How to Buy a Fireplace – The Fireplace Sales Cycle Explained
Buying a fireplace is different from buying almost any other household appliance. It is more involved and precise than purchasing an oven, washing machine, fridge, or laundry machine as it requires a specific installation. The types of units available to you may be restricted based on your specific home and the fireplace location. Similar to water heaters and furnaces, fireplaces require some professional consultation to ensure safe and effective use. Unlike water heaters & furnaces, however, fireplaces are at the heart of the home and therefore need to not only be functional but beautiful and match your style. This means that purchasing a fireplace takes a few steps. Below we will walk you through each step and suggest tools to help you through each step.
The 7 Steps to Purchasing a Fireplace
Step 1: Research
First, you will need to understand what type of fireplace you are looking for. Do you need an insert, fireplace, or freestanding stove? What type of fuel do you want to use – natural gas or propane, wood, pellet or even electric.
What type of project are you undertaking? Is it a new build, a renovation, or simply remodeling an existing fireplace? How will the fireplace be vented? Is there existing infrastructure in your home?
Use our product wizard to find out what type of product you need and to narrow down the choices right off the bat.
Find Your Fireplace
Read our blog to understand the differences in venting, the difference in fireplace types, typical room size heating capacity, and other common research questions.
Step 2: Find a Dealer
Once you have an idea of what you need, the next step is to find a professional fireplace dealer in your area. Because of the complexities and safety concerns of installing fireplaces, a professional fireplace installer must install all Regency fireplace products.
Step 3: Consultation
Once you have found a dealer work with them to find the perfect unit for your home, from sizing to venting and even style. Your dealer will help you find the right size unit for your home and how best to get the look you desire. Pick and choose your accessories, including color, surrounds, logs or stones or crystals, legs or pedestals, and more (available accessories depend on individual units & fireplace type). Use our Fireplace Design Center to customize your fireplace with accessories to get the perfect look for your style and home!
Step 4: Inspection
Once a dealer knows what you are looking for and what unit you want, they will need to perform an on-site inspection. This can typically be done either in-person or virtually, but the dealer needs to inspect the home to ensure that the desired fireplace will work as intended.
If installing an insert, they will need to inspect the chimney to ensure no structural problems. If you add a new fireplace where one never existed, they will need to ensure that the venting can be run safely and correctly. If they are replacing an old fireplace or stove, they will need to inspect the existing vent locations to ensure it will work with the new units.
Note: Some dealers may want to do this inspection early in the process so they can help you identify exactly which unit you will need.
Step 5: Quote & Approval
After a unit has been chosen and your fireplace dealer has inspected your home to ensure the desired fireplace will work correctly, they will provide you a quote for the entire project. Typically, a quote will include the unit's price, venting, chosen accessories, and labor; however, some dealers will simply give you a base price that includes all the above. It is important to understand that venting, accessories, and installation is always over and above any stated prices on dealers’ websites or in-store unless otherwise stated.
To accept a quote most dealers, require a deposit. This amount will vary, but it will likely be due upon acceptance of the quote, with the balance being paid upon installing the fireplace.
Step 6: Order & Installation
Once a quote has been accepted, the dealer will either order the unit from the manufacturer or pull from their existing inventory &, depending on their schedules, work with you to find a time to begin the installation.
Once the fireplace has been installed, your dealer will walk you through all the initial steps to conducting your first burns, remote control operation, and any other information you need to be aware of. You can always reference the owner’s manual included with every unit or visit our resource pages for more details.
Step 7: Annual Maintenance
As with all major household appliances, you will need to get your fireplace serviced annually to ensure it continues to run at optimal performance for years to come. If you purchased a wood unit, it is recommended to have your venting cleaned of any creosote that may have built up. Gas units should be serviced to clean the glass and ensure all gas tubes are free from blockages.
See our maintenance guides for more details on annual maintenance tasks.
We always recommend using the dealer that installed your fireplace for any service-related calls as they would be very aware of its setup and any potential issues to look out for. You can also use our service dealer platform to find a certified Regency service dealer in your area.
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