New member - in need of chimney advice / explanation

[JTohio]

Hello all, I’m a new member here and in the process of pricing out wood stoves and installations.

I just got my first estimate from a local stove retailer and wanted to see if it seemed right. The total for a Buck 74 with about 20’ of chimney pipe straight up through a ranch home came out to $9500.

$2800 for the stove itself (what I expected), $2100 for the labor, a bit over $1000 total for taxes, fuel surcharges, and a hearth pad, and then $3500 for chimney pipe and components.

The chimney costs were a sticker shock for me. I’ve attached an image of the estimate and was wondering if that price looked right? If so, can someone explain the various types of pipe from Duratech? I’ve seen 48” sections of their 6” double insulated stainless pipe on northern express for about half the price, but it doesn’t have the “CF” at the end of the part number. I’m not sure if there’s any difference, if the any difference is worth the added cost, or if this place is just ripping people off who are shopping for stove installs in December.

The labor also seemed high, especially since we have a very easily accessible attic and the guy who came out for measurements said it’d be a quick and easy job (not the same guy who wrote the quote).

Any comments or advice is much appreciated! I’ll also add that I’m happy to pay more for premo stuff if it will help the stove perform better and last longer.

 

[Eman85]

Amazon product ASIN B002J385JO All I did was google 1 of your parts. Easy enough to do the google and see what pipe and parts and prices.

 

[30WCF]

So, at a Qty of 3, that’s not that big of a mark up assuming he’s buying them off Amazon and doesn’t have dealers pricing. Even then, it’s probably not that much different.
Can a guy make $35 off $500?

 

[Eman85]

So, at a Qty of 3, that’s not that big of a mark up assuming he’s buying them off Amazon and doesn’t have dealers pricing. Even then, it’s probably not that much different.
Can a guy make $35 off $500?

I didn't link it looking for or suggesting a cheaper price. Just that pipe alone shows the price is inline. As someone who has purchased a pipe from Amazon there is no way an installer could buy pipe like that. Every pipe comes damaged and no one would pay an installer for dented pipes.

 

[JTohio]

I ended up pricing everything out on Northline Express and it wound up being about $1000 cheaper for all the chimney parts.

I should note that the installer who quoted me is a stove/fireplace retail business, so I’d assume they order conponents at wholesale prices, but who knows.

The only difference is the Northline Express pipes didn’t have the “CF” designator, which is apparently a reference to carton fillers to protect them during shipping, and nothing to do with the pipe itself. I’m not sure if that site is reputable or if the carton fillers are necessary to have the pipe shipped, but it looked like the installer was really jacking the prices up.

 

[begreen]

The CF means Carton Filler which is an available protective filler for shipping. The quoted price for the chimney pieces is high. If they will let you supply, here is a reputable dealer.

Home :: Chimney Pipe / Venting Pipe :: Wood/All-Fuel Piping :: 6 inch :: DuraVent DuraTech 6 :: DuraVent 6'' x 48'' DuraTech Chimney Pipe - Stainless Steel - 9407 // 6DT-48SS

M&G DuraVent 6" x 48" DuraTech Chimney Pipe - Stainless Steel - 9407* Non CF (Carton Filler) pipe of this length needs to be purchased with at least two other pieces of similar brand pipe. Please call or e-mail us if you have any questions.Designed for ap

woodstovepro.com

 

[30WCF]

I didn't link it looking for or suggesting a cheaper price. Just that pipe alone shows the price is inline. As someone who has purchased a pipe from Amazon there is no way an installer could buy pipe like that. Every pipe comes damaged and no one would pay an installer for dented pipes.

I wasn’t trying to knock your post. It was agreeing that I couldn’t do it much cheaper off Amazon. I could save on the labor, but to pay $35 for every $500 that I don’t have to think about isn’t a bad deal.
Maybe that can be had cheaper elsewhere or wholesale. I can’t get it wholesale. All I save on for mine was labor.

 

[JTohio]

The CF means Carton Filler which is an available protective filler for shipping. The quoted price for the chimney pieces is high. If they will let you supply, here is a reputable dealer.

Home :: Chimney Pipe / Venting Pipe :: Wood/All-Fuel Piping :: 6 inch :: DuraVent DuraTech 6 :: DuraVent 6'' x 48'' DuraTech Chimney Pipe - Stainless Steel - 9407 // 6DT-48SS

M&G DuraVent 6" x 48" DuraTech Chimney Pipe - Stainless Steel - 9407* Non CF (Carton Filler) pipe of this length needs to be purchased with at least two other pieces of similar brand pipe. Please call or e-mail us if you have any questions.Designed for ap

woodstovepro.com

Much appreciated! I’ll ask the installer about ordering the pipe myself and if they say no or refuse to price match, I’ll shop out quotes elsewhere

 

[KDubU]

Yes install estimates are very high these days and I question whether it has anything to do with tax credits. I can’t prove that but similar to you, my estimate made zero sense and when I asked questions about it nicely, I received no reply. That indicates to me, for my quote, it was not on the up and up. Basically like other contractors they bid crazy high because they don’t “need” the business. Times will change though and they will need it in the future.

