Custom Masonry Fireplace Build (Rumford)
From-scratch masonry fireplace — including Rumford — engineered to draft, permitted and inspected.
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Zero-Clearance Firebox Installation
A factory-built firebox is only as safe as its install, and the listing is the standard that governs every dimension. We frame the chase to the manufacturer's spec, hold listed clearances to combustibles to the inch, run matched Class-A chimney with firestops at each floor and a 3-2-10 termination, and duct outside air where the home is tight. Those clearances are measured and documented before close-up — the assembly is verified to the letter of the listing, because that's what makes it legal to burn.
Duration
Few days
Warranty
1-year workmanship
Certified
CSIA · NFPA 211
Human reply
< 2 min
Prices shown are starting estimates and may change with the condition, access, and scope we find on site. Only a written quote from an on-site visit is a price we commit to.
What is it
What is zero-clearance firebox installation?
A factory-built, zero-clearance firebox is the smart way to add a real wood- or gas-burning fireplace to a framed wall — but it's only as good as the installation. These are UL-listed appliances with exact clearance, chase, and venting requirements, and the difference between a safe, efficient install and a fire-hazard one is entirely in honoring the numbers. Zero-clearance fireboxes are installed strictly to their listing.
The phrase 'zero clearance' is misleading and dangerous taken literally. Every listed firebox specifies precise clearances to framing, a required chase construction, and a specific Class-A chimney system — and those numbers aren't suggestions. The chase is framed to the manufacturer's dimensions, the firebox set so its listed clearances to combustibles are held exactly, and the matching Class-A insulated chimney run straight up with correct support, firestops at each floor, and a proper roof penetration. Mixing brands of pipe, fudging a clearance, or skipping a firestop is how a 'code' install becomes a slow-cook fire risk.
Draft and combustion air get the same discipline. The chimney is run to the required height above the roof for the 3-2-10 clearance rule so embers clear the roof safely, the overall flue height sized for a clean draw, and where the home is tight or code requires it, outside combustion air is ducted to the unit so it doesn't pull makeup air — and smoke — from the room. On gas models, the connection is made and leak-tested. The chase, cricket, and termination are built like the rest of the home: a back-side roof cricket so water sheds around the chimney, every penetration flashed, and the chase capped with a sloped stainless cover and an appropriate cap or shroud.
Inside, the firebox is set plumb and the surround detailed to your design with the listed non-combustible clearances around the opening honored to the inch. Mounting a flat-screen above? A proper mantel/heat deflector is installed so the listing — and your TV — are respected. A zero-clearance install is typically a few-day project; you're left a documentation package with clearance photos, the gas test where applicable, and the termination detail, with the permit pulled and the inspection scheduled.
Common signs you need this service
- You want a built-in fireplace on a framed wall rather than a masonry build.
- A new room or addition where a prefab firebox suits the design and the budget.
- A failed or outdated prefab unit that needs a code-correct replacement.
- You plan a TV above the fireplace and need the heat routed away correctly.
Every zero-clearance firebox installation includes:
- Chase framed to listing; clearances to combustibles held exactly
- Matched Class-A insulated chimney, firestops, 3-2-10 termination
- Roof cricket, flashing, sloped stainless chase cover + cap
- Outside-air duct + TV heat-deflector detailing where needed
Materials we use
UL-Listed Zero-Clearance FireboxMatched Class-A ChimneyStainless Chase CoverOutside-Air Kit
Scoped from a graded inspection
At Texas Chimney Experts, a zero-clearance firebox installation is never guesswork. We scope every job from a graded, photographed inspection first — the NFPA 211 level the evidence calls for — so the work is matched to what your flue and masonry actually need, with the report to prove it. The documented inspection is the record the zero-clearance firebox installation is built on.
Chimney inspectionBuilt to code
The code your zero-clearance firebox installation has to meet.
A zero-clearance firebox installation isn't a matter of opinion — it's held to published national standards. Texas Chimney builds every job to the named codes below and documents it, so the work is provably right for an inspector, an insurer, or a future buyer. These are the universal standards; your city's permit and inspection requirements are confirmed with the local authority before we pull the job.
NFPA 211NFPA 54UL-1777UL-103HTIRC
Listed clearances to combustibles
Zero clearance describes the engineered design, not permission to frame tight against the unit. Each UL-listed firebox publishes exact clearances to framing, and those numbers are held precisely.
Matched Class-A system
Mixing brands or components voids both the listing and the safety margin, so a listed firebox gets only its specified Class-A chimney, run as a matched system with correct supports and firestops.
3-2-10 termination
Termination height follows the fire-and-ember clearance rule of at least 3 ft above the roof penetration and 2 ft above anything within 10 ft. Clean draft is a separate question, earned through overall flue height and correct sizing.
Firestops at each floor
Wherever the chimney passes through a ceiling or floor, the required firestop spacers go in, holding clearance to combustibles through the entire run.
Codes cited are the established national standards (NFPA, UL, IRC) that govern this service. The adopted code edition, permit, and inspection requirements vary by city —Texas Chimney verifies them with your local authority having jurisdiction on every job.
Our process
How a zero-clearance firebox installation job runs.
01
Frame the chase
Build the chase to the unit's listed dimensions and set the firebox holding its exact clearances.
02
Run the chimney
Set the matched Class-A system with a firestop at every floor penetration and terminate to the 3-2-10 rule.
