Find your gas fireplace in Burnet County.

Costs vary based on the unit, venting path, and whether new gas line work is required. A direct-vent insert going into an existing fireplace with gas already run to it sits on the lower end. A new built-in unit for a remodel or new construction, with framing and a fresh gas line, runs higher—and rural properties around Spicewood or Bertram that need a new propane tank set can add to the total. A trusted local dealer will give you a firm number after seeing your home, and that's exactly what our free Project Guide & Parts List is built to set up.

It depends heavily on where you are. In-town areas of Marble Falls and Burnet have more consistent natural gas infrastructure, while a large share of Burnet County—especially around the lake communities near Spicewood, Bertram, and the more rural stretches toward Highway 29—runs on propane, either from an existing tank or a new tank installed by a local supplier. Almost every gas fireplace on the market can be configured for either fuel with the right orifice and regulator, so this isn't a limiting factor—it's just a detail your matched dealer needs to know before quoting the job.

Yes, and it's a common upgrade in Burnet County, where many homes were built with a traditional masonry wood fireplace burning local oak, pecan, or mesquite. A gas insert typically slides into that existing firebox and vents through a stainless liner run up the same chimney, which keeps the exterior look of the fireplace intact while swapping in push-button heat. Whether you're on natural gas or propane changes the line-set work involved, but not the basic approach.

Most modern gas fireplaces will, which matters in Burnet County given how summer storms and occasional winter ice events can knock out power in rural parts of the county. Units with intermittent pilot ignition (IPI) run on a small battery backup that kicks in the moment power drops, so the fireplace still lights on demand. Valor fireplaces go a step further—their pilot assembly generates its own electricity through the thermocouple, so there's no battery to remember or replace. Ask your matched local dealer which ignition system is on any unit you're considering.

A gas fireplace is a fully built-in unit framed into a wall, typically chosen for new construction or a major remodel. A gas insert is sized to slide into an existing masonry firebox—the more common choice in Burnet County's older homes with a wood-burning fireplace already in place. A gas stove is a freestanding cabinet-style unit that sits on the floor and doesn't require an existing fireplace opening at all, which makes it a good fit for a room that never had a hearth. Your matched dealer can tell you which fits your actual opening and framing.

Most new gas fireplace installations require both a building permit and a gas line permit, whether you're inside Marble Falls or Burnet city limits or in unincorporated parts of the county. The gas line portion specifically needs a licensed gas-fitter—one of the practical reasons to work with an established local dealer rather than a handyman install. Reputable dealers typically handle the permitting as part of the job so you're not coordinating multiple trades and inspections yourself.

Vented (direct-vent) units draw combustion air from outside and exhaust combustion byproducts back outside through a sealed vent, which keeps them cleaner and code-compliant everywhere, including Texas. Vent-free units burn directly into the room without external venting; they're legal in Texas but require careful attention to room size, oxygen depletion sensors, and ventilation, and some homeowners simply prefer not to introduce combustion byproducts into a bedroom or a tightly sealed newer home. Given Burnet County's mild but occasionally humid climate, direct-vent units remain the more common and more broadly recommended choice among local dealers.

An annual inspection is the standard recommendation, even in a mild climate like Burnet County's where the unit might only see heavy use for a few weeks a year. A technician checks the burner, pilot assembly, gas connections, and venting, and cleans the glass and interior—a quick, low-cost visit compared to wood chimney sweeping, but still important since the unit sits unused for long stretches between cold fronts and pilot components can gum up or fail quietly.

Wood still has a real following here—local oak, pecan, and mesquite burn well and plenty of Hill Country homes keep a traditional wood fireplace for that reason. But with a short, mild winter and winter lows rarely dropping much past the 20s, most Burnet County households don't need wood as a serious heat source the way a homeowner in Duluth or Burlington would. Gas tends to win for daily-use convenience and instant warmth on cold mornings, while wood sticks around for ambiance and the occasional cold snap. It's common to see both in the same house—gas in the main living space, wood elsewhere for character.

Open fireplaces suck—literally. As the fire burns, it consumes air your furnace already paid to heat and pulls it out through the chimney, so the house is actually colder after the fire goes out than before you lit it. An insert fixes this: it seals the chimney, puts fixed glass across the front, and turns that hole in your house into a real heat source.

An insert is a fireplace that slides into a pre-existing wood-burning fireplace—if you don't have one, there's nothing to insert it into. A zero-clearance fireplace is built into a framed wall, which makes it the answer for remodels and new construction. Simple test: existing masonry fireplace means insert; blank or framed wall means zero-clearance.

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.

On average, a fireplace adds back to the home about the same amount you spent installing it. Add the monthly savings from heating the rooms you actually use instead of the whole house—often hundreds of dollars a year—and the value case is strong before you even count what a fire does for how your family uses the room.