cost of pellet stove

Last Updated: Wednesday, January 12, 2022

How Much Does a Pellet Stove and Installation Cost?

Sections: Overview | Product Costs | Installation Cost | DIY or Pro

Overview of a Wooden Pellet Stove

Adding a pellet stove to your home is an effective way to provide a very energy efficient heating source to a room or large area. Wood pellets not only burn cleaner than regular wood stoves, but they are more efficient and cheaper to operate than many other space heaters and some gas furnaces. Even if you have a fireplace but gas logs are not an option, installing a wood pellet stove into your existing fireplace is a great choice with the use of a pellet stove insert.

On this page of Business Finance News, we’ll help you learn about the cost of buying and installing a pellet stove in your home. We’ll share retail pellet stove pricing and the factors that affect the price, as well as the needed installation supplies and factors that may impact the installation cost. At the end of the page, you’ll be able to compare pellet stove costs from others who have installed them at their own homes, as well as a comparison of pricing from around the web at other leading sites like ours.

Stove and Supplies Cost Details

Pellet Stove Price Factors

• Type of Stove – You can choose a freestanding pellet stove or a simple insert that installs into your existing fireplace.
• BTU / Rated Square Feet – Pellet stoves come in various sizes (rated in BTU output) that are designed to heat up to a specific sized area. The higher the BTU’s, the more the unit is going to cost.
• Built In Features – With everything from automatic feeders and adjustable thermostats, to fans that distribute the heated air throughout your home, pellet stoves come with various options for creature comfort and ease of use. More features equals higher retail cost.
• Look and Appearance – More so than other factors, the look and appearance of your new pellet stove is likely to cost you the most. From standard, utility looking boxes, to replicas of cast iron stoves, the look and appearance can have a large impact on cost.

Note: As with any wood burning or gas appliance, please read the EPA guide on safety.

Retail Price Range

• $850 – $1,100 – Basic, no frills, pedestal standing pellet stove capable of heating 1000-2000 sqft.
• $1,250 – $2,200 – Most common stoves capable of heating 1000-2000 sqft, with auto feeder and high capacity hopper, fan, removable ash tray, auto-feeder, etc.
• $1,950 – $3,500 – Free standing or existing fireplace insert pellet stove, with higher quality features, up to 2400 sqft with blower unit, more appealing appearance, self-feeding, higher hopper capacity, etc.

Wood Pellet Fuel Cost

• $5 – $10 / Bag | 40 pound bag of wood pellets, lasts 20-25 hours of burning. If you plan to heat your home throughout the winter with wood pellets, you’ll should purchase these by the pallet to save money.
• $250 – $400 / Pallet | Pallets are just stacks of 40 pound bags. They generally contain 50 bags (1 ton) or 175 bags (1.5 tons) of pallets. buying them in the off-heating season will cost less.

Tax Credits

Due to wood pellet stoves being high efficiency, there is a $300 tax credit that was available through 12/2016 and may have been renewed for biomass stoves with an efficiency of higher than 75%.

Cost of Installation Supplies

Like any other heating appliance, there are going to be supplies needed to install. Use the section below to estimate the cost of installing a pellet stove in your home.

• $150 – $300 | Protective floor mat, or new flooring under stove.
• $25 – $300 | Electrical outlet, wiring and related supplies for electric service. (if equipped with fan and/or feeder)
• $150 – $600 | 3″ or 4″ Flue stack from pellet stove to exit out roof or side of home. (Depends on both code and home structure) Fresh air is also required for the stove to work properly. B-Vent stacks can accommodate both fresh air and flue exhaust.
• $80 – $600 | Professional chimney cleaning and/or inspection.
• $625 – $2,775 | Chimney liner if installing through existing fireplace flue, and required.

Permits, Inspection, and Installation Labor Cost Estimates

In most areas, an inspection may be required of the electrical, stove, and flue chimney.

• $50 – $200 ea. | Local permits (if required). You will likely require electrical, mechanical, safety and/or plumbing inspections.

Installation Labor Factors

When installing a pellet stove in your home here are a few factors that can affect installation labor cost.

• Availability of Electricity – If a new power outlet needs to be installed at the location of the stove, expect a fee for an electrician.
• Type, Location and Length of Flue Stack – Depending on your home, the stack and fresh air system will vary. Single story versus 2-story, etc.
• Type of Floor or Mat – Protecting the floor around your pellet stove is important. If you have a rug in the area, a section should be removed and replaced with a hardy flooring material approved for pellet stoves. This is to prevent fire and cannot be ignored.
• Contractor Availability – A busy contractor will inflate pricing, since they can. To get the lowest price quote on installation, try to install your pellet stove in the off season when contractors and installers are slow.

Completed Installation Time

• 1 Days | Most common installations are completed in 1 day.
• 2 – 3 Days | If you need a new chimney liner, your existing chimney cleaned, new flooring, electrical or other variables taken care of, it may stretch to a 2-day project.

DIY or Hire a Pro

This is easily a DIY project for the right homeowner who’s not afraid to get on a ladder, is well equipped with tools and has a good friend to help out. Most pellet stoves weight 200 pounds or more, so having a few helpers is a must. On the other hand, nothing is simple when it comes to fire prevention for your home and family. Hiring a Pro to install your pellet stove can get it done quicker and give you the peace of mind, knowing it was done correctly.

• Research the right stove for your home and flue needs.
• Make sure you have at least 2 ladders. You’ll need a helper to install braces and support brackets on the flue to your home.
• Make sure you have a friend or two handy. Not only is the pellet stove heavy, they can help if you order a pallet of pellets, and need to stack in your basement or storage area. 🙂

I’ve never installed a pellet stove, so I can’t say whether or not this would be an easy DIY project. However, I would not hesitate to install one myself.