Hearth clearance issue, installing new wood stove in open fireplace

[unfurl]

We are about to have a new Vermont castings the top loader wood stove installed in an old open fireplace. There's plenty of room on the sides and behind but in order to have the stove out far enough for the top loader door the front clearance is a little short, only 11" of clearance. The stove is sitting on a 1-ft tall raised hearth and I'm wondering if I could use hardy backer board and tile to make basically a tray that the stove can sit on but it would stick out the appropriate 16 in from the stove. This would overhang the raised hearth by about 5-6 in.

Our town inspector is rather hard to get a hold of and I'm waiting for a call back to discuss this but wondered if anybody else had any input about the feasibility of this idea passing inspection.

 

[KDubU]

If I understand correctly, you want to have the stove partially sit on an “overhang” off the current hearth? My personal opinion is this is not the best idea and I could see a code enforcement officer saying nope. I could be wrong but there are better ways to do what you want with not a lot of effort. What is the flooring material up to the hearth?

 

[begreen]

Probably not, due to the temporary and vulnerable nature of the proposed workaround. It would be better to do a short extension at floor level. Check the final placement to be sure that the top lid can open fully.

 

[rwhite]

Can you match the bricks of the existing hearth. If not can you go around existing hearth with few courses of different brick to make it look like a border? Technically you probably could extend as you mentioned but I would think it will create a host of problems. To easy for some to use it as a step stool or lean on it and break it. Some pics of the hearth would help folks throw out ideas.