Wood to gas
Convert a wood fireplace to gas in Blue Springs, MO
The whole conversion under one price and one permit: inspection, gas line, liner if the flue needs it, and the gas logs or insert. Blue Springs Fireplaces does this job more than any other, because almost every home here built between 1970 and 1995 has a wood fireplace that nobody uses.
Why conversion is the common job here
Nearly half of Blue Springs housing went up between 1970 and 1989, and Lee’s Summit, Oak Grove and Grain Valley filled in through the 1990s and 2000s. Builders in those years put a wood burning fireplace in the family room as a standard feature. Forty years on, the owners have changed, the wood pile is gone, and the fireplace is a cold hole in the wall with a damper that does not seal.
Converting it keeps the hearth, the mantel and the brick or stone you already paid for, and adds the part people actually want: a fire that starts with a switch. There are two ways to do it and the difference is heat.
Two ways to convert: logs or insert
Gas logs. A burner and ceramic logs go into the open firebox. Gas line in, flue inspected, done. $900 to $3,200 for the set plus the gas run. You get the look of a wood fire with very little heat. Details on the gas log page.
Gas insert. A sealed steel fireplace slides into the opening with its own liner kit up the chimney and a blower. $3,800 to $8,500 plus the gas run. You get 70 to 85 percent of the gas as heat in the room and no draft when it is off. Details on the gas insert page.
The third path, for owners who want to keep burning wood but hate how little heat the open fireplace gives, is an EPA certified wood burning insert with an insulated liner, $3,500 to $7,000. Not a conversion, but it solves the same complaint.
Conversion pricing, all the pieces
| Job | Typical range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Gas log set, vented or vent free, installed in an existing fireplace | $900 to $3,200installed | Vented versus vent free, log size, remote or thermostat control, whether a gas stub already sits in the firebox |
| Direct vent gas insert in an existing wood fireplace, with liner kit and surround | $3,800 to $8,500installed | Insert size and BTU, blower and remote package, liner length up the chimney, electrical outlet inside the firebox |
| Gas line run to the fireplace from the meter or an existing branch | $450 to $1,500per run | Distance, crawlspace or finished basement, pressure test and permit, propane versus Spire natural gas |
| EPA certified wood burning insert with insulated stainless liner | $3,500 to $7,000installed | Insert size, liner length, hearth extension, blower |
| Stainless steel chimney liner, flexible, insulated | $1,800 to $4,000per flue | Chimney height, flue diameter, insulation wrap, tee and cap, offsets in the flue |
| Level 2 camera inspection before an insert or conversion | $200 to $450per visit | Number of flues, roof access, whether a cleaning is needed first |
| City mechanical permit and inspections, pulled by us | $40 to $150per job | Blue Springs versus unincorporated Jackson County, whether the gas line rides the same permit |
A typical Blue Springs insert conversion in a 1980s split level with gas in the basement lands near $6,500 all in. A log set conversion in the same house lands near $2,500. The cost guide walks through the math.
The conversion, step by step
- 1
Inspection
Camera up the flue, firebox check, read the plate on a prefab box, trace the shortest gas route.
- 2
Choose logs or insert
Logs for the look at the lowest price. Insert for heat and a sealed front. We bring both options with numbers.
- 3
One permit
Gas piping and the appliance ride the same mechanical permit in Blue Springs and most neighboring cities.
- 4
Gas run and pressure test
Line installed, tested at pressure, tagged for the inspector.
- 5
Liner if needed, then the appliance
Inserts always get a liner kit. Vented logs use the existing flue when it passes.
- 6
Final inspection and first fire
Inspector signs off on the line, vent and clearances. We fire it with you.
Propane homes and acreage
Outside the Spire gas lines, in Lone Jack, parts of Oak Grove, Pleasant Hill and the acreage around Lake Lotawana, the conversion runs on propane. Every log set and insert we install comes in a propane version with its own regulator. The connection comes off your tank line and is priced like any gas run. Nothing else about the job changes.
Conversion questions
How much does it cost to convert a wood fireplace to gas in Blue Springs?
About $2,000 to $5,000 for a log set conversion with a gas run, and $5,000 to $10,000 for an insert conversion with the liner kit and gas run. The permit adds $40 to $150. The cost page breaks each piece out.
Can every wood fireplace be converted?
Most can. A masonry fireplace converts after a flue inspection. A prefab metal box converts with an insert listed for that model if the box is sound. A box that has rusted through gets replaced instead of converted.
Where does the gas line come from?
Usually from the furnace or water heater line in the basement, run in black iron or CSST through the floor into the firebox. A typical Blue Springs ranch or split level run is $450 to $900.
How long does a conversion take?
One day for the gas run and pressure test, then one day for the insert or log set once the permit inspection on the line is done. Often both happen the same week.
Will I lose the option to burn wood?
Yes. A converted fireplace is a gas appliance. If you want to keep wood, look at an EPA certified wood burning insert instead, which keeps a real fire and heats far better than the open fireplace.
Price your conversion
Or call (816) 683-3118 and talk it through.