How much does a fireplace remodel cost in Los Angeles?
National 2026 guides put fireplace refacing at $600 to $4,500 and a full replacement at $2,400 to $8,100. Those are HomeGuide’s national ranges. Angi’s guide, updated in September 2026, puts the average refacing at about $1,100. A Los Angeles quote turns on the wall, the access and the material you pick.
Refacing means replacing the material that surrounds the firebox. The firebox stays put, so the work is a new face and sometimes a new hearth. That is the core of fireplace remodeling in stone, brick and tile. It is also why refacing usually costs less than a replacement.
What does refacing cost by material?
The cost to reface a fireplace comes down to its size and the material. HomeGuide prices refacing per square foot installed. Its totals assume a surround of 5 to 25 square feet, and they include removing the old material.
| Material | Installed cost per square foot | Total for a 5 to 25 square foot surround |
|---|---|---|
| Tile | $10 to $50 | $550 to $2,300 |
| Brick | $25 to $50 | $630 to $2,300 |
| Stone veneer | $45 to $75 | $730 to $2,900 |
| Natural stone | $50 to $150 | $750 to $4,800 |
The low end of each total is a slim band around the opening. The high end covers more of the wall. Tile and brick top out at the same total, and natural stone has the widest spread.
On a small job, removal is most of the bill. Five square feet of tile at $10 a square foot is only $50 of HomeGuide’s $550 low-end total. The rest is the removal fee.
Angi’s figure for stone veneer, $11 to $18 per square foot, is the material alone. That is the stone before anyone sets it. For a finished job, budget from the installed figures in the table.
Torn between brick and stone? Our notes on how brick and stone veneer compare cover weight, fading and cost on whole walls.
What costs extra beyond the new face?
The table covers the face alone. The national guides price these items on their own:
- Tearing off the old surround: $500 to $1,000 (HomeGuide, and already inside its material totals)
- A new mantel alone: $500 to $5,000 (HomeGuide)
- A new hearth: $3 to $200 per square foot installed, by material (Angi)
- Rebuilding the fireplace: $1,000 to $3,500 on average (Angi)
- Converting from wood to gas: $1,500 to $8,000 (HomeGuide)
Gas work sits outside the masonry. A licensed plumber or the appliance installer runs the line. In the City of Los Angeles, nearly all new gas piping needs its own plumbing permit from LADBS.
Repairs come before looks. HomeGuide puts fireplace repairs at $100 to $2,000, depending on the damage. A new face over a cracked firebox only hides the crack. That is why fixing the firebox and chimney first gets its own line on the quote.
Do Los Angeles rules change the budget?
They can. The code sets a minimum hearth and a clear space around the opening. The air district limits what can be installed new, and the city decides which work needs a permit.
How big the hearth has to be
Section R1001.10 of the California Residential Code sets the size of the hearth extension. That is the noncombustible floor in front of the fireplace. It must reach at least 16 inches in front of the opening and 8 inches past each side. An opening of 6 square feet or more needs 20 inches in front and 12 inches past each side.
The hearth itself must be at least 4 inches thick, and the extension at least 2 inches. A wider opening means a wider hearth, and each added square foot is priced at the hearth rate.
How close a wood mantel can sit
Under section R1001.11, a wood mantel may rest on the masonry face, but never within 6 inches of the opening. Closer than 12 inches, each inch of distance allows only 1/8 inch of projection. So a trim piece 8 inches from the opening can project 1 inch at most. We build the face with that clearance left for the mantel you choose.
What kind of fireplace can go in
The South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Rule 445 was last amended September 5, 2025. Any new or used fireplace installed permanently, indoors or out, must be one of four types. They are an EPA certified wood-burning heater, a pellet-fueled heater, a masonry heater or a dedicated gas fireplace.
That rules out a new open wood-burning fireplace, with narrow exceptions. Replacing a wood-burning fireplace lost in a declared disaster is exempt. So are registered historic sites and contributing homes in a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. A refacing leaves the existing firebox in place. A full replacement is a new install, so the rule decides what it can be.
Which work needs a permit
In the City of Los Angeles, LADBS requires a building permit for new construction, additions, alterations and demolition. The city’s permit-exempt list, in section 106.2 of its building code, names painting and papering. Stone, brick and tile refacing does not appear there.
Refacing or a full replacement: which fits your fireplace?
Reface when the firebox works and the look is the problem. HomeGuide says the new material can go over the old brick or tile in most cases. Angi says stone veneer can go over brick. First, check that the brick can carry the weight and hold the bond, and plan for moisture.
We run that check before we plan thin stone veneer set over old brick. A sound brick face saves the tear-off line, and a weak one adds it back.
Replace when the fireplace itself has failed, or when you want a different kind of fire. HomeGuide says stone, masonry and brick fireplaces cost the most to replace. The new unit also has to be one of the four types Rule 445 allows.
Chimney trouble is its own budget. Our 2026 chimney repair price ranges show what that side of the job can add.
How the permit question fits into your quote
We start at the fireplace. We measure the opening and check the hearth depth and mantel clearance. We look over the firebox before we price a new face.
Then we settle the permit path for your address. Outside the City of Los Angeles, that means your own city’s rules. The permit is handled as part of the job, with the paperwork filed for you where the agency allows it.
If you are adding gas, we plan the face around the plumber’s line and permit. The material, the hearth size and the permit path all go into your free written quote.