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A freestanding wood-burning stove heating a finished living room

Wood stove installation in Wildwood, Missouri

St. Louis County / St. Louis metro. Heat your home, even when the power goes out: the permit, the local rules, and who installs here.

Free to request · No obligation to hire
Photograph · Clay Banks / Unsplash

Before you install in Wildwood.

I

County permits since 1995

Wildwood Code §500.010 (Ord. 37, September 1995) authorizes the county agreement covering building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits and inspections.

Local details
II

Historic survey can pause permits

For structures on Wildwood’s historic survey, the Historic Preservation Commission may review a permit request for up to 30 days, extendable by 30 more.

Local details
III

Big lots, limited yard burning

County rules allow yard-waste fires only on lots of three acres or more, September 15 to April 15. Chimney-vented stoves fall outside those rules.

Local details

The coldest month here, January, has a 1991–2020 normal of 31.5°F at the ST LOUIS SPRT OF S L AP, MO 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 Wildwood.

Compare installation providers and nearby showrooms. Check service coverage and assessment fees directly, or request help finding an installer.

  1. I

    English Sweep, Inc.

    Chimney service & installation · 938 Saint Louis Ave, Valley Park; service-area page lists Wildwood under St. Louis County
    Wood insertsStainless linersChimney service

    Its service-area page names Wildwood among the St. Louis County communities it serves and offers new wood fireplace inserts and chimney work. Its inserts and stoves page says it sells and installs inserts and stoves, with gas models featured most. Ask whether it installs freestanding wood stoves and who files the Wildwood Zoning Authorization and county permit.

    View business & contact detailsEnglish Sweep: Our Service AreaWebsite reviewed Oct 21, 2026 · Not contacted by FireplaceLab
  2. II

    Friendly Fire LLC

    Chimney service & installation · Woodson Terrace, MO; Wildwood page says it serves all of Wildwood within a 50-mile radius
    Wood-burning insertsChimney sweepingInspections

    Its Wildwood page says it installs fireplace inserts that convert an existing masonry fireplace, with wood-burning and gas options discussed at consultation, and that it serves rural western Wildwood. It describes itself as CSIA certified. It lists no freestanding stoves, so ask whether it supplies the insert, relines the chimney and handles the county permit.

    View business & contact detailsWebsite reviewed Oct 21, 2026 · Not contacted by FireplaceLab
  3. III

    Hechler’s Mainstreet Hearth & Home

    Sales & installation · 521 Main Street, Troy, MO; home page says it serves St. Louis County among other counties
    Wood stovesWood insertsInstallation

    Its home page describes a large display of cast iron, soapstone and steel wood-burning stoves and inserts and names St. Louis County in its service area. Its completed-projects page shows wood stoves and inserts it installed, including a stove set into a masonry fireplace. It is based in Troy, so ask about travel and permit handling for Wildwood.

    View business & contact detailsHechler’s home pageWebsite reviewed Oct 21, 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 Wildwood.

Get a city Zoning Authorization, then a St. Louis County permit.

Wildwood does not issue building permits itself. The city’s Building Permits page says a permit is required for electrical or mechanical work and that projects are reviewed for zoning by Wildwood, then reviewed and inspected under St. Louis County building codes. Its Zoning Authorization guidelines say the city has contracted with St. Louis County to issue permits and perform inspections, and that you take city-stamped plans to the county once zoning authorization is granted, generally in three to five business days. Wildwood accepts applications through its MyGov online portal or on paper at City Hall, 16860 Main St. Ask the Planning Department (636-458-0440) whether a stove, insert or liner needs a Zoning Authorization, and the county (314-615-2559) which permit applies.

City of Wildwood: Building Permits

On a big lot? County burn rules still separate stoves from open fires.

St. Louis County’s Air Pollution Control Program enforces open-burning rules in Wildwood. Its fact sheet defines open burning as smoke emitted directly into the air without passing through a stack or chimney from an enclosed chamber, so a vented stove falls outside it. Yard-waste burning is illegal unless the property is at least three acres (no minimum next to the Meramec, Missouri or Mississippi rivers), between September 15 and April 15, with fires no larger than 16 square feet. Only clean, dry, split, seasoned firewood may be burned, and fire protection district limits may also apply.

