2024 codes since March 2026
Village ordinances 2025-89 through 2025-95 replaced Gurnee’s 2012 code editions with the 2024 building, residential, mechanical and fire codes on March 1, 2026.
Local details
Wood stove installation in Gurnee, Illinois
Lake County / Northern suburbs. 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 Gurnee.
HVAC contractors register first
Gurnee won’t release a permit until an HVAC contractor registers with a certificate of insurance for at least $500,000 listing the village as holder.
Local detailsIndoor fireplaces aren’t outdoor fires
Gurnee’s fire code excludes burning wood in indoor fireplaces from its outdoor-fire rules; recreational fires outside must stay 25 feet from structures.
Local detailsThe coldest month here, January, has a 1991–2020 normal of 22.7°F at the WAUKEGAN, 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 Gurnee.
Compare installation providers and nearby showrooms. Check service coverage and assessment fees directly, or request help finding an installer.
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Aelite Chimney Specialties
Chimney service & installation · Lakemoor, IL; its service-area page lists Gurnee under Lake CountyGurnee is on its Lake County list. Its installation page covers wood-burning fireplace inserts and freestanding wood stoves and invites homeowners to ask about having an insert or stove installed. It is based in Lakemoor in McHenry County, so ask about travel time and whether it will register with the village before the permit is released.
View business & contact detailsAelite service areaWebsite reviewed Oct 24, 2026 · Not contacted by FireplaceLab - II
Chimney Monkey
Chimney service · 741 Hastings Dr., Buffalo Grove; has a Gurnee chimney-sweep page and says it serves Cook and Lake countiesIts Gurnee page offers chimney cleaning and inspection for village residents and says it serves Cook and Lake counties. Its wood stove installation page does not list Gurnee, so treat it as a sweep and inspector here, useful for checking an existing chimney before a stove or insert goes in.
View business & contact detailsWebsite 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; its installation pages list Lake among eight counties servedIt has no Gurnee page, but its installation pages list Lake County, which contains Gurnee, among eight counties served and say it can come to a home to install a wood stove or build a masonry firebox and chimney. Its stove page says it doesn’t use subcontractors on stove projects. The showrooms are in DuPage County, a long drive, so ask about travel.
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 GurneeA Wauconda showroom that says it installs what it sells. Its installation page says its crew runs Class A chimney for airtight stoves, relines masonry chimneys for stoves and inserts, and sets the appliance, and its contact page lists Gurnee where it installs. Brands include Lopi, Jotul, Vermont Castings and Hearthstone. Ask who registers with the village and pulls the permit.
View business & contact detailsGrass Roots Energy: contact and install areaWebsite reviewed Oct 24, 2026 · Not contacted by FireplaceLab - V
Plum Chimney Care
Chimney service & installation · 2144 Plum Grove Rd., Palatine; its locations list names GurneeIts homepage lists Gurnee among the communities it serves and says it installs fireplaces and inserts, with wood-burning, gas or electric options, and guides customers through design, permitting and installation. It doesn’t mention freestanding wood stoves, so confirm it will fit a wood insert, and ask about its village registration.
View business & contact detailsWebsite reviewed Oct 24, 2026 · Not contacted by FireplaceLab - VI
Pratt’s Chimney
Chimney service & installation · Illinois line 847-234-4114; its service-area page says it serves Lake and McHenry counties in IllinoisPratt’s says it serves Lake County, which contains Gurnee. Its wood stove page says a technician will check a stove you already own and the planned spot, recommend steps to prepare the space and give an installation estimate; it also lists wood inserts and relining. Ask where its Illinois crew is based and whether it is registered in Gurnee.
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 Gurnee.
Ask the Building Safety Division which form fits.
