Masonry repair
Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Trusted Fireplace Repair for Austin Homeowners
A fireplace that won’t start, smokes back into the room, or makes a noise that doesn’t sound right is more than a nuisance. It’s a sign something is off in the system, and in Austin’s older neighborhoods, we see it a lot. Homes in Crestview, Allandale, and Travis Heights were built with masonry fireplaces that have now seen forty, sixty, or eighty winters of use. Ashby Chimney Austin has repaired fireplaces across Austin since 2002, and we still run every job the same way our founder Nathan Corliss did on day one: diagnose the problem, show you the evidence, put the price in writing, and stand behind the repair. If your fireplace needs attention, call (254) 274-4486. A live person answers.
Key Takeaways
- Fireplace repair in Austin typically ranges from $225 for a minor gas log fix to $2,500+ for a full flue reline.
- We give you a written price before any work begins, and every repair carries a written guarantee.
- Ashby Chimney Austin is independently owned and operated under the Kingswell Guarantee, with repair crews serving the entire Austin metro area.
- If a covered repair fails, we come back and fix it free under the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Styles & brands we work with
Gas Fireplace Repair
Austin Fireplace Repair covers everything from pilot lights that won’t stay lit to thermopiles, gas valves, and burner assemblies that need replacement. Most gas fireplace problems in Austin start small: a pilot that takes three tries, a flame that looks lazy and yellow instead of blue, or a set of logs that won’t ignite on the first switch flick. Left alone, those small problems strain the gas valve and burner, and they do not get cheaper to fix over time. Ashby Chimney Austin diagnoses gas fireplace issues with testing equipment that reads millivolt output on the thermopile and thermocouple, so we replace the failed part rather than throwing parts at the problem. A standard gas fireplace repair in Austin runs $225 to $650 including the part, depending on what’s failed. If the gas valve itself needs replacing, expect $500 to $900.
Pilot Light and Ignition
A pilot that will not stay lit is almost always a failed thermocouple or thermopile, not a problem with your gas line. We test the voltage at the valve, replace the failed component with the correct OEM spec, and confirm the flame pattern before we leave. This is the single most common repair we make in Austin homes with gas logs.
Burner and Valve Replacement
If your burner is rusted through or the gas valve will not hold pressure, the repair is straightforward: remove the old unit, install the new one, and verify gas pressure at the line. We use components rated for vented and vent-free fireplaces, and every valve replacement gets a leak check with an electronic gas detector before we close up.
Gas Fireplace Service
Gas Fireplace Service is the annual tune-up that catches wear before it becomes a repair. Austin’s humidity gets into gas controls that sit dormant from March through October. By November, the first cold snap hits, and homeowners across Austin, Round Rock, and Georgetown flip the switch to find the pilot won’t hold or the burner whistles. Ashby Chimney Austin services gas fireplaces with a set routine: clean the burner and pilot assembly, check millivolt output, inspect the logs for carbon buildup, vacuum the firebox, test the gas pressure, and verify the vent is drafting correctly. A full gas fireplace service in Austin runs $150 to $250. If we find a failing part during the service visit, we show you the test reading, explain what it means, and give you a written price to fix it same-day or on a scheduled return.
Annual Tune-Up Worth Doing
A gas fireplace that runs every winter builds carbon on the logs and pilot assembly. That carbon changes the flame pattern and reduces heat output, which makes the unit work harder. Our tune-up restores the flame to spec and takes about 45 minutes on most units.
Pre-Winter Readiness Checks
September and October are the months to have your gas fireplace serviced before the first freeze. We check the vent termination outside the house, test the fireplace under load for 15 minutes, and confirm the carbon monoxide detector in the room is working. If it isn’t, we’ll tell you.
Fireplace Insert Installation
Fireplace Insert Installation is how Austin homeowners turn a drafty, inefficient wood-burning fireplace into a sealed, efficient heat source. Older masonry fireplaces in neighborhoods like Barton Hills and Mueller send most of their heat up the chimney while pulling conditioned air out of the house. A sealed wood or gas insert sits inside the existing firebox with a liner run up the flue, directing heat into the room instead of the sky. Ashby Chimney Austin installs fireplace inserts with a full written quote before any material is ordered. Typical insert installation in Austin runs $2,500 to $5,500, depending on the unit, liner length, and whether electrical or gas work is required. The price you sign off on is the price on the invoice.
