Cost to Convert a Wood Fireplace to Gas

Converting a wood fireplace to gas costs $300 to $2,000 for a gas log set, or $2,000 to $5,000 for a gas insert installed, per the 2026 HomeGuide figures. The log set is the cheap ambiance option. The insert is the one that actually heats your house. Add $200 to $1,000 if there is no gas line at the fireplace yet, and that is the number that surprises most people.

• Vented gas log set, installed: $300 to $2,000
• Gas insert, installed: $2,000 to $5,000, sometimes more with liner work
• New gas line to the fireplace: $200 to $1,000
• Chimney inspection first: $100 to $250, not optional

What does each conversion option cost?

Three ways to put gas in a wood fireplace, with 2026 installed prices:

Option	2026 installed cost	Heat you get
Vented gas logs	$300 to $2,000	Looks great, most heat goes up the flue
Ventless gas logs	$500 to $2,500	Real heat, but moisture and air-quality tradeoffs
Gas insert	$2,000 to $5,000	A sealed heater, 70 to 85 percent efficient

For context, a full new gas fireplace install runs $2,300 to $10,000 in 2026. A conversion is cheaper because your firebox and chimney already exist. Our gas fireplace installation cost guide has the full breakdown.

How much does it cost to run a gas line to a fireplace?

Plan on $200 to $1,000 for most homes in 2026, priced around $15 to $25 per foot of new line. A fireplace on the same wall as the meter is a cheap run. A fireplace across the house from the meter, through a finished basement ceiling, is not.

This is licensed plumber or gas fitter work in nearly every town, and it needs a permit and a pressure test. Get the gas line quote before you fall in love with an insert, because on some layouts the line costs more than the log set.

Do I need a new chimney liner to convert to gas?

For a gas insert, usually yes. Most inserts vent through a new aluminum or stainless flex liner run down the old flue, and installers typically include it in the quote, but confirm it. A dedicated liner for the conversion runs $900 to $3,000 depending on height and material, and our chimney liner cost guide covers the options.

For vented gas logs, the existing flue usually works as is, provided it passes inspection. That inspection is the non-negotiable first step: a $100 to $250 check that confirms the flue is sound before anyone puts gas under it.

Gas logs or a gas insert: which conversion is right?

Buy logs for looks, buy an insert for heat. Vented gas logs burn with a tall, realistic flame, but the damper stays open and most of the heat leaves with the exhaust. An insert is a sealed box with its own glass front and blower that turns the fireplace into a real zone heater.

The honest math: if you would run it 20 evenings a year for atmosphere, the $2,000+ insert premium never pays itself back, get the logs. If the fireplace room is cold every night all winter, the insert is the better spend from day one.

Do I need a permit to convert a fireplace to gas?

Yes, in almost every jurisdiction, because the job involves a new gas connection. Permit and inspection fees run $50 to $300 in most towns in 2026. An installer who suggests skipping the permit is telling you how they handle the parts you cannot see.

Is converting a wood fireplace to gas worth it?

If you stopped using the fireplace because of the hauling, ash, and smoke, yes. A conversion turns a dead firebox into heat you will actually use at the push of a button, and gas needs no chimney sweeping, just a cheaper annual service.

Who should not convert: anyone who genuinely loves burning wood, anyone with free firewood access, and anyone in an area with frequent winter power outages who relies on the fireplace as backup heat, unless you pick an insert with a battery-backup ignition, since most insert blowers stop without power. And once you convert, going back to wood is often impossible: many conversions modify the damper and firebox in ways that end its wood-burning days for good.

What if I cannot run a gas line at all?

The electric insert is the fallback, and it is a good one. No gas line, no liner, no permit in most cases: it slides into the old firebox and plugs in, for $300 to $1,200 in 2026 before installation. In the Amazon reviews we mined this month, “wanted gas, could not run the line” was one of the most common stories behind an electric insert purchase.

Electric heat output is modest, about 5,000 BTU on a standard plug-in. Our guide to the cost of running an electric fireplace has the monthly math.

How we checked these prices

Numbers here come from the 2026 published guides at HomeGuide and Angi, pulled July 10, 2026, cross-checked against each other and against the install pricing already verified for our gas installation guide. We do not sell conversions and we take no installer referral fees. Figures get rechecked in September before the season.

More cost guides live in the Fireplace Costs hub, and everything gas is collected in the Gas Fireplaces hub. For safety standards on venting, the Chimney Safety Institute of America is the reference we use.

Wood to gas conversion FAQ