What Qualifications Are Necessary When Installing Fireplaces?

Preparing to install a new fireplace in your home? It’s highly beneficial to have professional assistance, so you can make sure the job is done correctly and safely. As you search for a fireplace installer in your area, you should carefully consider their qualifications and background.

Here’s a quick overview of how to tell if someone is qualified to install a fireplace in your home:

• Licensure: Any fireplace installer you work with should, at the very least, have a license. This will guarantee a minimum degree of competency for the work they will be performing.
• NFI certification: While licensure guarantees competence, certification ensures both competence and integrity. Contractors with National Fireplace Institute (NFI) certification have proven themselves to have a high level of skill, as well as specialist knowledge in gas, wood-burning or pellet fireplaces. NFI certification is the gold standard for fireplace-installation qualifications, so you should make it a point to check for this certification in your research.
• Specialty: Make sure any fireplace installer you work with actually performs your type of fireplace work. You shouldn’t work with someone who’s certified only for gas fireplaces if you want a wood-burning fireplace. Make sure you’re carefully reading their services and qualifications before you contact them for work.
• Experience: Consider how long the fireplace installer has been doing this work. If the company has been in business for years, you can trust that they’re doing good work and that they have people recommending their services to others. You might be willing to take a chance on a relatively new company if they appear to have the proper qualifications, but experience will always be a valuable quality to have, and it will give you a little more peace of mind with your investment.

Those are the most important qualifications to look for in a fireplace installer. Of course, there are some other traits in a contractor you should always consider when making your decision.

Top traits for a fireplace installer

First and foremost, make sure you’re working with someone who is communicative. It can be extremely frustrating to have phone calls or emails go unanswered or to work with someone who simply is not a good communicator. A fireplace installation is not a cheap project—it’s important for you to feel comfortable with the project before it moves forward, and part of getting that comfort level is building a rapport with the professional you’ve chosen and maintaining open lines of communication.

You should also make sure their prices fall within what you’ve budgeted for the project. Ideally, you should look for quotes from multiple sources before choosing one to move forward with. The one that gives you the best combination of professionalism, experience, customer service and price is the right choice for you.

Interested in learning more about what qualifications are necessary when installing fireplaces, or need help choosing a fireplace contractor? Contact our team today at Custom Fire Art, and we will be happy to answer any questions you have about our services and the various brands we use in our work.

Categorised in: Fireplace Designer

This post was written by Writer