Fireplace installation in brief
Installation means fitting a fireplace where there wasn't one, or putting a new unit in a new spot. The work covers choosing the type (wood-burning, gas or factory-built), planning the chimney or vent path, setting the firebox and surround, and connecting fuel where it applies. Parts such as the damper, liner and chimney flashing are planned along with the rest of the system. Gas fireplace and gas appliance work is offered, and we work on all major brands. Each step is laid out on our fireplace installation service page.
What Wheaton's permit requirements mean for a new fireplace
The City of Wheaton has three requirements that matter most when you add a fireplace. They decide what paperwork you need before work starts and what the finished house has to include.
Plans signed and sealed by an Illinois design professional
The City of Wheaton's residential fireplace and chimney repair permit requirements state that plans for fireplaces installed within a home must be signed and sealed by an Illinois design professional. (Source: City of Wheaton - Fireplaces, Masonry & Factory-Built / Chimney Repair - Residential.)
This applies to any homeowner putting a fireplace inside a house. Sealed plans have to exist before the permit application, so the design stage comes first. Settle the fireplace type, location and vent path early, and ask at the estimate who will prepare and seal the plans. That keeps the schedule realistic.
Elevation details showing chimney height
The City of Wheaton's fireplace, masonry and chimney repair permit requirements ask for elevation details showing the chimney's height in relation to the building. (Source: City of Wheaton - Fireplaces, Masonry & Factory-Built / Chimney Repair - Residential.)
For an installation, this means the chimney or flue has to be drawn as it will actually sit against the roof and walls, not just shown inside the room. Settle where the chimney exits and how high it rises before the drawings are finished. Moving it later means redrawing.
Carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping areas
Wheaton's local amendment to the International Residential Code (City Code chapter 22) requires a carbon monoxide alarm outside and within 15 feet of each sleeping area in dwellings with fuel-fired appliances or attached garages. (Source: City of Wheaton - Code of Ordinances Chapter 22, Buildings and Building Regulations (ICC local amendments, 12-6-24).)
A fireplace that burns gas or wood is a fuel-fired appliance. Once one is installed, check that every sleeping area has an alarm within that distance. If your home already has a gas furnace or an attached garage, the rule may already apply. A new fireplace is a good time to confirm the alarms are in place and working.
Before you request an estimate
- Pick a likely spot for the fireplace and where a chimney or vent could exit
- Decide between wood-burning and gas, or list the options you want compared
- Note whether gas service is already in the house
- Count the sleeping areas and note where the current carbon monoxide alarms are
- Plan time for sealed plans and elevation details before the permit
When installation is the right job, and when it isn't
Installation fits when you are adding a fireplace that doesn't exist yet or replacing one with a different unit in a new spot. If you're weighing gas models, our guide to direct vent vs ventless gas fireplaces explains how the two vent and where each one works.
- An existing masonry fireplace you want to burn more efficiently is often a job for an insert instead of a new fireplace.
- Switching an existing fireplace from wood to gas is a conversion, usually with gas logs and a gas line.
- A worn factory-built unit can often be replaced in place rather than starting from scratch.
- A fireplace that smokes, drafts poorly or has damaged panels or glass usually needs repair, not replacement.
Next steps
For the full process from design to first fire, read how fireplace installation works. For our other chimney, fireplace and dryer vent services here, start with our work in Wheaton.
Free estimates.
Request an estimate and bring your planned location and fuel type. We'll go through the plans, chimney height and alarm requirements with you before any work starts.
Sources (1)
The sources of the Wheaton facts on this page.
- 1City of Wheaton - Fireplaces, Masonry & Factory-Built / Chimney Repair - Residential; City of Wheaton - Code of Ordinances Chapter 22, Buildings and Building Regulations (ICC local amendments, 12-6-24)
