Tempted by the warmth, cosiness and convenience of a roaring wood burner in your home? Knowing how much it’ll cost is key.
For minimal complexity installations – that is, if you already have a suitable chimney – all-in costs to get a wood stove up and running (including the stove itself, flue and labour) can range from as little as £1,500 up to around £3,000.
If your property doesn’t have a chimney, you’ll need to install a twin-wall flue system. Here, total costs for the stove, labour and materials start around £2,500 and can even run in excess of £5,000. Given every installation is different, it’s difficult to be more precise.
Once your log burner is fully installed, ongoing annual costs (which includes wood fuels and a yearly service) will usually set you back in the region of £500 to £750.
Installation costs and considerations
The installation of a new burner involves a number of components:
- Stove – available in various sizes, heat outputs and burn efficiencies
- Flue system – includes the flue or liner (to carry smoke outside), a cowl for weather protection, and a register plate to seal the base
- Hearth – the protective, non-combustible barrier between the stove and the floor
- Sealants and fittings – to secure joints between the stove, flue pipe and liner
- CO detector – a legal requirement in England when installing any new solid fuel appliance since 2022
The key factors affecting the cost of a log burner installation are:
- Chimney and flue requirements – you may need to simply add a flue liner to an existing chimney. On the costlier side, if you don’t have a chimney, you will need to install a full twin-wall flue system.
- Complexity of flue path – roof penetration, long runs and use of scaffolding will increase labour and material costs.
- Structural work – your installation may require opening up a fireplace, enlarging the chamber, adding lintels or altering the hearth.
- Stove choice – budget models can start from around £500, while premium and high-output stoves can cost £2,000+. Expect to pay £800–£1,200 for a quality mid-range option.
If you already have an existing chimney in place, you may just need a new flue adding. If you have a suitable existing flue, all the better. For these less complex jobs, expect to pay in the region of ~£1,500 to £3,000 for everything.
- Stove: ~£800–£1,200
- Installation (using existing chimney): ~£600–£1,800
For complex installs involving significant additional work (such as installing a new flue system and constructing a new hearth), costs may run from ~£2,500 to over £5,000+:
- Stove: ~£800–£1,200
- Installation (no existing chimney or significant work required to existing chimney setup): ~£1,800 to £4,000+
Again, these figures are a guide. Contact an installer for a clearer idea of costs – the HETAS website has a useful list of registered specialists for log burners.
Should I do a DIY installation or hire a professional log burner installer?
It may be possible to claw back some installation costs with a DIY job, but we’d recommend enlisting a professional wood stove installer.
Not only will this be safer, but most specialists will be able to handle the entire process with a full-service, end-to-end installation. They’ll supply the stove and hearth, fit the flue, perform structural work, test the stove and certify with local authorities.
Running costs
Wood fuel and an annual service are two things you should budget for. Taken together, average ongoing annual costs for a wood burning stove are in the £500–£750 range.
Wood fuels
The biggest recurring cost of a wood burner is, of course, what you’ll be putting inside.
Whilst everyone has different heating habits, the average UK household might expect to burn one pallet of briquettes each year – that’s 630 units – coming to an approximate cost of £425 (current price at the time of writing, November 2025).
One pallet will usually be enough to account for regular heavy use in winter, lighter use through autumn and spring, and very little use in summer.
Maximising heat for cost
Whilst undoubtedly convenient to pick up traditional firewood from your local supermarket, you’ll actually make cost savings by choosing a higher quality wood fuel. Wood briquettes, for example, are actually around 60% more cost effective.
This is simply because they are denser, drier and have less ash content. They combust more efficiently, delivering higher levels of heat over a longer period of time. This higher calorific output means you’ll use a lower volume of wood compared to regular logs.
Heat performance tests show that traditional logs reach an average high temperature of 170°C but, after 2 hours 30 minutes, register only 30°C of heat.
On the other hand, briquettes record an average high of 220°C and maintain these heights for longer, still delivering 92°C of heat even after 2.5 hours of burning.
Maintenance
An annual stove full service costs in the region of £120 to £200.
This typically includes sweeping the chimney and flue and cleaning the stove interior, exterior and air systems. A service will usually also involve testing of internal components, safety features, connections and doors. The service may also include repairs to any damaged parts, which has potential to push costs up slightly.
A yearly service and sweep is not just a safety consideration (creosote buildup increases the risk of chimney fires), but also key for maintaining your stove’s efficiency and performance. Staying on top of maintenance saves on repairs and replacements over the longer term.
Bring your fire alive with Lava Logs
Once your new burner is installed, you need something to put inside!
Made from highly-compacted, 100% recycled quality timber, our Lava Logs wood briquettes are perfect for a hot, clean and long-lasting burn.
Low moisture (9.3% in latest tests) and ash content (0.7% in latest tests) also means less smoke and cleanup required. This superior performance means they’re also around 60% more cost effective than standard firewood.
