part was that I paid so much, then had to do all the labor to remove the stove and liner, plus the original labor that I obviously should have done myself in the first place.
 
The install that I paid for was bad.

Pulling it out and redoing it wasn't bad in that it wasn't that much labor, and there was nothing tricky about it.

The bad part was that I paid so much, then had to do all the labor to remove the stove and liner, plus the original labor that I obviously should have done myself in the first place.

I did my own install too, but I can understand that it is not for everyone. What did the company do wrong that others might watch for before writing the final check.
 
Not to get offtrack but why would a masonry chimney cost over $20K?
That is really high for a basic block chimney for sure but you can easily get there depending upon what you want.
 
Well, that's what you get when you buy something first and research it second.
I corrected it. $2000 USD for everything. I wrote 2k and my phone changed it to 20 without me noticing. I DID research everything. Learning a lot on the way too. It only took about 2 days to install everything ( days off of normal work ). Looks / works great. It will pay for itself this winter :) Next winter is pure profit.

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Price out the materials. Only then can you figure out if you're being gouged.
 
Price out the materials. Only then can you figure out if you're being gouged.
Yes but you have to price out the materials they proposed using. There is a big difference in price and quality between super vent or the dura line and premium pipe like ventis or excel.
 
Very true.

With careful planning and only a couple tools, it's an easy install too. The hardest part is working the plumb Bob. And that's because usually forget mine and make due with a nut on a string.
 
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Most people also have no idea how much it costs to put a guy in a truck and get him to the job. I firmly believe they don't care either. It's not cheap to hire a contractor and they know how hard and long they had/have to work to pay that bill.
 
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Very true.

With careful planning and only a couple tools, it's an easy install too. The hardest part is working the plumb Bob. And that's because usually forget mine and make due with a nut on a string.
Same here. Washers / nuts on a string make a great plumb bob :) I started from the bottom up, made the whole stack, then anchored it after marking center on the roof flashing. Didn't really need any tools other than a cordless drill, a couple masonry drill bits, and screw gun tip.

On the inside I had to use my metal bladed sawsaw to cut the single wall to the right length. It was the snap lock type ( pain in the rear ) but all went well. No air leaks with a nice tight fit. Just make sure to stagger seams an inch apart.

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Let's see, on my last 2 stove installs, I used a sawzall to cut the 2xs for the support box and a screw gun to put the box together. I think I transfered the lines straight up with the plumb bob and drove a drywall screw in each corner. I then went to the roof to remove the shingles from the area using a pry bar. I cut the hole in the roof with the sawzall. I dropped the chimney in and placed the roof top flashing on. I used the chimney and a level to make sure it was all lined up right, then nailed down the flashing with my hammer. I replaced the shingles I pulled off, if it was ripped I used new. Not too many tools were needed. Really, not too much skill was required. But it comes down to layout and planning so the job was simple and progressed quickly. If the stove needed to be a foot to either side I would have had to cut joists and secure them. Not a deal breaker, but certainly more complicated.
 
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