Help me levelset install cost?

[Leo95se]

Hi all
I’ve been shopping around for a wood insert, and unit prices all seem consistent and fair. I’m astonished at install prices. I am seeing double the unit cost.
It’s a sleeve, screws, and insert. Companies won’t even provide the electric so I’m doing that myself.

Can anyone offer any benchmarks? Or, in CT, a reputable company?
Thx!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

What’s stopping you from doing it yourself?

 

[bholler]

Hi all
I’ve been shopping around for a wood insert, and unit prices all seem consistent and fair. I’m astonished at install prices. I am seeing double the unit cost.
It’s a sleeve, screws, and insert. Companies won’t even provide the electric so I’m doing that myself.

Can anyone offer any benchmarks? Or, in CT, a reputable company?
Thx!

A sleeve? You mean an expensive insulated stainless steel liner that is designed to contain a chimney fire?

 

[Leo95se]

A sleeve? You mean an expensive insulated stainless steel liner that is designed to contain a chimney fire?

Is a liner not a sleeve? Pedantics aside, does that change how much it costs to install? Simply looking for advice.

 

[Leo95se]

What’s stopping you from doing it yourself?

Unknown for never doing it before.

 

[EbS-P]

Unknown for never doing it before.

I did it.

Not difficult. You have to be comfortable working opnonbthr roof at the top of the chimney. It’s probably a 6 hour job for two. Call that $200-250 and hour. Maybe more. My estimated rate in 2020 was $1000 a day for a professional crew of two plus materials. So 1500-2000 today seems about right. Might be higher in CT.

Like every details matter. How easy is roof access, How dirty is the chimney, and offsets. What in the fireplace now?

 

[GG Woody]

I've never had a liner go as easy as I would expect. Especially including 4" aluminum for gas appliances which I always assume will be easy.
With liners I've never been fortunate enough to say "that was easy"

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Quality of liners vary a lot too. There are thin walled liners, heavy wall liner, smooth walled, insulated vs non insulated , etc. you might be getting quoted a much higher quality product than what a box store sells.

I’ve installed liners also. I rented a lift to help position myself above the chimney and carry the weight of a long liner. My roof had a steep pitch and the top of the chimney was over 8 feet from the top of the roof. It wasn’t the most difficult thing I’ve done, but wasn’t the easiest either. I didn’t want to try to install it off the top of a ladder. Jobs you don’t do every day tend to go great until they don’t, lol. Sometimes experience makes the difference.

 

[bholler]

Is a liner not a sleeve? Pedantics aside, does that change how much it costs to install? Simply looking for advice.

A liner installed by me typically starts at 2500 and goes up from there depending on length access complexity etc.

 

[Leo95se]

Quality of liners vary a lot too. There are thin walled liners, heavy wall liner, smooth walled, insulated vs non insulated , etc. you might be getting quoted a much higher quality product than what a box store sells.

I’ve installed liners also. I rented a lift to help position myself above the chimney and carry the weight of a long liner. My roof had a steep pitch and the top of the chimney was over 8 feet from the top of the roof. It wasn’t the most difficult thing I’ve done, but wasn’t the easiest either. I didn’t want to try to install it off the top of a ladder. Jobs you don’t do every day tend to go great until they don’t, lol. Sometimes experience makes the difference.

Heh. That’s my hesitation! As they say, 66 days to make a habit, 10000 hrs to be an expert.
I’m ok with paying for expertise, I’m not ok with being taken advantage of. I see it as a day job, and if I can make 2500 a day I’m in the wrong biz.

 

[Leo95se]

I've never had a liner go as easy as I would expect. Especially including 4" aluminum for gas appliances which I always assume will be easy.
With liners I've never been fortunate enough to say "that was easy"

Solid advice for most things in life!

 

[bholler]

Heh. That’s my hesitation! As they say, 66 days to make a habit, 10000 hrs to be an expert.
I’m ok with paying for expertise, I’m not ok with being taken advantage of. I see it as a day job, and if I can make 2500 a day I’m in the wrong biz.

Believe me im not making $2500 on any liner install. Quality materials are expensive and operating costs are pretty high in our buisness

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Charging 2500 and making 2500 are two different things. Overhead is expensive. 2 guys, a truck, insurance, and equipment is expensive.

 

[Leo95se]

Believe me im not making $2500 on any liner install. Quality materials are expensive and operating costs are pretty high in our buisness

Most quotes these days double dip in that regard. Unless you want me to pay for all those 10mm sockets that go missing.

 

[bholler]

Most quotes these days double dip in that regard. Unless you want me to pay for all those 10mm sockets that go missing.

Well lost or broken equipment and tools need paid for as well. All part of operating costs. And double dip in what way?