Inside the village, permits come from the Building Safety Division at Village Hall, 325 N. O’Plaine Rd. (847-599-7550). Gurnee says most construction, remodeling and improvement projects need a permit before work begins. Its One Stop online portal handles simple jobs such as furnace and air conditioner replacements; the Short-Form application is for ‘everything else’, including remodels; and the long form covers new buildings and additions. The furnace listing asks for the contractor’s proposal and the mechanical requirements sheet. No listing names wood stoves, inserts or chimneys, so ask which form, drawings and inspections a stove or liner needs before you book.
Village of Gurnee: Building PermitsOutdoor fire rules leave indoor fireplaces alone.
Gurnee’s outdoor fire article excludes the burning of wood in indoor fireplaces and small recreational fires, and bans other outdoor fires except by special permit. The Fire Department’s rules for the village and the Warren-Waukegan Fire Protection District say recreational fires must be at least 25 feet from structures and wood fences, or 15 feet in an approved portable fireplace, and bonfires and open burns need a $50 permit. Indoors, dry seasoned wood in a stove is the norm.
Gurnee Fire Department: Burn RequirementsYour HVAC contractor must be registered.
Gurnee requires electricians, plumbers, HVAC contractors and roofers to register with the Building Department before a permit is released. There is no form or fee, but an HVAC contractor must submit a certificate of insurance with at least $500,000 general liability, listing the village as certificate holder; electricians and roofers also need licenses. Information can go through the One Stop portal, by fax, mail or in person. Ask your stove installer whether it is already registered.
Village of Gurnee: Contractor RequirementsThe fee code lists heating work at $65.
Gurnee’s comprehensive fee schedule lists a heating alteration or replacement permit at $65 each and new-construction heating at $25 per 1,400 square feet (minimum $40). Re-inspections cost $50 per half hour for a first offense, rising to $75 and $100 for repeats. A wood stove isn’t named in the schedule, so ask staff which line applies, and make sure the work is ready before each inspection.
Gurnee Code Sec. 32-33, Building and development fees (Municode)New 2024 codes replaced the 2012 editions.
Gurnee’s codes page lists the 2024 International Building, Residential, Fire, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Swimming Pool and Wildland Urban Interface Codes as in effect from March 1, 2026, adopted by ordinances 2025-89 to 2025-95, and marks the 2012 editions as superseded after February 28, 2026. Stove clearances, hearth protection and chimney rules now follow the 2024 model codes and the stove’s listing. Ask installers to work to those editions.
Village of Gurnee: Building Codes & OrdinancesThis 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 Gurnee.
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 Gurnee-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 Gurnee.
U.S. planning ranges to prepare for a Gurnee quote. They are national estimates, not measured Gurnee 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 Gurnee installer.
- Are you registered with the Gurnee Building Department, with insurance listing the village, and will you file the permit?
- Which Gurnee application will you use for this stove or insert, and which inspections should I expect?
- Which 2024 code clearances, hearth protection and chimney height apply here, and are they in your price?
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 Gurnee 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
Gurnee wood stove installation FAQs.
Does a wood stove need a permit in Gurnee?
Gurnee says most construction and improvement projects need a permit before work starts. Its permit list covers furnaces and remodels but not wood stoves, so call the Building Safety Division at 847-599-7550 to confirm whether your stove, insert or liner goes on the Short-Form application or another route, and what drawings it needs.
Can I have a backyard fire as well as an indoor stove?
Indoor fireplace burning isn’t covered by Gurnee’s outdoor-fire rules. Outside, recreational fires are allowed without a permit if they stay 25 feet from structures and wood fences, or 15 feet in an approved portable fireplace, and pits are limited to 3 feet across. Bonfires and open burns need a $50 permit from the Fire Department.
Which building codes apply to a stove in Gurnee now?
Since March 1, 2026, Gurnee enforces the 2024 International Residential, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Fire Codes, replacing the 2012 editions. That means stove clearances, hearth pads and chimney rules follow the 2024 codes and the stove maker’s instructions. Ask installers to confirm they are working to the new editions.
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.
Explore options & pricing