Home / Cost guides / What changes the cost of removing a gas fire?
What changes the cost of removing a gas fire?
Removing a gas fire costs more or less depending on how the gas supply is made safe, whether there is a back boiler behind it, and how much making good the fireplace, hearth and chimney need afterwards. The gas part must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and this guide does not print a price.
Last reviewed:What does removing a gas fire involve?
A gas fire is connected to the gas supply, sits in or in front of a fireplace opening, and sends its fumes up a flue or chimney. Removing it is two jobs that often get mixed up.
The gas work. A Gas Safe registered engineer makes the supply safe, takes the fire off, and leaves the pipe capped and tested. This is the part that has to be done by a registered engineer.
The building work. Once the fire has gone, there is a hole, a hearth, perhaps a surround and a back panel, and a chimney above. Making that good can be anything from fitting a blanking plate to plastering a whole chimney breast.
This guide does not print a price for either. It explains what each part involves, so you can ask for both on the quote. QuoteZila starts in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach first, and anyone in the UK can post the job to heating engineers or plumbers.
Who is allowed to do it?
HSE says anyone employed to work on gas appliances in domestic premises must be a Gas Safe registered engineer and competent in that area of gas work [S1]. It says the engineer's competencies are marked on the back of their Gas Safe Register ID card, and that you can check with Gas Safe Register if in doubt [S1].
HSE's landlord guidance warns that tenants who move out may have removed appliances unsafely, for example leaving open-ended pipes [S2]. It recommends that installation pipework is inspected and tested for soundness before a property is re-let [S2]. The same risk applies in any home. An old gas fire pulled out with the pipe left open is dangerous.
Check the engineer on the Gas Safe Register before work starts.
Gas Safe Register. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
If you think you can smell gas, HSE says to call the National Grid gas emergency number on 0800 111 999, open all doors and windows, and shut off the gas supply at the meter control valve if you know where it is [S1].
What changes the quote?
| Factor | What to ask | Why it moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Type of fire | Freestanding, inset, or a fire with a back boiler | A back boiler turns it into a heating job [S3] |
| Supply pipe | Where the pipe runs and where it will be capped | Capping further back means lifting floors or opening walls |
| Testing | That the pipework will be tested after capping [S2] | Needed before the engineer leaves |
| Surround and hearth | Whether they stay, go, or are replaced | Removal, waste and making good |
| Fireplace opening | Blanking plate, bricked up, or left open | Different trades and materials |
| Chimney | Capped, ventilated, swept or left as it is | Work at the top of the stack needs access |
| Replacement | Electric fire, log burner, new gas fire or nothing | Each is its own installation |
| Making good | Plaster, skirting and decoration around the opening | Often left out of a gas quote |
| Waste | Who takes the fire, the surround and the rubble | Heavy items |
| VAT | Included or extra. Registration applies above £90,000 of taxable turnover [S6] | Changes the total |
What if there is a back boiler?
Some older gas fires sit in front of a back boiler, which heats the hot water or the radiators. Removing the fire then means removing or replacing the boiler, and changing how the house is heated.
GOV.UK lists the installation of a new or replacement heating system or boiler, regardless of fuel type, among work you need to tell a building control body about, unless you use an installer registered with a competent person scheme [S3]. It names Gas Safe Register as the scheme for installing gas appliances [S3].
That is a bigger job, often with a new boiler elsewhere in the house, new pipework and radiators to rebalance. Ask for it as a full heating quote, not as a fire removal. GOV.UK explains building regulations approval.
What happens to the fireplace and chimney?
Once the fire has gone, you choose what the wall becomes.
A blanking plate or closure over the opening is the quickest finish. Ask whether it will be ventilated.
Bricking up and plastering the opening gives a flat wall. A builder or plasterer does this, and our builders and plasterers pages cover those trades. Ask how the chimney will stay ventilated once the opening is closed.
Opening up for a new appliance means checking the chimney first. Planning Portal says that if you wish to install a flue, building regulations apply, and installation should be carried out by a suitably qualified installer [S4]. A sweep and a survey of the chimney usually come before any new appliance. Chimney sweep costs covers that.
Removing the chimney breast is structural work, not a fire removal. Chimney breast removal quotes explains that job.
Work at the top of the chimney, such as fitting a cap or a cowl, means ladders or scaffolding. Planning Portal's roof safety page, written by HSE, says scaffolding is usually required when working on a roof [S5]. Ask how the contractor will reach the stack.
Carbon monoxide and the rest of the house
Removing one gas appliance is a good moment to think about the others. HSE strongly advises that all gas appliances, flues and pipework should be installed, regularly maintained and serviced at least annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer [S1]. It strongly recommends carbon monoxide alarms as one useful precaution, and says they should not be regarded as a replacement for regular maintenance and safety checks [S1].
