Instant heat for Story County's long, cold winters.

A typical gas fireplace or insert installation in Story County runs roughly $3,500 to $9,500, depending on the unit, the venting path, and whether new gas line work is required. A direct-vent insert going into an existing masonry fireplace with a gas line already nearby sits toward the low end. A new built-in gas fireplace for a remodel or addition—with framing, direct venting through an exterior wall, and a fresh gas line run from the meter—lands in the middle to upper range. Homes running on propane rather than MidAmerican Energy natural gas sometimes see added cost if a new tank or line extension is needed. A local retailer will give a firm number after an in-home visit.

Yes, and it's a common project in Story County's older neighborhoods—particularly in the historic homes near downtown Ames and around the Iowa State University campus, many of which were built with masonry wood fireplaces that see little actual use today. A gas insert typically drops into that existing masonry opening, using a stainless liner run through the original chimney for venting. Cost usually falls in the $4,000 to $8,500 range depending on whether the home is already on natural gas or needs a propane setup, plus any gas line work. The conversion keeps the original mantel and surround while eliminating the wood handling that Story County homeowners largely skipped in the first place.

Either works, and which one applies depends mostly on where in the county you're located. MidAmerican Energy serves natural gas throughout Ames, Nevada, Huxley, Story City, Slater, Gilbert, and most other incorporated towns—if your home already has a gas furnace or water heater, adding a fireplace is a straightforward tie-in. Outside those service areas, especially on farmsteads and acreages in the county's unincorporated townships, propane is the standard fallback, delivered and stored in a tank on the property. Most fireplace models can be configured for either fuel; your installer sets the correct orifice and regulator for whichever you have.

Most modern gas fireplaces will, which matters in a county that sees its share of winter ice storms and derecho-related outages. Units with IPI (intermittent pilot ignition) run on a battery backup—usually a few AA batteries built into the unit—that kicks in automatically when the power drops, so the fireplace lights on demand just like normal. Valor fireplaces take it a step further: their pilot assembly generates its own electricity through a thermocouple, so there's no battery to remember or replace. For Story County homes where an outage might stretch overnight during a January cold snap, that distinction is worth asking your local dealer about.

A gas fireplace is a fully built-in unit installed into a framed wall or new construction opening. A gas insert is sized to slide into an existing masonry fireplace, sealing it up and using the existing chimney as a vent path—the common choice for older Ames and Nevada homes with an unused wood-burning fireplace. A gas stove is a freestanding unit that sits on the floor on its own hearth pad, similar in footprint to a wood stove but running on gas. Homeowners with an existing masonry fireplace they want to upgrade almost always go with an insert; new rooms or additions without an existing chimney are better suited to a built-in fireplace or freestanding stove.

Yes. Within Ames city limits, permits are handled through the City of Ames Building Inspection Division; in unincorporated parts of Story County, the county's planning and development office issues the permit. Either way, both a building permit and a gas line permit are typically required, and the gas line connection has to be done by a licensed gas-fitter or plumber. Most established hearth retailers coordinate the permitting, gas line work, and inspection as part of the installation, so you're not left managing separate trades yourself.

Vented gas fireplaces (direct-vent or B-vent) pull combustion air from outside and exhaust the byproducts back outside through a sealed pipe—they're the cleanest and most broadly recommended option. Vent-free units burn fuel directly into the room with no external venting; they're legal in Iowa but come with strict room-size requirements and an oxygen depletion sensor as a safety feature. For a well-sealed, modern Story County home, a vented direct-vent unit is generally the better call—it avoids adding any combustion byproducts to indoor air during the long stretch of months when windows stay shut. A local retailer can walk you through both if you're weighing the tradeoff.

An annual inspection is the standard recommendation for any gas-burning appliance, including direct-vent fireplaces and inserts. A technician checks the burner, pilot assembly, venting, and gas connections, and cleans the glass and interior—a much lighter service than a wood chimney sweep, but not one to skip. Local gas appliance service providers in the Ames and Story County area typically charge $150 to $250 for this annual visit, usually scheduled in early fall before the heating season ramps up.

For most Story County homeowners, this isn't really a close call. Wood-burning fireplaces are uncommon here—not because of any air quality rule, since the county has none, but because central Iowa's farmland never developed the wood-cutting infrastructure or fuel supply chain that supports wood heat in more forested regions, even with plenty of oak, hickory, and walnut growing along field windbreaks. A handful of rural acreage owners still install wood stoves for backup heat during outages, but the overwhelming majority of Story County homeowners choose gas: instant on-off operation, no wood to source or store, and reliable performance through the county's long, cold winters. If you have MidAmerican Energy natural gas at the house already, adding a fireplace is a simple tie-in; propane is the standard fallback further out in the townships.

Yes—with an asterisk. Fireplaces are hot and TVs don't like heat. Either put a mantel between them to deflect rising warmth, or choose a fireplace with heat-management technology that creates a cool zone on the wall above—the wall stays around 125 degrees, barely warm, while the room still gets full heat. If you like clean lines and don't want a mantel, heat management is the answer.

Yes—modern gas fireplaces have a battery backup for the ignition system that lasts for weeks, so no power equals no problem. Your furnace can't say that: no electricity, no blower, no heat. It's one of the most common reasons families add a fireplace, and worth confirming on any model you're considering.

For an average home—covering the fireplace, the vent pipe, and basic installation—a budget between $3,900 and $5,500 gives you a lot of options across wood, gas, and pellet. By the time you add finish work, gas line, and electrical, the average complete installation lands between $5,000 and $12,000 all-in. In a remodel or new build, a good rule is to put about 2.5% of the total project cost toward the fireplace.

Yes—by creating a comfort zone. A furnace heats every square foot of the house just to warm the one room you're in; a gas fireplace on low burns roughly a sixth of the gas a typical furnace does. Set the furnace around 55–60 degrees as a baseline, then heat the rooms your family actually uses. Families who heat this way commonly save $20–$60 a month.