Liner Requirements and Clearances
An insert is not a drop-in box. The existing flue must be measured, often relined to the correct diameter for the insert, and verified for clearance to combustibles in the chase. We run a camera inspection before quoting so the price covers what your fireplace actually needs, not a best guess.
Efficiency Gains in Older Austin Homes
Pre-1980 masonry fireplaces often operate below 15 percent efficiency. A modern EPA-certified insert can bring that to 70 percent or higher, which matters in Austin’s freeze events when the grid is stressed. It is not a furnace replacement, but it is real, usable heat in the room you’re actually in.
Gas Fireplace Installation
Gas Fireplace Installation in Austin means adding a vented or vent-free gas unit where none existed, or replacing an old builder-grade fireplace with a new sealed combustion unit. This is full-scope work that touches gas lines, venting, clearance to framing, and in many cases, Austin electrical code. Ashby Chimney Austin has installed gas fireplaces across the metro since 2002, and we handle the entire job: sizing the unit to the room, running the gas line if needed, framing and finishing the opening to manufacturer spec, and verifying draft and gas pressure at completion. A typical gas fireplace installation in Austin starts at $2,800 and runs to $6,000 or more depending on venting runs, whether a new gas line must be pulled, and wall finishes. We write every line item down before we order the unit.
Vented vs. Vent-Free Selections
Vented gas fireplaces look and draft more like a real wood fire but lose heat through the flue. Vent-free units put nearly all heat into the room but require specific clearance and air-quality considerations. We walk you through which fits your home and your usage pattern, then quote both ways.
Gas Line and Venting Work
Many Austin homes built before 1990 have no stub-out for a gas fireplace, so the gas line is part of the scope. When we install a gas line, it is pressure-tested and inspected under permit where required, then flagged for the city inspection appointment. We finish the surround and trim so the job looks complete, not roughed in.
Gas Fireplace Maintenance
Gas Fireplace Maintenance is what keeps a gas unit safe and efficient season after season, and it costs a lot less than repairing one that has been ignored. The cycle in Austin is predictable: run the fireplace from November to February, then let it sit unused for eight months while dust, pet hair, and humidity settle into the pilot assembly and burner ports. Ashby Chimney Austin performs gas fireplace maintenance with a full 20-point checklist per visit: cleaning the glass, logs, burner, and pilot, checking flame rectification, testing the thermocouple, verifying the venting, and inspecting the gas valve for leaks. Gas fireplace maintenance in Austin runs $150 to $225. We recommend it annually, before the first time you use the fireplace each season.
Glass and Gasket Inspections
The ceramic glass on a direct-vent gas fireplace has a gasket that wears out with heat cycling. A failed gasket lets combustion air bypass the sealed system, which changes the burn and risks carbon monoxide into the room. We check the gasket condition on every maintenance visit and replace it when it’s compressed or cracked.
Testing Under Load
A fireplace that works on a two-minute test can fail on a two-hour evening. We run the unit for 15 minutes under full flame during maintenance, watching for flame lifting, sooting, or odor that only appears as things heat up. That is when real problems show themselves.
Wood Stove Installation
Wood Stove Installation in Austin is the answer for homeowners who want real heat from real wood, without the eight percent efficiency of a traditional open fireplace. A freestanding wood stove, properly sized and connected to a lined flue, heats a room through radiant and convective heat and can run through the night on a single load of oak or pecan. Ashby Chimney Austin installs wood stoves with a focus on clearances, combustion air, and flue sizing, because those three details are where most installers cut corners and most chimney fires start. A wood stove installation in Austin runs $2,500 to $5,500 installed, including the stove, stovepipe, hearth pad if needed, and any flue lining work. The written quote covers the whole job.
