A Fireplace Store and More designs, builds and installs custom fireplaces across Chicago and the western suburbs — from a single focal wall to a see-through unit shared between a living room and a screened porch. Design, appliance, surround and installation handled as one project, so you are not coordinating a builder, a mason and a gas fitter yourself.
Not sure what your wall can take? Most custom projects start with a free in-home visit, because the answer depends on your framing, venting run and gas supply.
What “custom” actually means here
Custom does not have to mean starting from nothing. Most projects fall into one of four categories, each with a very different budget and timeline.
Custom surrounds & mantels
Keep a sound firebox, rebuild everything you see: stone, tile, plaster, steel or reclaimed timber. Floor-to-ceiling or flush.
Linear & panoramic builds
Wide, low gas units set into a purpose-built wall. The most requested modern look, and the least forgiving of bad framing.
See-through & multi-sided
One firebox shared between two rooms, or between an interior room and a covered patio. Requires structural framing on both sides.
Replacement in an existing opening
Pull a tired builder-grade unit and fit a new direct-vent fireplace in the opening, or fit an insert into a sound masonry fireplace with a new face — which one depends on what is in the wall, and the assessment tells you.
How a custom fireplace project runs
- In-home assessment. We measure, check your venting and gas supply, and tell you honestly what the wall can and cannot take. Book a free in-home estimate.
- Showroom selection. Walk the full-size displays, judge scale and finish in person, and choose materials against real samples.
- Fixed proposal. One quote covering appliance, materials, venting and labor — not a per-trade patchwork.
- Installation. Gas, venting, framing and finish handled in sequence by our own crew.
What a custom fireplace costs in Chicago
No two custom builds price alike, and we would rather say that plainly than publish a table that falls apart on contact with a real wall. Your number is assembled from the design itself: the unit you select, any structural and framing work, the venting or electrical scope, and finish materials that run from painted drywall to quarried stone.
Design conversations start in the Downers Grove showroom or with a free in-home visit. When the design is settled, you receive one written quote for the complete build, fixed before work starts.
Our own crew, and we pull the permits
Every installation is run by our own employees; when a job calls for a mason or an electrician we bring in one of a small, hand-picked network we have worked with for years, and we stay in charge of the job. The person who plans your fireplace is the person who comes back if it ever needs attention. We handle permitting as part of the job — new gas lines, venting penetrations and structural framing are permitted work in most DuPage municipalities, and we file it rather than leaving it to you.
Brands we build with
We are a dealer for the manufacturers that genuinely support custom work — the ones offering the frame sizes, finish kits and venting flexibility a bespoke build needs: Lopi, Majestic, Travis Industries, Kozy Heat and DaVinci, whose linear and see-through units are built to order in almost any dimension. Browse the full fireplace catalog.
Gas, wood or electric for a custom build
Most Chicago-area custom projects end up gas, because a linear or see-through design depends on a sealed direct-vent appliance. Wood remains right where there is a masonry chimney worth using and the owner wants a real fire. Electric has become genuinely viable for interior walls with no venting path — particularly condos and finished basements. See gas fireplaces, electric fireplaces, or our comparison of gas versus electric.
Where we build
Custom fireplace design and installation throughout Chicago and DuPage County:
Frequently asked questions
How much does a custom fireplace cost in Chicago?
The design decides it. Unit selection, structural work, venting or electrical scope and finish materials each move the number, so we price the complete build once the design is settled. You get a single written quote, fixed before work begins.
How long does a custom fireplace installation take?
Once materials are on site, most single-sided builds finish in three to five working days. See-through units and full masonry work take longer. The long pole is almost always appliance lead time, which is why we start that conversation at the first visit.
Do I need a permit for a custom fireplace?
In most DuPage County municipalities, yes — any new gas line, venting penetration or structural framing is permitted work. We handle it.
Can you build a fireplace on a wall with no chimney?
Usually yes. Direct-vent gas units vent horizontally through an exterior wall, and electric units need no venting at all. The constraint is exterior wall distance and clearance, which the in-home assessment establishes.
Ready to start? Visit the Downers Grove showroom to walk the displays, or have us come to you.