St. Louis County DPH: Open Burning Fact Sheet (PDF)

Historic building on the survey? Expect Commission review.

Wildwood Code §440.041 says no city permit will be issued to alter a structure, building or element on the city’s historic survey until the Historic Preservation Commission responds, within 30 days of referral, extendable by 30 more. For registered historic properties, §440.050 requires a certificate of appropriateness before any building permit affecting the exterior. A new chimney or flue on an older farmhouse could count, so ask Planning whether your property is listed before ordering a stove.

Wildwood Code Chapter 440: Historic Preservation and Restoration Code (eCode360)

Mechanical-only permit unless you build a hearth.

St. Louis County’s checklist for factory-built fireplaces, chimneys and fireplace stoves, which applies in municipalities that contract with the county, allows a mechanical-only permit when no framing, insulation or interior finish work is needed; a built hearth means a building permit. Submit the manufacturer’s listed installation manual and a floor plan showing clearances. Hired installers must be registered or licensed for mechanical work, but homeowners may permit work in their own dwelling.

St. Louis County: Factory-Built Fireplaces, Chimneys, and Fireplace Stoves checklist (PDF)

Wildwood uses the county Mechanical Code unchanged.

Wildwood Code §500.090 adopts St. Louis County’s Mechanical Code (Chapter 1108, SLCRO 27,619, adopted April 2020) as the city’s mechanical code, enforced under the county contract. A 2024 ordinance replaced the city’s former local amendments, so the county text governs stove venting and clearances in Wildwood. The county’s stove checklist still cites 2015 codes, so ask the plan reviewer which edition applies when you apply.

Wildwood Code §500.090: Adoption of Mechanical Code (eCode360)

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 Wildwood.

Freestanding wood stove in a bright living room
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
Existing fireplace illustrating a hearth to assess for an insert
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 inserts

Can you install a wood stove without a chimney?

A new wood stove can sometimes be installed with a new chimney system. Ask a Wildwood-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.

Understand the full installed cost

Wood stove installation costs in Wildwood.

U.S. planning ranges to prepare for a Wildwood quote. They are national estimates, not measured Wildwood 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 Wildwood installer.

  1. Will you apply for Wildwood’s Zoning Authorization and the St. Louis County permit, or should I?
  2. Is my house on Wildwood’s historic survey, and would a new chimney or flue need Historic Preservation Commission review?
  3. Are you registered or licensed with St. Louis County for mechanical work, and will this be a mechanical-only permit?

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 Wildwood 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

Answers before you request a quote

Wildwood wood stove installation FAQs.

Who issues the permit for a wood stove in Wildwood?

St. Louis County, under a contract Wildwood has had since 1995. The city reviews the project for zoning first through a Zoning Authorization, then you take the city-stamped plans to the county for the permit and inspections. Ask Wildwood Planning (636-458-0440) whether your stove needs a Zoning Authorization, and the county (314-615-2559) about its permit.

My farmhouse is old. Could historic rules slow my permit?

Possibly. Wildwood’s code lets the Historic Preservation Commission review permit requests for structures on its historic survey for up to 30 days, plus 30 more if needed, and registered historic properties need a certificate of appropriateness for exterior work. Ask the Planning Department whether your property is listed before you schedule an installer.

I have acreage. Do burn rules affect my stove?

St. Louis County’s open-burning rules cover fires whose smoke goes straight into the air, not burning vented through a chimney from an enclosed chamber. Separately, they allow yard-waste fires only on lots of three acres or more, September 15 to April 15. Burn only clean, dry, seasoned wood, and check your fire protection district for added limits.

What FireplaceLab does

Explore your options. Then get a quote for your home.

  1. I

    Answer two simple questions

    Tell us what’s there now and what you want from wood heat. No contact details needed.

  2. II

    See options and rough costs

    Explore a suitable starting point and national installed cost ranges.

  3. III

    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.

Wood stove installation · Wildwood, Missouri

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