How much does it cost to have a log burner fitted?

For a mid-range stove into an existing chimney with a new liner, expect about £1,700 to £3,200 all in. With no chimney, a twin-wall flue takes it to about £2,600 to £4,800. Fitting alone, without the stove, is about £1,000 to £1,700. See the log burner installation cost guide for your own figure.

Do I need a liner to fit a log burner?

Not always by law, but nearly always in practice. An old brick flue is usually too wide for a stove to draw well, and a cracked one can leak smoke into upstairs rooms. A smoke test decides it. Read more on chimney liner installation.

Can I fit a log burner without a chimney?

Yes. A twin-wall insulated flue can run up through the house and out of the roof, or out through the wall and up the outside. It costs more and needs care with clearances. See twin-wall flue installation.

Can I fit a log burner myself?

You can, but the work still has to meet Part J. Without a registered installer you must give the council a building notice before you start and pay for their inspection. Many home insurers also ask for a HETAS certificate.

Do I need planning permission for a log burner?

Not for a stove inside the house. A twin-wall flue on the outside is usually permitted development, but listed buildings, conservation areas (on a wall facing the road) and flats normally need consent. Check with your council before you order.

How long does it take to fit a wood burning stove?

One to two days for a stove into a sound chimney, two to three days for a twin-wall flue, longer if the stack needs repairs first. Most fitters book a survey visit beforehand.

Log Burner Fitting

For homeowners, landlords and anyone fitting out an extension or barn in England, Scotland and Wales: what fitting a wood burning stove involves, what it costs and who can sign it off.

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Three ways a stove gets its flue

Route	What happens	Typical total	Time on site
Existing chimney, lined	A flexible steel liner down the old flue, sealed at the bottom with a register plate.	£1,700 to £3,200	1 to 2 days
No chimney: twin-wall flue	An insulated steel flue up through the ceilings and roof, or up an outside wall.	£2,600 to £4,800	2 to 3 days
Chimney repair first	Repointing and scaffold on a tired stack, then the liner and stove go in.	£2,450 to £5,000	3 to 5 days over two visits

Totals include a mid-range stove and VAT. National figures checked November 2026; a guide, not a quote.

Three sets of rules before you buy a stove

They decide which stove you can have and who may fit it. Each is easy to meet once you know it exists.

Smoke control areas

Most towns and cities in England, and parts of Wales and Scotland

You can burn logs only on a stove Defra lists as exempt for smoke control areas. A non-exempt stove there must burn authorised smokeless fuel. In England a council can issue a penalty of up to £300 for a smoking chimney.

Check: Ask your council, or look up your postcode on the Defra smoke control map.

Building Regulations, Part J

Every new stove, liner or flue in England and Wales

Fitting a stove is notifiable building work. The rules cover the flue, the hearth, distances to anything that burns, the air supply and a carbon monoxide alarm in the room.

Check: The fitter should tell you, before starting, how the job will be signed off.

HETAS sign-off

The simple way to meet Part J

A HETAS-registered installer certifies their own work and notifies the council for you. Use anyone else and you need a building notice from the council first, which costs a few hundred pounds.

Check: Look the installer up on the HETAS register and keep the certificate with the house deeds.

Carbon monoxide alarms, hearth sizes, air vents and wet wood are covered in our guide to log burner rules and regulations.

Choosing the right size of stove

The most common mistake is a stove that is too big. It gets the room uncomfortably hot, so it is run slowly with the air shut down, which tars the flue, blackens the glass and makes smoke. A smaller stove burning brightly is cleaner and nicer to sit by.

The usual starting point is the room’s volume in cubic metres divided by 14, which gives a rough heat output in kilowatts. A lounge of 5 by 4 metres with a 2.4 metre ceiling is 48 m³, so about 3.5 kW. Add a little for an old, draughty cottage or a room open to the stairs; take some off for a well-insulated modern house.

Size matters for the rules too. In most homes built before 2008, a stove of 5 kW or less needs no permanent air vent in the room; above that, Part J asks for a vent of 550 mm² for each kilowatt over 5. Newer, airtight houses usually need a vent whatever the size.

What the money goes on

Every figure is a typical UK range including VAT. The stove and the flue are the two big numbers; the rest depends on what the house already has.

Part of the job	What it covers	Typical cost
The stove	Budget 5 kW to premium or large	£400 to £3,500
Fitting into a chimney	Labour, flexible liner, register plate, cowl and certificate	£1,000 to £1,700
Twin-wall flue instead	Supplied and fitted, through the house or up an outside wall	£1,900 to £3,300
Hearth	A ready-made plate, or a built hearth with wall protection	£150 to £1,000
Opening up a fireplace	Removing a fire surround or blocking, making good	£300 to £1,200
Chimney repairs and scaffold	Repointing a stack plus access	£750 to £1,800
Carbon monoxide alarm	Required in the room; usually included	£15 to £40
Sweep before fitting	If the chimney has been in use	£70 to £100

Work out your own total in the log burner installation cost estimator.

Know roughly what you want? A registered fitter can look at the chimney or flue route and give you a firm price.

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How a stove gets fitted

Survey
A look at the fireplace, a smoke test of the chimney, a check of the loft and roof, and a measure of the room for stove size. If there is no chimney, the flue route is planned here.
Preparation
Sweeping, opening up the fireplace and any stack repairs. Scaffold goes up only if the chimney top needs work or a liner cannot be fed from a roof ladder.
Fitting
The liner is dropped down the flue (or the twin-wall run is built), the register plate sealed, the hearth laid and the stove connected. Most jobs take one to two days.
Commissioning
A first fire, a flue draw test and a spillage check, the carbon monoxide alarm tested, the notice plate fixed, and the HETAS certificate issued within 30 days.

The work we can help with

Chimney liner installationLining an old flue so a stove draws cleanly and safely.
Twin-wall flue installationA stove in a house, extension or barn with no chimney.
Opening up a fireplaceTaking out an old gas fire or blocking to make room for a stove.
Hearths for log burnersSlate, glass or stone, and the sizes Part J asks for.
Sweeping and servicingKeeping a stove and its flue safe once it is in.

Questions about log burner fitting

How much does it cost to have a log burner fitted?: For a mid-range stove into an existing chimney with a new liner, expect about £1,700 to £3,200 all in. With no chimney, a twin-wall flue takes it to about £2,600 to £4,800. Fitting alone, without the stove, is about £1,000 to £1,700. See the log burner installation cost guide for your own figure.
Do I need a liner to fit a log burner?: Not always by law, but nearly always in practice. An old brick flue is usually too wide for a stove to draw well, and a cracked one can leak smoke into upstairs rooms. A smoke test decides it. Read more on chimney liner installation.
Can I fit a log burner without a chimney?: Yes. A twin-wall insulated flue can run up through the house and out of the roof, or out through the wall and up the outside. It costs more and needs care with clearances. See twin-wall flue installation.
Can I fit a log burner myself?: You can, but the work still has to meet Part J. Without a registered installer you must give the council a building notice before you start and pay for their inspection. Many home insurers also ask for a HETAS certificate.
Do I need planning permission for a log burner?: Not for a stove inside the house. A twin-wall flue on the outside is usually permitted development, but listed buildings, conservation areas (on a wall facing the road) and flats normally need consent. Check with your council before you order.
How long does it take to fit a wood burning stove?: One to two days for a stove into a sound chimney, two to three days for a twin-wall flue, longer if the stack needs repairs first. Most fitters book a survey visit beforehand.

Sources we used

Prices are typical ranges from national UK price guides for homeowners, read November 2026, including VAT. Rules are summarised in our own words and are general information, not advice on your particular house.

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