Gas Fireplace Cost in USA: What Budget Should You Plan for a Gas Fireplace?
A gas fireplace is a sealed-combustion appliance that burns natural gas or propane to deliver real flames and usable heat, either as an insert for an existing opening or as a built-in unit in direct-vent or vent-free form. If you’re comparing gas firepalce cost, checking gas fireplaces prices, or estimating propane fireplane cost, a reliable baseline is this: the average installed cost for a gas fireplace insert is about $3,700, with a typical range of $2,300-$8,000, depending on venting, finish work, and the runs for gas and electricity.
That budget context sits in a very active market, which helps explain why pricing benchmarks are so well established. In fact, more than 7 million gas fireplaces are already installed in U.S. homes, according to a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory survey. Knowing how common these systems are makes it easier to plan your own project scope and costs, since installers, permitting offices, and suppliers work with them every day.
What Is the Average Cost of a Gas Fireplace?
The average installed cost of a gas fireplace in the USA is about $3,700, with most projects landing between $2,300 and $8,000 depending on venting, finish work, and whether you’re retrofitting an existing opening or doing a new build. Those installed numbers line up with broader market snapshots showing typical projects in the $2,300-$10,000 band, while custom or whole-room build-outs can push well above that; some comprehensive projects are documented up to roughly $26,800 when structural work and premium finishes are part of the scope. To reconcile equipment pricing with those installed totals, current 2025 manufacturer price sheets for gas units show unit-only prices starting around $1,600 for manual inserts, running ~$2,800-$4,200 for automatic linear inserts, and topping out near $5,700 for premium, fully featured models, costs that do not include installation, gas line work, venting, permits, or accessories. These hardware figures help explain why the all-in average settles near $3,700 once labor and finishing are added.
What Is the Price of an Indoor Gas Fireplace?
The price of an indoor gas fireplace (appliance only) in the USA typically ranges from $1,600 to $5,700. Most mid-range models with automatic ignition and remote control land around $2,800-$4,500, while premium designs with smart features or upscale finishes reach the upper end of the range. These figures cover the unit itself and don’t include installation, venting, permits, or gas line work; in practice, those extras often push the full project total higher, which is why many installed projects end up averaging around $3,700 and commonly fall between $2,300 and $8,000 depending on scope.
What Is the Cost of a Ventless Gas Fireplace?
The cost of a ventless gas fireplace in the USA typically runs $1,600-$5,700 for the appliance only, with most mid-range units landing around $2,800-$4,500 depending on size, burner design, and controls. That band aligns with current market listings: entry vent-free boxes can start under $1,000 at national retailers, while built-in or linear vent-free systems commonly sell in the low-to-mid $2,000s and stretch into the $3,000-$5,000 range for larger, feature-rich models. Installed totals are higher once labor, gas line work, and finishing are included; nationally, gas-insert projects average about $3,700 with a typical $2,300-$8,000 range, and ventless units often come in toward the lower end because you’re not paying for a vent system that alone can add $200-$3,000. If you’re converting an existing wood fireplace to a ventless gas-log setup, expect a simpler project that averages around $1,500 for the conversion components before any finish upgrades.
What Is the Price of a Natural Gas Fireplace?
The price of a natural gas fireplace (appliance only) in the USA typically ranges from $1,600 to about $5,700. Entry-level manual inserts start near $1,600, most automatic linear or firebox units fall in the $2,800 to $4,500 band, and premium formats with advanced controls and upscale finishes can reach about $5,700. These unit prices align with current manufacturer price sheets for gas fireplace burners, inserts, and fireboxes. In the broader market, product-only pricing from major brands also begins in the low $2,000s. For example, Heat & Glo’s SlimLine series lists a starting price of $2,338 for the appliance. When you translate appliance pricing into a full project, national data places the installed cost of a gas fireplace at an average of $3,700, with most totals between $2,300 and $8,000, depending on venting, labor, and finish work.
What Is the Cost of a Gas Fireplace Insert?
