Fireplace installation in brief
Every fireplace installation starts with two questions: where the fireplace will go and how it will vent. It might vent through an existing masonry chimney, a new chimney inside a framed chase, or a direct-vent pipe through a wall or roof. From there, the job covers choosing the fuel type, setting clearances, fitting the unit, and installing the flue liner, damper and cap the design calls for. A gas fireplace also needs a gas line. The job ends with a check of draft and operation. How fireplace installation works walks through each stage in more detail.
What the village's rules mean for a new fireplace
The Village of Arlington Heights Building & Life Safety Department publishes the requirements that shape a fireplace project. Each one is summarized below with the document it comes from.
Fireplace and chimney work is a listed permit project type
The Village of Arlington Heights building permit application lists Chimney and Fireplace as project types (source: Village of Arlington Heights Building & Life Safety Department, Building Permit Application and Contractor List, in the Grading Submittal Process and Checklist). For you, that means the permit question belongs at the start of planning, not after a unit has been ordered. Settle the location, the fireplace and the venting route early so the project can be described accurately when the permit is applied for.
Which codes the installation is built to
Arlington Heights' Building & Life Safety Department lists the 2018 International Residential, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, with local amendments in Chapter 23 of the Municipal Code, as effective in the Village since March 1, 2020 (source: Village of Arlington Heights Building & Life Safety Department, Notice of Building Code Updates, List of Codes Including Local Amendments, revised 4/16/2024). These model codes set requirements for fireplace and chimney construction, clearances to combustible materials, appliance venting and gas piping. Because the Village adopted them with local amendments, a plan for your home is checked against both the model codes and Chapter 23. A gas fireplace also brings in the Fuel Gas Code alongside the residential code.
Permanent outdoor fireplaces need their own permit
The Village of Arlington Heights Building & Life Safety Department states that permanent outdoor fireplaces require a building permit and must meet construction and location requirements (source: Guideline for Outdoor Burning, Fireplaces, and Cooking, revised 4/16/24). If a backyard fireplace is part of your larger plans, treat it as a separate permit project with its own rules, apart from any work inside the house.
Before you buy a unit
Choose the location and the venting route, and ask about the permit, before you buy a fireplace. A unit bought first can limit where it can go or how it can vent.
Is a new fireplace the right job?
A full installation isn't always the answer. Match the job to what you have now:
- No fireplace where you want one: a new wood or gas installation, with the venting planned from the start.
- A worn-out factory-built unit: replacing the prefab fireplace with a compatible model.
- A masonry fireplace you rarely use: an insert fitted into the existing opening, or a wood-to-gas conversion, may get you there with less construction.
- A fireplace that works but has cracked panels, a stuck damper or smoke spilling into the room: a repair, not a replacement.
If you're leaning toward gas, the venting style matters as much as the unit. Our guide to direct vent vs ventless gas fireplaces covers the trade-offs. We handle gas fireplace and gas appliance work, including the gas line, and we work on all major brands.
Request an estimate
Estimates are free. Tell us where you'd like the fireplace, which fuel you're considering, and whether there's an existing chimney. We'll look at the space and talk through your options and the permit step. Our full fireplace installation service explains each stage of the project. To see our other chimney, fireplace and dryer vent work in the village, browse everything we do in Arlington Heights.
Sources (1)
The sources of the Arlington Heights facts on this page.
- 1Village of Arlington Heights Building & Life Safety Department - Guideline for Outdoor Burning, Fireplaces, and Cooking (revised 4/16/24); Village of Arlington Heights Building & Life Safety Department - Notice of Building Code Updates, List of Codes Including Local Amendments (revised 4/16/2024); Village of Arlington Heights Building & Life Safety Department - Building Permit Application and Contractor List (in Grading Submittal Process and Checklist)