Clearance and Hearth Requirements
Austin adopts the International Residential Code, which sets minimum clearances between the stove and combustible walls based on the stove’s UL listing. Older homes in neighborhoods like Hyde Park often have tight rooms where those clearances require heat shields or specific hearth extension dimensions. We measure and spec this before you buy a stove that doesn’t fit.
Flue Sizing and Draft Performance
A wood stove needs a flue diameter matched to its exhaust volume. Too small and smoke spills into the room. Too large and the flue never warms enough to draft, creating creosote faster. We run the flue sizing calculation as part of every quote and reline when the existing chimney does not match the stove.
Brands We Service
We work on Gelco chimney caps and chase covers regularly in Austin. Gelco products are common on newer construction throughout the metro, and we stock the common sizes so a damaged chase cover does not have to be custom ordered and backordered during Central Texas storm season. We also install and service Olympia Chimney liner components. Olympia’s stainless flex liners are the baseline we use for relining masonry chimneys when we install an insert or wood stove.
Whether you have a Gelco chase cover, an Olympia liner, a Famco termination cap, or a Copperfield damper assembly, our techs handle the unit in front of them. If the brand on your fireplace is obscure, out of production, or long out of warranty, that is not a reason to replace the whole unit. Most parts can be matched, fabricated, or retrofitted. Bring us the problem and we will tell you straight what it takes to fix it.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterSigns You Need a Pro Right Now
- Smoke backing into the room. This means the chimney is not drafting. Sometimes it is a cold flue or a damper closed too far. Sometimes it is a partial blockage from creosote, a bird nest, or a failed tile liner. Either way, smoke in the room deposits particulates and carbon monoxide in your living space.
- A strong, sharp odor around the fireplace. Wood smoke odor that lingers after a fire is often a draft problem or creosote buildup. A sharp, chemical smell from a gas fireplace can be a gas leak at a fitting. You should shut the unit off and have it checked before running it again.
- Visible cracks in the firebox or chimney masonry. In Austin’s freeze-thaw cycles, brick and mortar expand and contract through the winter. Cracks widen over time and expose framing to heat. A cracked firebox is not a cosmetic issue; it is a fire containment failure waiting for the next hot fire.
- Rust or water stains inside the firebox. Water intrusion from a failed chase cover, cracked crown, or missing rain cap rusts the metal components: damper, firebox panel, gas logs, burner. The rust is often the first visible sign of a leak that has been silently degrading the fireplace for months.
- Pilot light that will not stay lit on a gas unit. A pilot that lights but then goes out after release is a failed thermocouple or thermopile. This is a straightforward repair, but until it is fixed, the fireplace will not run. Running the wall switch repeatedly will not fix it.
Our Process, Step by Step
- 1
You call, a live person answers. Our phone is staffed 24/7 by a real person who schedules your repair visit for a real arrival window. No voicemail loops, no callbacks on Monday.
- 2
We inspect and show you the evidence. Our technician arrives in uniform, runs the diagnostic, and takes photos or camera footage of whatever is failed. You see every problem before you agree to any fix. We translate the trade terms so you know exactly what you’re looking at.
- 3
You get a written price before work begins. The quote includes parts, labor, and any access work at the line-item level. You approve it or you don’t, with no pressure. If you say no, that is fine, you owe us the diagnostic fee and you keep the report.
- 4
We complete the repair with professional-grade materials. We use parts from chimney-trade suppliers: Olympia Chimney for liners, Gelco for caps, Famco for termination caps, Copperfield for dampers, and OEM parts for gas valves and control systems. Nothing from a random aisle at the home center.
- 5
You get a written guarantee before we leave. Every repair carries the Kingswell Guarantee in writing. If the covered repair fails inside the guarantee period, we return and fix it at no charge. That is the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and it has been the core of how Nathan Corliss has run this business since 2002.
How Much Does Fireplace Repair Cost in Austin?
Fireplace Repair in Manor and across Austin spans a wide range because the problems span a wide range. A simple gas log repair, replacing a thermocouple or thermopile, runs $225 to $450 in most Austin homes. A full flue relining or firebox rebuild is a different job entirely, running $3,000 to $7,000 depending on flue length, liner material, and access. A gas valve replacement typically lands between $500 and $900 including the part. A damper replacement on a masonry fireplace runs $350 to $700. Those numbers are honest ranges for the Austin market based on what we quote daily; every written quote is specific to your fireplace.