If the engineer finds a problem with another appliance while they are there, ask for it in writing.
If you rent out the home, or rent it
HSE says the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations require landlords to use only a Gas Safe registered engineer for maintenance and safety checks on gas equipment they own and provide for tenants [S2]. If a landlord removes a gas fire, the engineer's paperwork is worth keeping with the other gas safety records. Ask the engineer to put in writing that the supply to the old fire has been capped and tested.
If you are a tenant, the fire is usually not yours to remove. Ask the landlord in writing. HSE's guidance for landlords mentions tenants who removed appliances unsafely when they left [S2], which is exactly the situation a written request avoids.
Getting ready for the visit
Clear the hearth and the area in front of the fire, and move furniture back so the engineer can work. Find the gas meter and make sure it can be reached. If you know where the supply pipe to the fire runs, under the floor or in the wall, tell the engineer. If the fire has not been used for years, say so, and say whether it was ever condemned or labelled as unsafe.
Take the photos before the visit, not after, so anyone quoting for the building work later can see what was there. Keep any paperwork the engineer leaves.
How do you compare quotes?
Ask each engineer or builder to quote for the same scope: which fire, whether there is a back boiler, where the supply will be capped, what happens to the surround and hearth, how the opening and chimney will be finished, and who takes the waste. Photos of the fire, the surround, the hearth, and the chimney from outside help.
Citizens Advice suggests trying to get written quotes from at least 3 different traders, and says some traders charge for quotes, so ask about this first [S7]. A quote is a fixed price and an estimate is just a rough guess [S7].
If two trades are involved, decide who leads. You may have a gas engineer who caps the supply and a builder who closes the opening on a different day. Make sure the gas work is finished and tested before any building work covers the pipe.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- "Old inset gas fire in the lounge, no longer used. Please quote to remove it, cap and test the supply, and fit a ventilated blanking plate."
- "Gas fire with a back boiler. We want rid of both and a combi boiler in the kitchen. Please quote for the full heating job."
- "Gas fire and tiled surround to come out, and the opening bricked up and plastered. Please say whether you do both or whether I need a builder for the second part."
Posting a gas fire job
Photos of the fire, the hearth and the chimney from outside help an engineer quote. Your job goes to up to five matched local businesses [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
Questions about gas fire removal
How much does it cost to remove a gas fire?
This guide does not print a figure. A freestanding fire on a hearth with a simple supply is a different job from a fire with a back boiler behind it, and both are different from removing the whole fireplace surround and opening up the chimney. Ask for the gas work and the building work to be priced as separate lines.
Can I take out a gas fire myself?
No. HSE says anyone employed to work on gas appliances in domestic premises must be a Gas Safe registered engineer and competent in that area of gas work. The gas supply must be made safe by an engineer. This page gives no steps for doing it yourself.
What if there is a back boiler behind the fire?
Then removing the fire is also a heating job. The back boiler heats water or radiators, so taking it out usually means a new boiler or heating arrangement. GOV.UK lists installing a new or replacement heating system or boiler among work you need to tell a building control body about, unless the installer is registered with a competent person scheme.
Does the chimney need anything after the fire is removed?
Ask about it. An unused chimney still connects the room to the outside, and a capped or blocked chimney with no airflow can trap moisture. Ask the engineer or builder how the opening and the chimney top will be finished, and get it on the quote.
What can go in its place?
An electric fire, a log burner, a new gas fire or a plain wall. A new gas or solid fuel appliance is installation work with its own rules. Log burner installation and fireplace installation explain those jobs.
Does VAT change the price?
It can. A business must register for VAT if its taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000. Ask whether VAT is included in each part of the quote.
Does QuoteZila check gas engineers?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
Part of Cost guides. All services
Related trades
Cost guides
- Removing chimney breast cost
- Log burner installation cost
- Fireplace installation cost
- Chimney sweep cost
Related pages
- Ground Source Heat Pump Costs: Quotes and Grants. Ofgem's average ground source heat pump quote, the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant, and what the ground loop, house and heating system add.
- Heat Pump Installation: What Changes It. Air source quotes were most commonly £10,001 to £12,500 before the grant, in Ofgem's 2025 to 2026 report. QuoteZila does not set prices.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
- S1: Gas safety: home owners, Health and Safety Executive. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqownerocc.htm
- S2: Domestic gas: frequently asked questions, Health and Safety Executive. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqs.htm
- S3: Building work, replacements and repairs to your home, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-work-replacements-and-repairs-to-your-home/building-work-replacements-and-repairs-to-your-home
- S4: Flue, chimney or soil and vent pipe: Building Regulations, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/flue-chimney-or-soil-and-vent-pipe/building-regulations
- S5: Roof: getting your job done safely (HSE content), Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/roof/getting-your-job-done-safely
- S6: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S7: Before you get building work done, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/