The average installed cost of a gas fireplace insert in the USA is about $3,700, and most projects land between $2,300 and $8,000 depending on venting, labor, and finish work. For the appliance only, current manufacturer price sheets place typical inserts in the $1,600 to $4,200 range, for example manual inserts around $1,600 and automatic linear inserts at about $2,800 to $4,200, which helps explain why installed totals cluster near the national average once gas line and finishing are added. Real-world retail listings for major brands are consistent with this picture, with product-only prices commonly in the low $2,000s to mid $3,000s; for instance, Heat & Glo dealer pricing shows inserts listed around $2,099 to $3,359 depending on size and series. If you need a new gas line, plan for an additional ~$598 on average in the U.S., although short or complex runs can push that figure lower or higher.
What Is the Average Cost to Operate a Gas Fireplace?
As a monthly reference, using the fireplace for 3 hours per evening over 30 days is ~90 hours. That is about $50 per month on natural gas and ~$74 per month on propane for a 30,000 BTU unit, before any taxes or fixed utility fees that vary by location. The average cost to operate a gas fireplace in the USA is roughly $0.56 per hour on natural gas and about $0.83 per hour on propane for a 30,000 BTU unit at current 2025 energy prices. Here is how that works. The latest U.S. residential natural gas price is about $19.18 per 1,000 cubic feet, which is roughly $1.85 per therm given natural gas contains about 1,036-1,038 BTU per cubic foot. A 30,000 BTU fireplace uses 0.3 therms per hour, so 0.3 × $1.85 is about $0.55 per hour. For propane, the U.S. average residential price is $2.518 per gallon and each gallon contains about 91,452 BTU, so a 30,000 BTU fireplace burns ~0.328 gallons per hour, which comes to about $0.83 per hour. If your fireplace runs lower or higher than 30,000 BTU, scale the math. Common inputs are 20,000-40,000 BTU/h, which yields about $0.37-$0.74 per hour on natural gas and $0.55-$1.10 per hour on propane at the same prices. Manufacturer specs from mainstream models confirm this input range, so your actual cost will track where you set the flame..
What Is the Hourly Cost of Running a Gas Fireplace?
The hourly cost to run a gas fireplace in the USA is about $0.56 per hour on natural gas and about $0.83 per hour on propane for a 30,000 BTU unit, using the latest EIA residential prices from spring 2025. For natural gas, convert the EIA price of $19.18 per 1,000 cubic feet in May 2025 to about $1.86 per therm using the typical ~1,033-1,037 BTU per cubic foot heat content, then multiply by 0.3 therms per hour for a 30,000 BTU input to get roughly $0.56 per hour. For propane, multiply the average $2.518 per gallon price by the usage rate (30,000 BTU ÷ 91,452 BTU per gallon ≈ 0.328 gal/hour) to get about $0.83 per hour. If your fireplace is smaller or larger, scale proportionally: a common 20,000-40,000 BTU range works out to roughly $0.37-$0.74 per hour on natural gas and $0.55-$1.10 per hour on propane at the same prices.
Where Can You Find a Gas Fireplace Cost Calculator?
You can use several reputable calculators online: many gas utilities host appliance-cost tools, for example Peoples Gas’s Natural Gas Appliance Calculator includes a “gas fireplace” option and estimates usage and cost for your local rate. Fireplace retailers and service companies also publish calculators, such as Chimney Works’ Fireplace Usage Cost Calculator and Forge & Flame’s Gas Appliance Cost Calculator, which let you plug in BTU input and your current fuel price to get an hourly or monthly estimate. If you prefer a simple formula rather than a widget, manufacturer resources like Valor’s “Costs of Operating a Fireplace” page show the standard calculation for cost per hour, which you can pair with your utility’s per-therm price. For a quick explainer with worked examples, energy provider Direct Energy walks through the math step-by-step, so you can verify the results from any calculator.
What Is the Typical Cost of Installing a Gas Fireplace?
The typical cost to install a gas fireplace in the USA is about $3,700, with most projects landing between $2,300 and $8,000 once you factor in venting, labor, and finish work. That national range aligns with other market snapshots showing gas fireplace installations commonly priced from $2,300 to $10,000, while more complex, custom build-outs can rise well above that baseline. To understand why the installed total often settles near the average, look at unit pricing plus typical add-ons: current 2025 manufacturer lists place appliance-only prices roughly $1,600 to $5,700 from simple manual inserts to larger automatic models with advanced controls, before any labor or finishes. Common extras include running a new gas line, which averages about $598 nationwide, and any required venting work, which can add $200 to $3,000 depending on the system and route.Taken together, equipment in the $1,600-$5,700 band plus gas line, venting, and surround finish costs explain why a professionally installed gas fireplace typically totals around $3,700 in the U.S. in 2025.