What changes the price: flue height and access above the roofline, the type of unit, the age of the fireplace, and whether parts must be ordered. Austin homes with steep roof pitches in areas like Westlake or Cat Mountain cost more to access safely than a single-story ranch in Brentwood. How to avoid overpaying: get the camera evidence. If a contractor says you need a new liner, ask to see the camera footage. We include the camera inspection in our diagnostic and hand you the photos. A free estimate from Ashby Chimney Austin includes the full written quote, the evidence, and our recommendation on whether the repair can safely wait or needs to be done now.
Our Service Area Near Austin
We run repair crews throughout the Austin metro and the surrounding communities: from our home base covering central and north Austin, out to Fireplace Repair in Round Rock for Williamson County, down to Buda, Kyle, and Shady Hollow to the south, east through Manor, Hornsby Bend, and Wells Branch, and west into Lost Creek and the hill country approaches. If you are in Jollyville, Taylor, or anywhere within about 40 miles of Austin, our techs cover the area. Most Austin repair calls are scheduled same-week. For a free fireplace repair estimate in Austin, call (254) 274-4486.
Serving Austin, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Austin area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fireplace Repair in Austin
Fireplace repair is the work of diagnosing and correcting mechanical, structural, or venting problems in a wood or gas fireplace. In Austin and nearby communities like Pflugerville, the most common repairs we make are replacing failed gas components, relining flues, rebuilding dampers, and repairing water-damaged fireboxes. Every repair we complete at Ashby Chimney Austin is quoted in writing first and guaranteed in writing when we finish.
Most gas fireplace repairs in Austin are completed in a single visit of one to two hours. Larger jobs like flue relining, firebox rebuilds, or insert installations typically take one to two days depending on access and scope. We give you a time estimate in writing with the price, and if the job runs long, the price does not change.
Minor gas fireplace repairs run $225 to $450, gas valve replacement runs $500 to $900, dampers run $350 to $700, and full relines or firebox rebuilds run $3,000 to $7,000. The only way to get an exact number is a diagnostic visit, and Austin homeowners get a free written estimate from us on most standard repair scopes. Call (254) 274-4486 for an exact quote on your unit.
Yes. We install and service Olympia Chimney liners and Gelco chase covers and caps throughout the Austin area. If your unit has a different brand of liner or cap, we service those too; these are the brands we stock because they are what our repair volume calls for. Most parts can be matched even if the original manufacturer no longer makes them.
If a gas fireplace is leaking or a chimney has active water intrusion during a storm, we treat that as an urgent repair call, and our phone lines are answered by a live person around the clock. We will talk through emergency stopgap measures, like shutting the gas valve at the wall, and get a technician dispatched as quickly as the schedule allows. The right first step is to call (254) 274-4486 and let us assess the situation.
Every repair we complete at Ashby Chimney Austin carries a written guarantee under the Kingswell Guarantee. If the covered repair fails inside the guarantee period, we return and correct it at no charge; this is the 365-Day Done Right Promise. The guarantee applies to parts and our labor, and it is written on the invoice when we finish, not sold as a separate add-on.
Clear the area in front of the fireplace about six feet back, move furniture that blocks access, and if you have pets, secure them in another room during the visit. If the fireplace has been used recently, let it cool completely before the appointment. That is all we need. Our techs handle everything else, and we leave the area cleaner than we found it.
Schedule Your Fireplace Repair Service in Austin Today
If your fireplace in Austin is not working right, call (254) 274-4486. You will talk to a live person, not a phone tree. We set a real arrival window, inspect the unit, show you the evidence, and give you a written price before any work starts. Every repair is guaranteed in writing. Learn more about our related Fireplace Repair in Round Rock service area, or check Fireplace Repair in Georgetown if you are north of Austin. For Austin calls, the number is (254) 274-4486. No obligation.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner at Ashby Chimney Austin, serving Austin since 2002.