This is for any Massachusetts residents... What is the process for installing a wood stove so that your homeowners insurance company is informed and happy? Is there any info you need to supply about the stove itself? Are there certain stoves that would not get a stamp of approval (pre-EPA)?
Massachusetts "New" Stove Install
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Every insurance company is different, as well as each inspector. Ask your insurance company and local inspector what they require for it to pass inspection.
Start with the town, make sure all of the permits are obtained and signed off after the stove is in. Contact your agent and find out what they would like to see. A lot do not even have specific requirements. Some insurance companies will have a form to fill out simply describing the setup. I would give the insurance company more than they ask for, wich may include copies of the permits, drawings and pictures so in the event of the worst, how have documentation to show the stove was installed properly, and that they (ins. co.) were made aware of the fact that you are using it.
Great advice Harley!
My agent actually came out to my home and photographed everything for himself. The only other thing that he asked for was the UL number off of the info plate. State Farm Insurance BTW.
I am a Civil Engineer and deal with the fire rated construction assemblies a lot, e.g. 2 hour separation between residential and commercial space in the same building. It turns out that UL tests each and every stove individually and assigns a number to each test. So instead of having to give him all of the info from the plate, name, model, etc., I just gave the UL number and that tells the company everything about the stove.
My agent actually came out to my home and photographed everything for himself. The only other thing that he asked for was the UL number off of the info plate. State Farm Insurance BTW.
I am a Civil Engineer and deal with the fire rated construction assemblies a lot, e.g. 2 hour separation between residential and commercial space in the same building. It turns out that UL tests each and every stove individually and assigns a number to each test. So instead of having to give him all of the info from the plate, name, model, etc., I just gave the UL number and that tells the company everything about the stove.
- Download and read the state building code as pertinent to the instalaltion of a wood burning heater. There are about 2-3 pages of info IIRC that are relevant.
- Do your shopping and narrow it down to a couple differnet models, make sure they're all EPA certified. Do not buy yet, but get all costs written down, try to get estimate for installer as well.
- Go to your local town hall and talk to the building inspector. Pull permit if you have all the info. Mine wanted to know cost of stove, estimated cost of instalaltion, stove spec sheet, wanted me to know that I should check on sime insurance papers and other things from the installer before I signed a contract, etc.
- After you have a permit, buy the stove and schedule the installation. Verify you have a safe place to install it and that you can meet or exceed all the required offset distances. If you need to buy or build a hearthpad his is the time to do it.
- Have stove installed. I opted to take the day off when my instalaltion happened and took photos of all aspects of the process, including photos of a tape measure showing that I was in compliance with the offsets to combustibles where the chimnet went through the roof.
- Call the building inspector and schedule an inspection. Find out if he likes coffee or tea and have some ready. Neither beer nor scotch are not appropriate since a) he's on the clock and b) he has to drive. Your inspector will do 1 of 2 possible things...either he will stand in the doorway and ask if you had a woodstove installed to code specs and sign off on the instalaltion or he will come in with a laser level, transit and micrometer and check every single tolerance...this same person will also amke note the location, age and type of your smoke detectors, recommend replacing thema ll with combo CO2/smokes (not a bad idea really) and will also note that the railing on the stairs leading up toy our deck is not code compliant and may talk to you about it.
- When he signs off on thie installation you should get a certificate attesting to his, you may even get multiple copies. Keep one in permanent storage and the other can be given to your homeowner's insurance company.
- My homeowner's company didn't even want a copy of the certificate and they didn't adjust my rates at all when I installed a wood stove, your experience may vary.
- Do your shopping and narrow it down to a couple differnet models, make sure they're all EPA certified. Do not buy yet, but get all costs written down, try to get estimate for installer as well.
- Go to your local town hall and talk to the building inspector. Pull permit if you have all the info. Mine wanted to know cost of stove, estimated cost of instalaltion, stove spec sheet, wanted me to know that I should check on sime insurance papers and other things from the installer before I signed a contract, etc.
- After you have a permit, buy the stove and schedule the installation. Verify you have a safe place to install it and that you can meet or exceed all the required offset distances. If you need to buy or build a hearthpad his is the time to do it.
- Have stove installed. I opted to take the day off when my instalaltion happened and took photos of all aspects of the process, including photos of a tape measure showing that I was in compliance with the offsets to combustibles where the chimnet went through the roof.
- Call the building inspector and schedule an inspection. Find out if he likes coffee or tea and have some ready. Neither beer nor scotch are not appropriate since a) he's on the clock and b) he has to drive. Your inspector will do 1 of 2 possible things...either he will stand in the doorway and ask if you had a woodstove installed to code specs and sign off on the instalaltion or he will come in with a laser level, transit and micrometer and check every single tolerance...this same person will also amke note the location, age and type of your smoke detectors, recommend replacing thema ll with combo CO2/smokes (not a bad idea really) and will also note that the railing on the stairs leading up toy our deck is not code compliant and may talk to you about it.
- When he signs off on thie installation you should get a certificate attesting to his, you may even get multiple copies. Keep one in permanent storage and the other can be given to your homeowner's insurance company.
- My homeowner's company didn't even want a copy of the certificate and they didn't adjust my rates at all when I installed a wood stove, your experience may vary.
JonOfSunderland said:
You should not even go there. They are NO NON EPA/UL listed wood burning appliances that can legally be put into a new insulation, they are obsolete piles of scrap iron.
You have a nice newer home just look at modern clean burning EPA /UL listed stoves with a UL tag still on them. A wood Stove will last decades, there is a lot of scrap iron being sold as wood stoves they are inefficient and illegal to install in the the USA in new installations. When shopping new or used wood burning appliances just look at modern clean burning EPA/UL listed units.
DriftWood said:
www.vermontironstove.com
www.youtube.com/user/slatterbench70
But I really would like to go there...
JonOfSunderland said:
Then go visit it in the out building you do not live in.
Good luck finding the 55 gal barrel they are all plastic now.
Life is to short and splitting wood to feed that thing would take to long.
Well, sure it looks good. Have you seen one up close? They look nice in the pictures, but I'd want to see one.
I understand from past discussion on them, that they want to get the stove EPA approved. But your's would not be if youu buy it before they obtain the approval.
Take a look at the Woodstock or Hearthstone stoves, they have a neat old time look too; even if they aren't as cheap.
I understand from past discussion on them, that they want to get the stove EPA approved. But your's would not be if youu buy it before they obtain the approval.
Take a look at the Woodstock or Hearthstone stoves, they have a neat old time look too; even if they aren't as cheap.
JonOfSunderland said:
I pulled a permit and had the fire inspector inspect it... No trouble at all just follow the manufacturers instructions.. To be safe call the local bldg. inspector and ask what they require...
Ray
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