A fireplace permit is $50
The city’s residential permit fee schedule, effective February 1, 2014, lists Fireplace at $50.00, against $35.00 for a furnace or boiler replacement.
Local details
Wood stove installation in McHenry, Illinois
McHenry County / Fox River. Heat your home, even when the power goes out: the permit, the local rules, and who installs here.
Free to request · No obligation to hireBefore you install in McHenry.
Floodplain work adds up over years
For floodplain structures, the city’s 50% Rule totals improvement costs across a five-year period and compares them with the building’s market value.
Local detailsFireplaces aren’t counter permits
Reroof, furnace and water heater permits can issue same day, but fireplaces aren’t on that list; most applications take up to 10 business days.
Local detailsThe coldest month here, January, has a 1991–2020 normal of 21.7°F at the MC HENRY -WG STRATTON L&D, IL station. One station is a planning reference, not a reading for every address. NOAA station normals
Local businesses to contact directly
Wood stove installers in McHenry.
Compare installation providers and nearby showrooms. Check service coverage and assessment fees directly, or request help finding an installer.
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A-1 Safety Chimney Service
Chimney service & installation · 350 Randy Rd., Suite 4, Carol Stream; its McHenry County page lists McHenry by name with its 60050 ZIP codeThe Carol Stream company’s services page says it offers installation and maintenance for wood-burning stoves, and its McHenry County page lists McHenry by name with its 60050 ZIP. Carol Stream is in DuPage County, a long drive south. Ask whether it installs the stove itself or only the liner and cap, and who files the city permit.
View business & contact detailsA-1 Safety Chimney Service: McHenry CountyWebsite reviewed Oct 24, 2026 · Not contacted by FireplaceLab - II
Aelite Chimney Specialties
Chimney service & installation · Lakemoor, IL, east of the city; its service-area page lists McHenry under McHenry CountyIts installation page says it can fit a wood-, gas- or pellet-burning fireplace insert and is happy to install wood-burning stoves after an inspection of the fireplace and venting. Its service-area page lists McHenry among McHenry County towns, and Lakemoor, where it says it is located, borders the city to the east. Ask whether it files the $50 fireplace permit.
View business & contact detailsAelite service areaWebsite reviewed Oct 24, 2026 · Not contacted by FireplaceLab - III
Fireplace & Chimney Authority
Sales & installation · Showrooms at 120 E. Lake St., Elmhurst, and 1702 Ogden Ave., Lisle; has a McHenry installation page and lists McHenry among eight countiesIts McHenry page says it proudly serves McHenry and McHenry County and can come to a McHenry home to install a wood stove, revamp a wood-burning hearth or build a masonry firebox and chimney. It states its installers are fully licensed and certified. Both showrooms are in DuPage County, so ask about travel time and whether it checks floodplain status before quoting.
View business & contact detailsFireplace & Chimney Authority: wood-burning stovesWebsite reviewed Oct 24, 2026 · Not contacted by FireplaceLab - IV
Grass Roots Energy
Sales & installation · 28751 N. Rand Road (Route 12), Wauconda; its ‘Where we install’ list names McHenryA Wauconda showroom that says every wood stove it carries is EPA approved and that it installs what it sells. Its service page says its crew runs Class A chimney for airtight stoves and relines masonry chimneys for stoves and inserts. Its ‘Where we install’ list names McHenry. Ask who files the city permit and whether the quote includes the liner.
View business & contact detailsGrass Roots Energy: contact and hoursWebsite reviewed Oct 24, 2026 · Not contacted by FireplaceLab - V
Pratt’s Chimney
Chimney service & installation · Illinois phone 847-234-4114, no street address on its site; its service-area page names McHenry CountyIts service-area page says it serves Lake and McHenry counties in Illinois, which includes the whole city. Its wood stoves page offers a free consultation on a new stove, and its wood inserts page describes fitting inserts into masonry fireplaces or venting through a roof pipe. The site lists phone numbers but no street address, so ask where crews are based.
View business & contact detailsPratt’s Chimney: service areaWebsite reviewed Oct 24, 2026 · Not contacted by FireplaceLab
Unpaid listings, shown alphabetically. Website research is not contractor vetting or confirmation of a partnership. Confirm qualifications and insurance before hiring.
Details your installer can help confirm
Wood stove permits in McHenry.
Apply to Community Development at the Municipal Center.
Inside city limits, the City of McHenry’s Community Development Department at 333 S. Green Street handles building permits, which the city says are required for most home improvement and remodeling projects. You can apply online or in person. Most residential applications are processed within 10 business days, and the clock starts only once everything needed for review is in. Permits aren’t issued, and inspections can’t be scheduled, until the fee is paid. The required inspections come with the permit, need 24 hours’ notice and run in three-hour morning or afternoon windows. No city page names wood stoves or inserts, so call 815-363-2170 to ask whether a stove, insert or liner is filed on the fireplace line.
City of McHenry: Building PermitsFloodplain homes count improvements over five years.
McHenry’s 50% Rule notice says homes below the 100-year flood elevation face flood damage prevention rules when remodeled. Work counts as substantial improvement when its cumulative cost over five years reaches 50% of the structure’s market value, which the city estimates at three times its assessed value. Owner and contractor sign a cost affidavit, and a substantially improved building must meet McHenry County Stormwater Management Ordinance standards. If a stove is part of a larger floodplain remodel, ask whether the cost form applies.
