Hello all, wood stove newb here needs a price check...

[GrendelShooter]

Hello all.
My family and I just moved to western Oklahoma from central California. Quite a (wonderful!) change in scenery! The winters here are much colder than we’re used to, so we were thinking of adding a stove to our new home to help with the electric bill (house is all electric heat-no has at all).

I can find only one guy locally that who does fireplace and stove sales and installation. Very professional and obviously knew his trade well, good looking shop too.

He seems to exclusively sell or recommend Lopi stoves. He quoted me about $2400 for an Endeavor (we need to heat 2000sqft) and $4200-$4500 out the door for unit and installation.

After having looked at stoves at Tractor Supply or Home Depot that were around $1000 for nice looking units, $2400 was kind of a shock. $4500 for the install is frankly about double what I figured.

I do recognize that I have no scope of reference though. When I was a child I lived in a house with a franklin stove but that is the extent of my interaction with them. If that’s the price of doing business and a fair price I’m happy to pay it, if not I’ll find another option.
Yall seemed to be rather knowledgeable on the subject so I hoped the hive here could comment on the pricing I was given.
Thanks much, very

 

[snaple4]

First, Welcome to the South! Second, leave California political ideas in California . We have a lot of California transplants here that complain all lot about California. They then continue to use the same talking points about how things should be. Never understood that. I am from Seattle so I can say something

The next First, can you tell us a bit more about your house? Insulation levels, age, size/type of walls (2x4, 2x6, concrete) height of ceilings...

I have a customer of mine that is building a 3,000 sqft house with 6" walls and very tight construction. He only needs 63,000 BTUH of heat. I just replaced a furnace in an older 2000 sqft house that needed 100,000 BTUH of heat. The more we know about your house the better we can help you pick a stove size.

A Lopi will last longer and generally have a higher efficiency (less wood processing and cleaner air for your neighbor) than anything you pickup from a big box store. You will also end up with a MUCH better experience if you buy from a dedicated and established business than from a big box.

I just got done paying 2k to have a class a pipe installed (it was a used one they had on hand). 4500 for out the door seems like a decent price considering you will get a safe installation and someone to ask questions.

Make sure you buy a moisture meter. The newer stoves NEED a moisture content of the wood at less than 20%. Closer to 15 or lower is better. This is with wood at room temperature, freshly split, and tested at multiple places on new split face.

I am not that familiar with Western OK but I do know central and eastern. If you get the chance to visit the Ozarks you will love the color right now.

 

[SpaceBus]

Do you already have a chimney system? That alone could be a few thousand dollars, even if you do have an existing system. There are a few differences between box store stoves and dealer stoves.

 

[GrendelShooter]

No chimney, house currently has no stove/fireplace. Complete new installation.

Snaple4, the only thing to the right of my politics is a wall lol. I describe my family and I to locals as political refugees.

The house is only a few years old, built in 2016-2017. Single story, 2x4 Stud walls inside a steel frame and exterior. Regular fiberglass batting in the walls and blow in above the ceiling. It’s pretty thin up top though, inspector said it had 8” of blow in for a value of R-19 or 22, I can’t remember which off the top of my head, but really it’s much thinner. I’ll be adding more this next weekend and adding an OSB floor across the joists. The windows in the house aren’t especially good insulators. They’re dual pane but it gets a lot colder here than in Cali so they do conduct a lot of cold to the inside. The Endeavor specs out at 2000sqft max, might I be better served by getting a slightly oversized stove?

 

[moresnow]

Betcha wish a stove was cooking this am! Looks chilly and rainy there according to google. May be worth checking availability of the Drolet brand stoves at the local big box stores. If you are confident enough to complete the install yourself you can likely get this done for roughly half the quoted cost.
No offense to your local shop as they sound competent and offer a quality product. Good luck either way.

 

[BigJ273]

To me, it’s All about peace of mind. I know my limitations and By no means would I trust myself to do the install myself. Having said that I have no problem paying good money to have a good install done safely and correct. If that price includes a liner/and or piping I think it’s about right for a quality stove. Just my two cents. I think the Lopi will be far better than anything you will get at tractor supply, quality wise. And it should last a heck of a lot longer.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I would stick with your stove shop. Lopi is a great brand and have been around for quite some time and will last long. You price of 4k doesn't seam out of line eather for a full install its a 2.5 cuft box so the burn time should be good.. i looked at lopi when i was in the market as stated above and i agree your experience will be better with a dealer and support than going it alone

 

[GrendelShooter]

Yeah it’s a cold one this AM! The house is toasty...but my electric meter is spinning like mad lol.
The $4500 includes double walled piping and full chimney install, complete turn key setup.
Personally I know I could do the install. I do building maintenance for the government so it’s all within my skill set, but I’m not licensed and bonded. I’m willing to pay a fair price for the work and peace of mind.

