Keep Your Family Warm and Safe—No Matter What

Some do, but it's a minority choice given how mild the winters run here—an average low of 33°F and only about 2,577 heating degree days a year means wood isn't carrying the heating load the way it does in colder parts of the country. The homeowners who do install a stove or insert are usually doing it for one of two reasons: backup heat after experiencing an ERCOT outage during a winter storm, or converting an existing masonry fireplace on a larger property into something that actually throws usable heat instead of just looking nice.

Because most Pilot Point homes already have central heat, wood installs here tend to be simpler than in cold-climate markets—often an insert going into an existing masonry fireplace rather than a full new chimney build. A straightforward insert conversion generally runs in the low-to-mid thousands, while a freestanding stove requiring a new chimney chase and roof penetration costs more. A local dealer will need to see your existing fireplace or install location to give a firm number, since venting path and hearth condition drive most of the cost.

Oak, pecan, and mesquite are the three you'll find most often in Denton County, whether cut from your own property, sourced from a local tree service, or bought split and seasoned from area ranch sellers. Oak is the reliable workhorse—dense, long-burning, and widely available. Pecan burns hot with a mild, pleasant smell that's popular with people who also smoke meat. Mesquite burns hottest of the three and produces great coals, but it pops and sparks more than oak or pecan, so glass doors or a solid screen are worth having if you're burning it in an open hearth.

A new wood-burning installation typically requires a building permit through the applicable local building department, whether that's the City of Pilot Point or Denton County depending on where the property sits. There's no winter inversion or wood-smoke air quality restriction here the way there is in some Western cities—Pilot Point doesn't carry any listed air quality concerns tied to wood burning—but any homeowner planning a new install should still confirm local code requirements before buying a unit, since clearance and venting rules apply regardless of the fuel's popularity in the area.

There's no national forest land near Denton County, so this isn't a Forest Service permit situation the way it is out West—you won't find a cutting permit office to visit. Firewood here comes from local tree services clearing storm-damaged or diseased trees, area ranch owners selling seasoned oak, pecan, or mesquite by the rick or cord, and seasonal roadside vendors. Prices vary more than in markets with a standardized cord system, so it's worth asking exactly how the wood is measured before buying.

For most homes, no—not as a primary heat source. With heating degree days around 2,577 (a fraction of what a place like Bismarck, ND sees in a single winter), a central gas furnace or electric heat pump handles the actual heating load just fine here. Where a wood stove earns its cost is as supplemental heat for a specific room, ambiance in an existing fireplace, or backup heat that doesn't rely on the electric grid—not as the thing keeping your whole house warm all winter.

A lot of older Pilot Point homes have open masonry fireplaces built for ambiance—they lose more heat up the chimney than they put into the room. An EPA-certified wood stove or insert is a sealed, engineered heating appliance: it's built to actually warm a space efficiently, burn cleaner, and, in the case of a freestanding stove, run without any dependence on electricity. If you're relying on a fireplace for real heat during a cold snap or outage, it's worth knowing which one you actually have.

Yes, and this is a big part of why a handful of Pilot Point homeowners have added one since Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, when ERCOT outages left parts of North Texas without power for days during a hard freeze. A basic freestanding wood stove needs no electricity to produce heat—no igniter, no blower required to function, though a blower helps circulate the heat further if you have one and the power's on. That independence from the grid is the main practical argument for wood heat in a climate this mild.

Gas and electric are the standard choices here—most homes run central gas furnaces or electric heat pumps through Oncor, TNMP, or Denton County Electric Cooperative, and a gas fireplace or insert is a far more typical hearth upgrade than a wood-burning one given the mild climate. Wood is a distant third, chosen mainly by homeowners who want backup heat independent of the power grid or who are converting an existing masonry fireplace on a larger property. If daily convenience and lower install cost matter most, gas or electric usually wins in Pilot Point; wood is the niche, purpose-driven choice.

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.

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.

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.

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.