City of McHenry: 50% Rule, Substantial Improvement or Substantial Damage (PDF)The fireplace line is flat, but reinspections cost extra.
The city’s residential permit fee schedule, marked effective February 1, 2014, lists Fireplace at $50.00 among flat-fee items such as furnace or boiler replacement ($35.00). Remodeling is billed at $0.25 per square foot with a $45 minimum plus an $80 plan review fee. For non-plumbing work, a reinspection costs $37.50 after the second failed inspection. The schedule is over a decade old, so confirm the current fee and which line a stove or insert falls under.
City of McHenry: Permit Fee Schedule, Residential (eff. Feb. 1, 2014, PDF)A city permit doesn’t clear your HOA or deed restrictions.
The city’s New Residential Permit Application (March 2024) has the signer acknowledge that it is the owner’s job to find any private covenants, conditions or deed restrictions that may limit the work, and to get written permission from a homeowners’ association before starting, even after the city issues a permit. The form also asks for a completed contractors list. If your subdivision regulates chimney chases or roof penetrations, get that approval early.
City of McHenry: New Residential Permit Application (March 2024, PDF)This is a planning guide, not a permit determination. The local authority and your installer must confirm current requirements for your property and appliance. We have not verified project-specific approvals or fees.
Choose the right project
Wood stoves and fireplace inserts in McHenry.
INew stove or replacement
Install a wood-burning stove.
An enclosed stove with a chimney system designed for your home. An installer assesses placement, venting, and the space you want to heat.
About wood stoves
IIExisting fireplace
Explore a fireplace insert.
Use a suitable existing fireplace as the starting point. Have the opening, chimney, and liner assessed for the proposed insert.
About insertsCan you install a wood stove without a chimney?
A new wood stove can sometimes be installed with a new chimney system. Ask a McHenry-area provider to assess a suitable route and quote the complete job. Installation without an existing chimney
Want heat during a power outage?
Many cordwood stoves provide heat without electricity. Ask about your exact model, any powered blower, and the rooms it can heat. Read the power-outage heating guide
Room photographs illustrate project starting points; they are not installations completed through FireplaceLab.
Wood stove installation costs in McHenry.
U.S. planning ranges to prepare for a McHenry quote. They are national estimates, not measured McHenry averages or offers from listed businesses.
Freestanding wood stove$2,500–$7,500
Wood-burning insert$3,000–$8,000+
New installation, no chimney$5,500–$9,000+
Unit and typical installation ranges from HomeGuide’s national cost guide, reviewed Sep 28, 2026. These are alternative project scenarios, not amounts to add together. Repairs, access, venting, permits, and premium models can move costs higher.
What to ask a McHenry installer.
- Will you file the City of McHenry permit, and will my stove or insert go on the $50 fireplace line or another permit type?
- Is my house below the 100-year flood elevation, and if so will you provide the itemized cost estimate the city’s 50% Rule asks for?
- Does your quote include the chimney liner or Class A pipe, and will you be on site for the city’s inspections?
Compare quotes on the same scope.
Request separate details for the appliance, chimney or liner, hearth work, labor, removal, permits, inspections, and exclusions. Confirm any paid assessment before booking.
Will you save on heating?
There is no reliable single savings figure for every McHenry home. Compare your current heating cost with delivered dry wood, appliance efficiency, how much heat you will replace, maintenance, and the upfront installation. Backup comfort and financial payback are separate decisions. Compare all heating options
McHenry wood stove installation FAQs.
Does McHenry require a permit for a wood stove?
The city says building permits are required for most home improvement and remodeling projects, and its residential fee schedule lists a fireplace permit at $50.00. No city page names wood stoves or inserts, so call Community Development at 815-363-2170 before work starts to confirm the permit type and current fee, and whether a liner or new chimney is covered under the same permit.
My house is in the floodplain. Does that change anything?
It can. The city’s 50% Rule notice says structures below the 100-year flood elevation are subject to flood damage prevention rules, and improvement costs are added up over five years. If the total reaches half the building’s market value, the house must meet McHenry County stormwater building protection standards. A stove alone is a small cost, but include it if it’s part of a bigger remodel.
How long does a McHenry permit take?
The city says most residential applications are processed within 10 business days, starting once everything needed for review has been submitted. Only a few simple permits, such as reroofing, furnaces and water heaters, are issued at the counter, and fireplaces aren’t among them. The fee must be paid before the permit issues, and inspections need 24 hours’ notice.
What FireplaceLab does
Explore your options. Then get a quote for your home.
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Answer two simple questions
Tell us what’s there now and what you want from wood heat. No contact details needed.
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See options and rough costs
Explore a suitable starting point and national installed cost ranges.
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Request a local quote
When you’re ready, share your home details. We’ll look for an installer to assess the job and quote the work.
FireplaceLab is an installer-matching service. Your installer handles the assessment, quote, and installation. A request does not book work or guarantee a match.
Get a plan and a price for your home.
Tell us where you live and what you want to install. We’ll look for a local professional to assess the work.
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