So would there be any advantages to upsizing the stove? The way my stove will be installed is in a small alcove in the living room, and our bedrooms are on the opposite side of the house. Would having a larger, somewhat oversized stove make heating the whole house easier of would it just be unnecessary?

 

[brazilbl]

The stove price plus install is very close to mine when I had it installed. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Peace of mind that it was installed properly by a pro, having the store behind you if there’s any problems are important to me vs going it alone to save money. Now that the high priest of power in California is prone to throw the switch off statewide, I can cook on it if need be!

My home is 1800 sqft and my Regency can warm the space to over 80 degrees if I choose. The firebox is 1.7 cuft, but designed to be efficient.

 

[snaple4]

No chimney, house currently has no stove/fireplace. Complete new installation.

Snaple4, the only thing to the right of my politics is a wall lol. I describe my family and I to locals as political refugees.

The house is only a few years old, built in 2016-2017. Single story, 2x4 Stud walls inside a steel frame and exterior. Regular fiberglass batting in the walls and blow in above the ceiling. It’s pretty thin up top though, inspector said it had 8” of blow in for a value of R-19 or 22, I can’t remember which off the top of my head, but really it’s much thinner. I’ll be adding more this next weekend and adding an OSB floor across the joists. The windows in the house aren’t especially good insulators. They’re dual pane but it gets a lot colder here than in Cali so they do conduct a lot of cold to the inside. The Endeavor specs out at 2000sqft max, might I be better served by getting a slightly oversized stove?

strange you only have r-19 in such a new house. Code should be r-38 in attic. The local inspector didn’t do their job. Try to get past 40. Also, be careful putting wood on top of insulation. If you pack it then you loose some of the insulating value if it is fiberglass. You also risk blowing out your ceiling.

it wouldn’t hurt to have a larger stove b/c you have more flexibility. I have a 2.5 cuft box now but want closer to 3. With that, you would be fine with anything over 2 as long as it is a quality stove.

 

[GrendelShooter]

Our house in Cali had R-38 equivalent, so yes this was somewhat of a shock.
I’m not sure what the building code here is, but yes it was a shock reading the report and seeing it cited as R-19. I’m still looking into it to see if I can get the builder to come out and do the job correctly but I’m not holding my breath. I’m more comfortable doing that sort of thing myself anyway.

Code may be different because it’s an all metal structure-commonly referred to around here as a “Barndominium”.

 

[moresnow]

“Barndominium”

Or... "Shouse" Shop house mix. I've been in some dandy's. Great options.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Most times oversizing will not allow you to run the stove property.. another words your dampening it down too much all of the time or if you're not dampening it down the stove is running hot and making your house too warm it's always better to have the proper size stove and if needed have the existing heating system help you out here and there during the really cold spells.. i heat exclusively with wood and when its really cold out.. ill set the thermostat and if the house cools to that temp.. the heat kicks on.. if not it stays off.. i probably spent like 50 bucks in oil last year...

 

[Grizzerbear]

I personally like a lil bit larger stove than i need for those cold cold days. You will find differing opinions on this. I have worked in western ok....elk city to be exact.....and winters can be cold, snowy, icy....and for sure windy lol. Going a lil bigger isnt going to hurt in my opinion. If it gets too hot you can crack a window. Im cold natured as well so if it gets 80 in whole house im fine with that

 

[Trey1979]

Betcha wish a stove was cooking this am! Looks chilly and rainy there according to google. May be worth checking availability of the Drolet brand stoves at the local big box stores. If you are confident enough to complete the install yourself you can likely get this done for roughly half the quoted cost.
No offense to your local shop as they sound competent and offer a quality product. Good luck either way.

Love my drolet ht2000 my complete setup cost me 2000 but i did the installation myself . Im a Carpenter/ painter and it was no big deal if you buy a drolet are something from a box store you might can find a construction company that can install it for you cheaper than a stove shop

 

[Hogwildz]

Some box store stoves are good heaters, with similar efficiency as more expensive stove brands, and can last a long time if properly maintained. At least one brand sold at the box stores is lower in emissions than many other stoves, budget or high end. Local dealer may or may not be worth the cost they charge, and sadly, you won't know for sure until the job is done. There are many of us who have installed our own systems, and maintain our systems ourselves.

No one should purposely get a huge stove to supercede their needs, but, you can build smaller fires in a larger stove and run it efficiently. YOu can only load so much wood in a stove, and if it is too small for the worst of cold days & nights, you will have to rely on supplemental heat source(s) more or less depending on how much the stove can't keep up. A stove should never be run over it's safe heating capacity to keep up with heating. That will only prematurely wear or damage the stove.