 

[MRD1985]

Not being able to DIY these days will leave people going broke. Pretty much goes for everything. Nothing is cheap.

 

[Caw]

Not being able to DIY these days will leave people going broke. Pretty much goes for everything. Nothing is cheap.

Overall I agree.

I'm willing to DIY just about anything. I've renovated almost every room in my house, new bathrooms, etc, and I've saved tens of thousands and had fun doing it. However fire in my house 24/7 I prefer to leave to a professional. I know it's very doable and people here do great DIY work I've seen, I just feel more comfortable with a pro. And his forbid if there's ever a fire I don't want to be responsible.

 

[MRD1985]

Overall I agree.

I'm willing to DIY just about anything. I've renovated almost every room in my house, new bathrooms, etc, and I've saved tens of thousands and had fun doing it. However fire in my house 24/7 I prefer to leave to a professional. I know it's very doable and people here do great DIY work I've seen, I just feel more comfortable with a pro. And his forbid if there's ever a fire I don't want to be responsible.

I too have done DIY everything on my house except for the roof. I flat out didn’t have the time when it needed to be done, we were expecting our first child at the same time. I’d rather invest in tooling and have them forever than pay someone to do what I’m capable of.

 

[Newbie78]

Most times we can "diy" to a much higher standard than the minimum standards required by code. Of course this requires a thorough understanding of the subject at hand.

I was somewhat dismayed at how flimsy (and expensive) the accessories for chimney install were, in my case. The stovepipe and chimney seem of very high quality, but the support systems, flashings, decorative covers, etc appeared to be made as cheaply as possible with a very high price tag, relative to the stack.

 

[Caw]

Yeah I'd rather just buy the tools and learn how to do whatever it is. My tool collection has gotten a little out of hand though lol. I need to build a new garage. Basement and shed are chock full.

 

[JTohio]

i just got off the phone with the installer who quoted me, and they explained that the pipe available online is not the same as that sold to installers. Something about snap lock vs sheet metal screws.

Is there any merit to that? The vendor part number I found for cheaper were identical to those on the installers estimate. I smell bullshit.

 

[begreen]

i just got off the phone with the installer who quoted me, and they explained that the pipe available online is not the same as that sold to installers. Something about snap lock vs sheet metal screws.

Is there any merit to that? The vendor part number I found for cheaper were identical to those on the installers estimate. I smell bullshit.

That would be true possibly if comparing different brands of chimney pipe. Don't be too hard on the installer. They want predictability when they send a crew out for a job. Unanticipated part problems and delay the installation and require a callback. They also need to make enough profit to stay in business.

 

[peakbagger]

They also have to deal with the irate customer that bought a couple of cords of "seasoned wood" that is damp and the customer is unable to keep a fire going. It is the dealers fault until proven otherwise and even if he proves it the customer is always right.

 

[Pinesmoke]

Try Duravent at Menards. I asked a stove guy installing next door to my old place if he could sell me a stack. He said the Duravent is the same as , I think he said Supervent, they sell to pros just a lot cheaper.

I put it in and it is quality bits and pieces, twistlock with bands to lock the joints. Get it at 11%of for the win.

 

[begreen]

Try Duravent at Menards. I asked a stove guy installing next door to my old place if he could sell me a stack. He said the Duravent is the same as , I think he said Supervent, they sell to pros just a lot cheaper.

I put it in and it is quality bits and pieces, twistlock with bands to lock the joints. Get it at 11%of for the win.

It's not. SuperVent is a Selkirk product. What has changed is that now DuraVent owns Selkirk, but the pipe is not the same. There are no bands in the DuraTech chimney installation.

 

[Pinesmoke]

It's not. SuperVent is a Selkirk product. What has changed is that now DuraVent owns Selkirk, but the pipe is not the same. There are no bands in the DuraTech chimney installation.

I'll have to look when I get home Friday begreen. I got the stack just over a year ago and thought it was Duravent as opposed to supervent. The system did have bands, I'll look at the one on my toolbox. I just checked the website and all they show now is the supervent now so I may very well have not remembered correctly.

 

[Eman85]

Call the manufacturer and they will give you the truth about the pipe. It sounds like you don't have faith in the installer so it might be time for additional estimates.