A pellet stove costs $1,500 to $5,000 installed in 2026, and pellets add another $525 to $1,050 per heating season for most homes. That is the whole honest picture in two numbers. Pellet stoves sell on convenience, and the convenience is real, but so is the electric plug, the weekly vacuuming, and a fuel bill that never goes to zero the way cut-your-own firewood can.
- Stove unit: $1,200 to $3,500 for most models
- Installation with venting: $300 to $1,500 on top
- Pellets: about $350 a ton in 2026, 1.5 to 3 tons a season
- Electricity: runs the stove, no power means no heat
How much does a pellet stove cost installed?
$1,500 to $5,000 all-in per the 2026 Angi install data, and most straightforward installs land between $2,500 and $4,000. The breakdown:
| Line item | 2026 cost |
|---|---|
| Freestanding pellet stove | $1,200 to $3,500 |
| Pellet vent pipe kit and install | $300 to $1,000 |
| Labor | $250 to $1,000 |
| Hearth pad | $150 to $500 |
| Permit | $50 to $250 |
Pellet venting is cheaper than wood stove venting because the exhaust is cooler and fan-driven: a short run of pellet vent pipe straight through an exterior wall often does it. No masonry chimney required is a real cost advantage over the $3,000 to $8,000 a wood stove install can reach when chimney work is involved.
How much do pellets cost per season?
About $350 a ton in 2026, and a typical home burns 1.5 to 3 tons a winter, so $525 to $1,050 a season. A 40 pound bag runs $6 to $9 at the big box stores and burns for roughly 16 to 24 hours on a low-to-medium feed rate.
Two buying tips that move the bill: pellets are cheapest by the ton in late spring and early summer, and quality matters. Premium-grade pellets with low ash content burn hotter and cut your cleaning time. Bargain pellets save $40 a ton and give it back in clinkers and ash.
Do pellet stoves need electricity?
Yes, and this is the downside the brochures skip. The igniter draws 360 to 460 watts on startup, and the augers and fans pull 80 to 345 watts the entire time it runs. Two consequences: a few dollars a month on your electric bill, and no heat during a power outage unless you add a battery backup.
If your area loses power in winter storms, that second point is disqualifying on its own, or it is the reason you budget another $300 to $800 for a backup power unit. A wood stove keeps burning when the grid does not.
Are pellet stoves efficient?
Very. Quality pellet stoves run 85 to 95 percent efficient on premium fuel, which beats most wood stoves and embarrasses every open fireplace. The pellets themselves are compressed sawdust with low, consistent moisture, so nearly all the fuel becomes heat instead of steam and creosote. The EPA’s Burn Wise program lists certified models and their tested efficiency if you want to compare before buying.
What does pellet stove maintenance cost?
Budget $100 to $300 a year for a professional service plus your own weekly attention. The weekly part is non-negotiable: scrape the burn pot and vacuum the ash, ten minutes with an ash vacuum. Skip it and the stove burns lazy, then throws error codes, then quits.
Pellet stoves are also the most mechanical thing in this niche: augers, three fans or more, a control board, sensors. Parts fail on 10-plus-year-old units, and a 15 to 20 year lifespan assumes the maintenance actually happened.
Is there a pellet stove tax credit in 2026?
Not federally, not anymore. The 25C credit that paid 30 percent up to $2,000 on high-efficiency pellet stoves ended December 31, 2025, per the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, checked July 10, 2026. Some state and utility rebates survive, so search your state energy office before buying.
Is a pellet stove worth it?
Worth it if you want serious, cheap-per-BTU heat with thermostat convenience and you do not want to stack cordwood. A pellet stove is push-button wood heat: load the hopper, set the temperature, done for the day.
Not worth it if you have free firewood, if your power grid is shaky, or if you expect zero upkeep. And if you are torn between pellet and wood, that exact matchup, fuel math included, gets its own article here later in August. The short version: pellets buy convenience, cordwood buys independence.
How we checked these prices
Install figures come from the 2026 Angi and HomeGuide guides, pellet pricing from current retailer listings, and the efficiency and wattage numbers from manufacturer spec sheets, all pulled July 10, 2026. Nobody in the pellet business paid for placement here. Fuel prices get rechecked in September when we refresh every cost guide on the site.
The Wood and Pellet hub collects every guide in this cluster, and the Fireplace Costs hub has the full 2026 price library, including what a yearly flue cleaning costs if you vent through an existing chimney.
Pellet stove cost FAQ
How long will a 40 lb bag of pellets burn?
Roughly 16 to 24 hours at a low-to-medium feed rate, or as little as 8 hours running flat out. One bag a day in cold weather is a fair planning number for a typical home.
Can a pellet stove heat a whole house?
A large model in an open layout can carry 1,500 to 2,500 square feet. Like any space heater, it struggles to push heat into closed rooms and far corners, so central heat usually stays on as backup in bigger homes.
How long do pellet stoves last?
15 to 20 years with the weekly cleaning and an annual service. The stove body outlasts the mechanical parts, expect to replace igniters, gaskets, and the odd fan motor along the way.
Are pellet stoves cheaper to run than wood stoves?
Usually not if you buy your firewood, and definitely not if you cut your own. Pellets around $350 a ton in 2026 work out near the cost of bought cordwood per unit of heat, but wood prices vary more by region, so run your local numbers.
Do pellet stoves need a chimney?
No. They vent through a small pellet vent pipe, usually straight out an exterior wall. Venting into an existing chimney works too but needs a liner sized for it.