If you're not comfortable with a DIY situation, the price you've been quoted is not a bad one.

You're doing the right thing and researching well. This pays off in the end.
Don't rely on posted square footage capacity, as that means nothing in the real world.
Go by firebox size and that will get you closer to your needs.

 

[GrendelShooter]

That’s good to know, how does one judge the required firebox size?

 

[Woodsplitter67]

That’s good to know, how does one judge the required firebox size?

Its listed in the specs.. every stove has a listed spec.. this should include.. aprox burn time, box size, all your clearances to combustibles, BTUs produced, aprox sqft it will heat..( which is worthless).. because ther's alot of variables Like house Construction, how much insulation Etc

 

[Bad LP]

I know a guy who has bubbled the enamel on his Jotul from running it too hot. He has also gone thru a few pieces of glass. He has abused the stove to no end.

 

[Zack R]

Sounds like a fair price for a turnkey installation from a reputable wood stove installer. It's a chunk of change but will be a focal point of your house all winter long and keep you nice and warm no matter the outside temp.

 

[begreen]

Yeah it’s a cold one this AM! The house is toasty...but my electric meter is spinning like mad lol.
The $4500 includes double walled piping and full chimney install, complete turn key setup.
Personally I know I could do the install. I do building maintenance for the government so it’s all within my skill set, but I’m not licensed and bonded. I’m willing to pay a fair price for the work and peace of mind.

So would there be any advantages to upsizing the stove? The way my stove will be installed is in a small alcove in the living room, and our bedrooms are on the opposite side of the house. Would having a larger, somewhat oversized stove make heating the whole house easier of would it just be unnecessary?

The price is in the ballpark for a complete installation at this time of year. Will this be a straight-up installation or out the wall and then up?

The Endeavor is a good medium-sized stove. It's simple and has been on the market a long time. The stove will definitely make a dent in the heating bill even if at times it is not carrying the full load. It has a square firebox which is nice for N/S loading. Will you be heating with it 24/7 or mostly nights and weekends? Do you have several full cords of fully seasoned firewood stacked and ready to burn? If not, then the results may not be as satisfying.

How open is the floorplan and how open is the stove area to the rest of the house?
If the floorplan is open and the goal is 24/7 heating then there are some larger stoves that may cost more, but will provide longer burntime between refills and more heat on demand. In the Lopi brand that would be the Liberty which is a good stove, but not my favorite 3 cu ft stove due to the somewhat shallow firebox which lends itself better to being an E/W loader.

 

[GrendelShooter]

Its listed in the specs.. every stove has a listed spec.. this should include.. aprox burn time, box size, all your clearances to combustibles, BTUs produced, aprox sqft it will heat..( which is worthless).. because ther's alot of variables Like house Construction, how much insulation Etc

Oh I meant is there a firebox size/sqft metric?

 

[GrendelShooter]

The price is in the ballpark for a complete installation at this time of year. Will this be a straight-up installation or out the wall and then up?

The Endeavor is a good medium-sized stove. It's simple and has been on the market a long time. The stove will definitely make a dent in the heating bill even if at times it is not carrying the full load. It has a square firebox which is nice for N/S loading. Will you be heating with it 24/7 or mostly nights and weekends? Do you have several full cords of fully seasoned firewood stacked and ready to burn? If not, then the results may not be as satisfying.

How open is the floorplan and how open is the stove area to the rest of the house?
If the floorplan is open and the goal is 24/7 heating then there are some larger stoves that may cost more, but will provide longer burntime between refills and more heat on demand. In the Lopi brand that would be the Liberty which is a good stove, but not my favorite 3 cu ft stove due to the somewhat shallow firebox which lends itself better to being an E/W loader.

Heating will be primarily at night for heat and some on colder days. Assembling wood now but we only just moved in 3 weeks ago so nothing stocked yet.
The house is very open, every room will have direct line of sight to the stove. Only thing blocking it is furniture and such.

Well, I just made the last payment on my truck, so I think I’ll go talk to the vendor soon.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

Oh I meant is there a firebox size/sqft metric?

All of the ones i have seen are in cuft

 

[snaple4]

All of the ones i have seen are in cuft

I think he means if you have a 2k sqft house you want a firebox of “x” size.

OP, no, there is no good guild line like that because it depends on your heat loss of the house , efficiency of your stove, and the quality/dryness of your wood.

that is why I said bigger isn’t usually a problem. Now if you go up to an 8” pipe then you could over size the stove with some of those monsters out there.
Since you are just starting your wood pile you won’t have good wood. Buy a moisture meter and test the wood.