03
Weatherproof
Frame a roof cricket, flash each penetration, and cap with a sloped stainless cover over a shroud.
04
Air + commission
Where needed, duct outside air, leak-test the gas feed, seat the surround, and record clearances.
Why choose us
Why DFW homeowners pick Texas Chimney for zero-clearance firebox installation.
We've worked on 1,000+ DFW homes over 10+ years. Every job — small sweep or full rebuild — runs the same way: certified technicians, written quotes, photo reports, warranty in writing.
10+
Years experience
CSIA
Certified techs
23
Metros covered
Chase framed to the manufacturer's dimensions, with clearances to combustibles held exactly.
A matched Class-A chimney with firestops and a 3-2-10 termination — pipe is never mixed across brands.
A roof cricket, full flashing, and a sloped stainless chase cover and cap.
Outside-air duct and TV heat-deflector detailing wherever the listing calls for it.
Who we are
Texas Chimney Experts. 10+ years on DFW chimneys.
Family-owned, CSIA-certified, NFPA 211–compliant. We're the team you call when you want it done right the first time — no rotating subcontractors, no upsell pressure, no surprises. Same techs, same trucks, same standard.
CSIA Certified
Chimney Safety Institute of America
NFPA 211 Compliant
Code-compliant on every job
Owner on every job
Personal accountability, every time
1-year workmanship warranty
In writing, every job
Texas Chimney
DFW Metroplex · CSIA-Certified
NFPA 211
Code compliant
Zero-Clearance Firebox Installation by location
Dallas, TXPlano, TXFrisco, TXMcKinney, TXFort Worth, TXArlington, TXIrving, TXGarland, TXGrand Prairie, TXMesquite, TXRichardson, TXAllen, TXCarrollton, TXDenton, TXLewisville, TXFlower Mound, TXThe Colony, TXCoppell, TXGrapevine, TXSouthlake, TXColleyville, TXKeller, TXTrophy Club, TXWestlake, TXHighland Park, TXUniversity Park, TXAddison, TXFarmers Branch, TXDuncanville, TXDeSoto, TXCedar Hill, TXLancaster, TXRowlett, TXRockwall, TXWylie, TXSachse, TXMurphy, TXFairview, TXProsper, TXCelina, TXLittle Elm, TXArgyle, TXRoanoke, TXHaslet, TXNorth Richland Hills, TXHurst, TXEuless, TXBedford, TXWatauga, TXBurleson, TXMansfield, TXMidlothian, TXWaxahachie, TXEnnis, TXKaufman, TXTerrell, TXForney, TXHeath, TXFate, TXRhome, TXHouston, TXSugar Land, TXThe Woodlands, TXPearland, TXLeague City, TXConroe, TXMissouri City, TXAtascocita, TXKingwood, TXCypress, TXSpring, TXKaty, TXFriendswood, TXHumble, TXTomball, TXRichmond, TXAustin, TXRound Rock, TXCedar Park, TXGeorgetown, TXLeander, TXSan Marcos, TXPflugerville, TXKyle, TXHutto, TXLakeway, TXBuda, TXManor, TXBastrop, TXBee Cave, TXDripping Springs, TXSan Antonio, TXNew Braunfels, TXSchertz, TXCibolo, TXSeguin, TXConverse, TXBoerne, TXUniversal City, TXLive Oak, TXLeon Valley, TXFair Oaks Ranch, TXHelotes, TXAlamo Heights, TXFloresville, TXBulverde, TXGarden Ridge, TX
FAQ
Common questions about zero-clearance firebox installation.
How often should I have my chimney swept?
The standard is condition-driven, not calendar-driven: NFPA 211 ties cleaning to a measured 1/8" of creosote accumulation, and a Level 1 inspection is the way we confirm you've reached it. For a wood-burning fireplace in regular use that typically lands at once per heating season — but we measure the buildup and tell you what the flue actually shows rather than assuming.
Are your technicians certified?
Yes — and verifiably so. Our inspectors hold current CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America) certifications you can confirm yourself in the CSIA member directory at csia.org, and our fireplace work is handled by NFI specialists. We name the standard we inspect to so you can check the credential behind the report.
Do you offer emergency service?
Yes. We respond 24/7 (subject to crew availability) to the situations that can't wait for a diagnosis later — an active water leak into the home, an animal trapped in the flue, post-fire hazards, and storm damage. We make the system safe first, then document the cause; same-day in most cases.
Do you provide written quotes before work begins?
Always — and with the evidence attached. Before any work starts you receive a written quote backed by photos of exactly what we found and why it needs attention. Final pricing follows the documented condition of the chimney and anything the inspection turns up, not a number guessed before we've looked.
What's the Inspection Program membership?
Inspection Program is our annual maintenance plan at $19.99/month ($240/year): a documented Level 1 inspection and sweep every year ($248 value), priority scheduling, 10% off all repairs, and emergency-response priority. It's the way to keep a year-over-year record of your system's condition. Cancel anytime, no contract.
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10+
Years
NFPA 211
Standard
CSIA
Certified
< 2hr
Response
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Free written quote. Same-week scheduling. 24/7 emergency response when you need it.
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Emergency
24/7 Response
Active leak, animal in flue, post-fire damage, or smoke event? Real humans on the line 7 AM to 12 AM every day — replies in under 2 minutes. Tech dispatch within 2 hours during business hours, subject to crew availability after-hours.
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