 

[bholler]

Most quotes these days double dip in that regard. Unless you want me to pay for all those 10mm sockets that go missing.

If you give us some more info we may be able to give you some advice. We really dont know enough to give you any input

 

[Leo95se]

If you give us some more info we may be able to give you some advice. We really dont know enough to give you any input

Of course, I’m happy to! I’m not positive what details you/I should know, so here is what I’ve learned:
Liner will be 30-35’.
Most companies assume a boom. Some debate if needed and if getting up a ladder will work.
Looking for ‘large ‘ insert.
Companies don’t do or prep (drill thru fireplace) for electric install.
Based on my research I’d prefer a regency (hi500) or lopi cat unit
Based on reading these forums I’ve requested an insulated liner.
Based on reading these forums it sounds like an inline damper is sometimes recommended. No company agrees with this. I also don’t think there would be access.
My chimney has a bluestone cap. It sounds like folks don’t want to place it back on and prefer to add 3 caps. That will kill the look of the house so I’d source a decorative cap. (I have 3 flues in the chimney).

Anything I might have not covered or didn’t ask installers about?

Thx!

 

[stoveliker]

At 30-35 ft you will most certainly have trouble controlling the fire. Out of control fires are dangerous. A key damper (or in fact two!) is needed.

I would go with a stove that has the lowest possible output, because that means the air can be choked more. Most tube stoves have unregulated secondary air. This'll be a problem.

A cat stove allows to choke more - but sucking flame into the cat is likely to damage the cat.

If you can't put in a damper, I would consider not getting a stove or insert. See a long thread by davidmsem .

And at that length the price is not crazy imo.

 

[bholler]

Of course, I’m happy to! I’m not positive what details you/I should know, so here is what I’ve learned:
Liner will be 30-35’.
Most companies assume a boom. Some debate if needed and if getting up a ladder will work.
Looking for ‘large ‘ insert.
Companies don’t do or prep (drill thru fireplace) for electric install.
Based on my research I’d prefer a regency (hi500) or lopi cat unit
Based on reading these forums I’ve requested an insulated liner.
Based on reading these forums it sounds like an inline damper is sometimes recommended. No company agrees with this. I also don’t think there would be access.
My chimney has a bluestone cap. It sounds like folks don’t want to place it back on and prefer to add 3 caps. That will kill the look of the house so I’d source a decorative cap. (I have 3 flues in the chimney).

Anything I might have not covered or didn’t ask installers about?

Thx!

Ok I would be 4500 to 5000 on that install including everything but the insert. Possibly up to 5500 depending on access. Also you are not allowed to have an outlet in the firebox with the Regency. I believe some Travis stoves have a hardwire option. The Hampton would be very hard to install a damper on because of the cast face. Pretty sure the lopi is just a steel plate so as long as there is room for one in the firebox above the insert it could be done. But it requires custom fabrication for the linkage and adds even more cost. And many installers aren't fabricators.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

How heavy would that liner be? I wouldn’t want to drag it up a ladder unless the chimney top could easily be reached by standing on the roof.

 

[bholler]

How heavy would that liner be? I wouldn’t want to drag it up a ladder unless the chimney top could easily be reached by standing on the roof.

Insulated heavywall 275 or so. I would probably pull it up through the bottom.

 

[bholler]

Of course, I’m happy to! I’m not positive what details you/I should know, so here is what I’ve learned:
Liner will be 30-35’.
Most companies assume a boom. Some debate if needed and if getting up a ladder will work.
Looking for ‘large ‘ insert.
Companies don’t do or prep (drill thru fireplace) for electric install.
Based on my research I’d prefer a regency (hi500) or lopi cat unit
Based on reading these forums I’ve requested an insulated liner.
Based on reading these forums it sounds like an inline damper is sometimes recommended. No company agrees with this. I also don’t think there would be access.
My chimney has a bluestone cap. It sounds like folks don’t want to place it back on and prefer to add 3 caps. That will kill the look of the house so I’d source a decorative cap. (I have 3 flues in the chimney).

Anything I might have not covered or didn’t ask installers about?

Thx!

Those are my approximate prices in central pa. Operating costs in CT are most likely considerably higher than here.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

lifting 275lbs up a chimney a few inches at a time doesn’t sound like fun either. Do you use a crank winch to pull it up or is it all muscle pushing from bottom and pulling from the top?

 

[bholler]

lifting 275lbs up a chimney a few inches at a time doesn’t sound like fun either. Do you use a crank winch to pull it up or is it all muscle pushing from bottom and pulling from the top?

I just built an electric winch setup. Used a manual winch before that. No way you would pull it by hand.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Interesting! I bet designing that had some interesting choices involving weight and power sources!