Keep Your Family Warm and Safe—No Matter What

No, and we'll say that plainly. Upper Arlington runs almost entirely on natural gas for home heating, and the city's tight lot sizes and historic district design review make new wood-burning chimney construction unusual. Most of the wood-burning fireplace activity here comes from existing masonry fireplaces in the 1920s-1950s housing stock rather than new installs. If you're set on wood, it's absolutely possible—it's just a smaller, more specialized project than in a rural or forested market.

Yes, particularly if your home already has a masonry fireplace—common in Upper Arlington's Tudor and Colonial Revival housing stock. A wood-burning insert slides into that existing firebox and uses the chimney you already have, which is far more practical here than adding a new freestanding stove and running new Class A pipe through a house with no chimney. Homes without an existing masonry fireplace are rarely good candidates for a wood retrofit in this market—a gas or electric unit is almost always the more realistic path.

For a retrofit into an existing masonry fireplace—the most common scenario here—expect somewhere in the $4,000 to $9,000 range depending on the insert, liner work, and any masonry repair needed. New freestanding stove installs that require running a chimney where none exists cost considerably more and are uncommon in Upper Arlington's tighter lots. Get a firm number from a local hearth dealer after they've looked at your existing flue.

Yes. Any new wood-burning appliance install requires a building permit through the City of Upper Arlington's building division, and if your home is in one of the city's historic districts, exterior chimney changes may also trigger design review. Most reputable local installers handle the permitting as part of the job, but it's worth confirming before work starts, especially on older homes where the existing chimney may need masonry or liner repairs to pass inspection.

Unlike a forested market with national forest cutting permits nearby, Franklin County is entirely urban and suburban, so there's no public land to self-cut from. Local firewood here typically comes from tree services, arborists clearing storm damage, or regional firewood delivery companies serving the Columbus metro. Oak, hickory, maple, and cherry—the species that line most Upper Arlington streets—are the seasoned firewood you'll most commonly find for sale locally, and they burn hot and long once properly dried.

Practical, yes; necessary, not really. With average winter lows around 21°F and roughly 5,417 heating degree days, Upper Arlington's climate is meaningfully milder than a true cold-climate market like Duluth, MN—this isn't a place where wood heat is a survival necessity. Most homeowners here use central natural gas as primary heat and add a wood-burning fireplace or insert purely for ambiance, zone comfort in one room, or backup warmth during the occasional ice storm power outage.

Given how standard natural gas is in Upper Arlington, most homeowners retrofitting an old masonry fireplace choose a gas insert—it lights instantly, needs no wood handling or ash cleanup, and fits the way most people here actually use their fireplace. A wood insert makes sense if you specifically want the experience of a real fire, don't mind sourcing and stacking cordwood, or want a heat source that works without electricity or gas service during an outage. Both fit the same existing chimney, so the decision comes down to lifestyle rather than what your house can physically support.

Franklin County doesn't have the kind of winter inversion or non-attainment issues you'd see in a basin city out west, so there are no seasonal burn bans here. That said, on a tight suburban lot, smoke can still drift toward a neighbor's yard, so most local installers recommend an EPA-certified stove or insert, which burns cleaner and produces far less visible smoke than an older, uncertified unit.

For homes without an existing masonry chimney—common in Upper Arlington's newer builds and condos—electric is usually the more realistic choice. It installs for $400 to $1,200 with no venting or chimney required, runs on power from Ohio Power Co. or the City of Columbus electric utility at roughly $0.11-$0.14 per kWh, and can go into almost any room. Wood only makes sense if you already have a working masonry fireplace to retrofit. If you're starting from zero with no chimney, ask a local dealer about electric before committing to a wood project that may require significant new construction.

An insert does two things: it seals the chimney completely, so you stop losing air you already paid to heat, and it radiates warmth into the room through the firebox and glass. Most add a heat-exchange fan that pulls cool room air underneath, wraps it around the hot firebox, and pushes it back out warm. Your home is more efficient before you've even lit the first fire.

The right one can. If waking up to a warm house and live coals matters to you, say exactly that when you're shopping—firebox size and burn-rate control determine overnight performance far more than any number on a spec sheet. It's a much more useful question than asking about BTUs.

If you're putting a fire in your house on purpose, it's best to work with an expert. Unless you're genuinely experienced in framing, gas line, vent pipe, and the national code on clearances to combustibles, have a professional do it—and ideally the same company that sells you the fireplace, so warranty, service, and liability all live under one roof.

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.