What Is the Average Cost of Replacing a Gas Fireplace?
The average cost to replace a gas fireplace in the USA is about $5,200 all in, which reflects the typical installed price of a new gas insert plus the average cost to remove and dispose of the old unit. Most homeowners end up in roughly the $3,000 to $10,500 range, since a straightforward swap can be close to the low end, while projects that add finish work, new venting, or layout changes trend higher. These ranges align with national installation guides for gas fireplaces, paired with typical removal costs. The equipment itself is a major driver of the total. Current manufacturer price sheets for comparable gas fireplace units show appliance-only pricing from about $1,600 for manual inserts to around $2,800 to $4,200 for automatic linear inserts, with premium formats reaching about $5,700. Those unit prices, plus labor, gas line work, and any surround or vent changes, explain why a full replacement commonly lands near the $5,000 mark.
How Does the Cost of a Gas Fireplace Compare to a Furnace for Home Heating?
A gas fireplace typically costs less to buy and install than a furnace, but a furnace usually delivers heat at a lower cost per BTU for whole-home heating. A typical gas fireplace project averages around $3,700 installed and often falls between $2,300 and $8,000, while a new gas furnace averages about $7,000 with common totals from $3,800 to $10,000. For running costs at recent U.S. energy prices, a 30,000 BTU gas fireplace is roughly $0.55 per hour on natural gas and $0.83 per hour on propane. A furnace sized around 80,000 BTU costs more per hour to run in absolute dollars, but after efficiency is accounted for, its 95-99% AFUE usually makes the cost per delivered heat lower than a direct-vent fireplace’s typical 70-80%. Vent-free fireplaces can approach ~99% efficiency but may face local code restrictions. If you want to heat a single room and turn down the thermostat elsewhere, a fireplace can reduce your overall bill through zone heating. If you need to heat the whole house, a high-efficiency furnace is usually the more economical choice over time.
What is the best place to buy a gas fireplace?
The best place to buy a gas fireplace is an authorized dealer or specialty hearth retailer that offers certified installation, full manufacturer warranty support, transparent pricing, and live-burning displays. A good seller will size the unit for your room, verify clearances and local code, separate appliance and installation costs in writing, and provide licensed, insured installers with proven after-sales service. The selection should cover direct-vent and vent-free options, inserts for existing openings and built-ins, multiple BTU outputs, natural gas or propane configurations, and matched accessories like ceramic logs and smart controls. As an example, Planika works through an authorized network and offers a broad gas lineup with standard remote control, optional Wi-Fi app control, natural gas or LPG versions, clear USD pricing, and typical lead times, which makes specification, purchase, and service straightforward.
Explore Gas Fireplace Costs and Choose Your Ideal Option with Planika
Choose a gas fireplace from a brand with more than 20 years of innovation, design discipline, and proven reliability. Planika fits that brief with a wide gas lineup, consistent U.S. pricing, and controls that keep daily use simple.
You can tailor both look and performance. Linear Galaxy burners come in two lengths, such as Galaxy 1150 at $2,950 and Galaxy 2000 at $4,400. The Galio Insert family covers a manual option at $1,600 and automatic versions at $2,800 for the 1000 size and $4,200 for the 2000 size. Finished fireboxes include Galio Black Automatic at $3,500 and Galio Corten Automatic at $3,950, while statement table formats top out around $5,700. These are appliance-only USD figures that help you benchmark budgets early. Typical accessories are clearly itemized too, including a ceramic log set at $225 and a Wi-Fi control module at $475, and current sheets note lead times of about 10 to 15 working days to aid scheduling.
If you want contemporary lines, smart-ready controls, and a price ladder that runs from entry to premium without surprises, Planika makes shortlisting easy. Ready to explore models and get a tailored quote for your space? Connect with an authorized Planika specialist and start planning your install today.