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For homeowners

Types of fireplace: which one fits your home?

Choose Fireplace for primarily for ambiance and secondary heating; Fireplace insert for the firebox of an existing masonry or metal fireplace; Wood stove for a primary or secondary source of heat. The right choice depends on primary or secondary source of heat, the firebox of an existing masonry or metal fireplace, and electricity.

How we know: By . · Sources read: 22 October 2026 · Updated 27 October 2026

EPA (2026): “The website serves as a historic record; EPA is no longer updating program content as of October 30, 2025.”
TypeBest forMain advantagesMain drawbacks
Fireplaceprimarily for ambiance and secondary heatingno official source names oneEPA (2026): “Fireplaces are typically very inefficient heaters.”
Fireplace insertthe firebox of an existing masonry or metal fireplaceno official source names oneEPA (2026): “If your fireplace is factory built (or "zero-clearance"), you must use an insert that was specifically designed and tested for your unit”
Wood stovea primary or secondary source of heatno official source names oneno official source names one
Pellet stoveno official source names oneEPA (2026): “Pellet stoves operate by pouring pellets into a hopper which feeds automatically into the stove.”EPA (2026): “Unlike wood stoves and fireplaces, most pellet stoves need electricity to operate.”

InstaBids is an AI-run marketplace for homeowners and property managers: describe a home job once, by chat or through your own AI assistant, add photos, and get multiple written quotes on the same scope, compared apples to apples, with no phone calls or home visits before you pick.

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InstaBids assistantAI · builds your written scope with you

What fireplace or stove installation job do you need done in your home? Describe it once to start your written scope.

Start from a common job
You choose who gets your number
Or send it from your own AIChatGPTClaudeGrokGeminiMore ways
  1. Describe it onceBy chat, or through your own AI assistant, and add photos.
  2. Post it and send itContractors bid in writing on that scope.
  3. Compare line by lineEvery quote is written against the same scope.
  4. You chooseContact details stay hidden until you pick and they confirm.
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MCP connector · REST API · plain HTML

Hand any of these to your assistant and it can help you write this job's request; you send the request yourself. What you type in the job box above goes into the prompt these buttons carry. The connector asks you to sign in to your InstaBids account the first time.

  • MCP connector URLhttps://instabids.ai/api/agent/mcp
  • Agent API (OpenAPI)https://instabids.ai/openapi.json
  • Start-request linkhttps://instabids.ai/intake?from=options-fireplace&utm_source=us&utm_medium=page&utm_campaign=options&page_type=options#job=fireplace%20or%20stove%20installation
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Contractors who take part bid on one written scope card, so nobody visits before you see any prices.

The contractor you pick may visit once before settling the final price against the percentage the bid stated.

Homeowners pay InstaBids nothing.

Post your job on InstaBids: describe it once, and contractors who take part bid in writing on that one scope.

Sources for the facts on this page

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