130-plus regulated historic structures
Highland Park counts over 130 regulated historic structures, including 80 individual landmarks and three local historic districts, overseen by its Historic Preservation Commission.
Local details
Wood stove installation in Highland Park, Illinois
Lake County / North Shore. 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 Highland Park.
Dense chimney smoke is unlawful
City code bans dense smoke from any chimney, meaning Ringelmann No. 3 or darker for over six minutes an hour, with fines of $25–$500.
Local detailsGeneral contractors are tested
General contractors must be tested and licensed by the city, file a $10,000 license bond and carry $1,000,000 liability insurance naming Highland Park.
Local detailsThe coldest month here, January, has a 1991–2020 normal of 24.3°F at the CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN, 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 Highland Park.
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 Highland Park under Lake CountyHighland Park and its 60035 zip code are 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, at the far side of the county, so ask about travel and whether it holds a Highland Park license.
View business & contact detailsAelite service areaWebsite reviewed Oct 24, 2026 · Not contacted by FireplaceLab - II
Chimney Monkey
Chimney service & installation · 741 Hastings Dr., Buffalo Grove; its wood stove page lists Highland Park among core service areasIts wood stove installation page lists Highland Park as a core service area and describes a clearance and airflow check, setting the stove and pipe, and connecting to an existing or new flue. Its Highland Park page covers the 60035 and 60040 zip codes and mentions historic chimney restoration. Ask who files the city permit.
View business & contact detailsChimney Monkey: Highland ParkWebsite 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 Highland Park page, but its installation pages list Lake County, which contains Highland Park, among the eight counties it serves 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. Both showrooms are in DuPage County, so ask about travel.
View business & contact detailsFireplace & Chimney Authority: wood burning stovesWebsite reviewed Oct 24, 2026 · Not contacted by FireplaceLab - IV
Hearth & Home
Sales & installation · 530 W. Northwest Hwy., Mt. Prospect; its service-area page lists Highland Park among North Shore townsIts service-area page names Highland Park under the North Shore and says its team installs fireplaces, stoves and inserts. Its stoves page is headed ‘Wood, Gas & Pellet Home Heating Stove Sales & Installation’ and lists Hearthstone and Lopi models. The showroom is in Mt. Prospect. Ask whether its own crew fits wood stoves and handles the permit.
View business & contact detailsHearth & Home service 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 Highland ParkIts homepage lists Highland Park among the towns 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 it suits an insert project; confirm the scope and its city license.
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 all of Lake County, which contains Highland Park. 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 estimate the installation; it also lists wood inserts and relining. Ask where its Illinois crew is based and who pulls the permit.
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 Highland Park.
Apply for a Mechanical permit through Civic Access.
Inside Highland Park, permits come from the Building Division of Community Development at 1150 Half Day Road, 2nd floor (847-432-0808, building@cityhpil.com), and applications go through the Civic Access Portal. The city’s Mechanical Heating & Cooling sheet asks for a signed Property Owner Authorization Form, the contractor’s proposal with the full cost, a plat of survey marking the equipment, and equipment specifications, and lists one final inspection. It also asks applicants to say whether the property is a landmark or in a local historic district. Codes for permits filed from March 1, 2026 are the 2024 editions. The sheet doesn’t name stoves, so ask which permit fits.
Highland Park Mechanical Heating & Cooling permit requirements (updated July 2026, PDF)Landmarks need a Certificate of Appropriateness first.
If your house is a local landmark or in one of the Belle Avenue, Linden Park Place or Vine Linden Maple historic districts, most exterior changes need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission before work starts. The city says this includes changes that can’t be seen from the street; interior work doesn’t need one. A new chimney, chase or roof-top flue would likely count. Applications go through Civic Access 31 days before the monthly meeting.
Highland Park: Applying for a Certificate of AppropriatenessDense smoke from a chimney is a nuisance.
Chapter 91-1 of the City Code makes it unlawful to cause or permit dense smoke from any fire, chimney, engine or oil burner, and treats the building’s owner or occupant as creating a nuisance. Smoke is ‘dense’ at No. 3 or darker on the Ringelmann chart for more than six minutes in any hour. Fines run $25 to $500, and each day counts separately. A certified stove burning dry, seasoned wood with a good draft should stay well clear of that.
Highland Park City Code, Chapter 91-1 Air Pollution (Municode)Your general contractor must pass a city test.
Highland Park’s contractor requirements say general contractors must be tested and licensed by the city, applying through the Civic Access Portal, and must provide a signed $10,000 license permit bond in the city’s bond language and a certificate of liability insurance for $1,000,000 naming the city as additional insured. Contractors and subcontractors must file for all appropriate permits. Ask your installer whether it holds a Highland Park license or works under a licensed general contractor.
Highland Park Contractor Requirements (Aug. 2026, PDF)Permits filed now follow the 2024 codes.
Highland Park’s Building Division notice says all permit applications submitted on or after March 1, 2026 must comply with the 2024 International Residential, Mechanical, Fire and Fuel Gas Codes, among others, with local amendments in Title XVII of the City Code. Clearances, hearth protection and chimney rules for a stove therefore follow the 2024 editions and the stove’s listing. Ask your installer to price the job to those editions, not older ones.
Highland Park Adopted Building Codes notice (March 1, 2026, PDF)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 Highland Park.
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 Highland Park-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 Highland Park.
U.S. planning ranges to prepare for a Highland Park quote. They are national estimates, not measured Highland Park 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 Highland Park installer.
- Is my house a Highland Park landmark or in a local historic district, and if so, will you prepare the Certificate of Appropriateness drawings for any new chimney or chase?
- Do you hold a Highland Park general contractor license, or will a licensed contractor pull the Mechanical permit through Civic Access?
- Which 2024 code clearances, hearth protection and chimney height apply to this stove, and are they in the 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 Highland Park 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
Highland Park wood stove installation FAQs.
Does a wood stove need a permit in Highland Park?
The city’s permit pages don’t list wood stoves, but its Mechanical Heating & Cooling sheet covers heating equipment and asks for the owner’s authorization, the contractor’s proposal, a plat of survey and equipment specifications. Contact the Building Division at 847-432-0808 or building@cityhpil.com to confirm which permit your stove, insert or liner needs before you buy.
My house is a landmark. Can I still add a stove?
Interior work doesn’t need a Certificate of Appropriateness, so an insert in an existing fireplace may not trigger review. A new chimney, chase or roof flue is an exterior change, and the city says even changes not visible from the street usually need a certificate. Talk to the preservation planner at 847-926-1856 early; applications are due 31 days before the monthly meeting.
Are there smoke rules for wood burning in Highland Park?
Yes. City code makes it unlawful to let dense smoke, No. 3 or darker on the Ringelmann chart for over six minutes in an hour, come from any chimney, with fines of $25 to $500 per day. Open burning of leaves and trash is banned. No ban on indoor wood stoves was found.
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.
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