Newbie Install Quote - Am I getting screwed? Any ideas?

[stevenlmas]

I'm looking at an Avalon Arbor pellet stove and had a visit with my local Avalon dealer. They quoted me $2600 for the stove and another $1400 for the parts and install. $500 for the installation seems relatively reasonable for Eastern, MA, but $900 for the four inch pipe/elbows fittings seems a little steep.

Here's what I need to do:

From the Tee at the back of the stove, run 8' vertically through a ceiling so that should be a tee, 5' and a 3' pipe (or 2x 4' or however we make it up) and a ceiling plate.
Once through the ceiling turn 90 degrees horizontally and run about 5' of pipe out the exterior wall, so I need a 90 elbow, a 5' pipe an exterior wall plate, and a horizontal cap.

Tallying all of this up using DuraVent at hartshearth.com puts me at $590 for:

60" Black Pipe
36" Black Pipe
Black Tee
Black Ceiling support

60" Stainless Pipe
2 45 degree elbows (in case I need some wiggle room btwn joists)
Wall Thimble
House Shield
Horizontal Rain Cap

I realize my local dealer needs to make a profit and I'm happy to give him one, but if I can get the supplies retail for $590 I assume he can get them for less-- let's be nice and say $500--is it reasonable to expect to pay almost a 50% markup? If not, what is a reasonable profit margin? Is he giving me the "15% off sale price" of the stove and marking up the install supplies to make up the loss on the stove? Any insights into what a fair price would be is much appreciated. Is DuraVent crap and that's why it's so much cheaper? Should I bag the local dealer, get one in NH, save on the sales tax and do it myself?

Thank you for your help!
Steve

 

[slls]

"Should I bag the local dealer, get one in NH, save on the sales tax and do it myself?"

I like that idea, go for it. I am doing my own install if my stove ever comes. $130 for direct vent. Yes, a installer on another site said DuralVent is crap, need to seal all seams or they will leak, he states. He said Metalbestos is not much better, not much to choose from, DuralVent claim they vent 3 out 4 stoves.

 

[Xena]

I'm a big diy fan. If you can do it yourself and also maintain/repair later
then I say go for it and save yourself some moola.


I have to ask though, what is the 90 degree turn and out the wall all about?
Seems odd to me..... Friend of mine did a through the ceiling install and he
went straight up, through ceiling and attic, and out the roof. Nice clean install.

 

[stevenlmas]

We're installing on the first floor, and removing an old wood stove that illegaly went up the interior chimney (shared with the Furnace) about 6 feet from the exterior wall. If I go thru the 1st floor ceiling I end up in a closet. The side of the closet is an exterioir wall. Hence the 90 degree turn I need. My house is 200 years old, so, getting all the way through 2 floors could be a real nightmare...

Thanks, Steve

 

[begreen]

Horizontal terminations can soot up the area underneath them. If it is your only option, then be sure to extend the pipe on the exterior out for another 12" and terminate with a 45 deg elbow pointing downward. That will help stop the wall from getting sooted up. You can add a wind cap or at least pop rivet some stainless hardware cloth at the end of the elbow as a bird block.

But before proceeding, look for other locations in the house or consider continuing straight up through the closet and up through the roof. A straight up installation is going to be so much easier to clean.

Another option is to put the stove in a corner or on an exterior wall, go out the back of the stove to outdoors and then up at least 5 feet. The same caveat for avoiding sooting of the wall applies, but many installations are done this way and it will cost a lot less. Here's an interactive guide for the short and easy install. http://www.duravent.com/?page=2a1.php . Hover your mouse over the red dots to see the component detail.

For pricing comparison here is a resource:
(broken link removed)

 

[webbie]

Obviously you should make certain that the installation fits within the range specified in the stove manual - as far as horizontal and vertical distances.

As to the price of the piping, if the dealer is a straight up person, you might just ask for a list of parts used.

BTW, remember that a online site like Harts is probably selling way below retail - they can afford to do so because they are providing no brick and mortar storefront, no installation, etc. and they can buy larger quantities. So your dealers should in now way be required to match a DIY online price!

DIY is always a bunch cheaper - i.e., the studs at the lumber yard cost a lot less than the framing labor! But very few people are 100% capable of doing their whole installation.