We build and restore brick fireplaces in Cleveland, OH that become the centerpiece of your home. Whether you want an indoor brick fireplace surround or an outdoor fireplace on the patio, we design and lay brick for safe operation, efficient venting, and a classic look.
Legendary Masonry Cleveland provides professional brick fireplace throughout Cleveland, OH, Ohio and the surrounding area. Our licensed, insured crew delivers safe, clean, on-time work with a free estimate before anything begins. Call 216-494-5935 or request your free quote.
Brick Fireplaces Built for Cleveland Homes
A good brick fireplace is more than a place to burn wood. In Cleveland it is often the room’s anchor and a real source of heat on lake-effect winter nights. At Legendary Masonry Cleveland, we build and restore brick fireplaces that fit the way local homes are actually built, from early 1900s brick colonials in Old Brooklyn to 1950s bungalows in Parma and newer construction in the suburbs.
Instead of pushing a one-size setup, we start by looking at how your house is framed, how the existing chimney (if any) is built, and what you want the fireplace to do. Some homeowners want a working wood-burning fireplace for real heat. Others want a gas insert in a traditional brick surround, mainly for looks and easy use. We walk you through what is realistic with your current structure, Cleveland building codes, and your budget. The goal is to give you a fireplace that looks right in your home and draws properly without smoke issues.
Our crews work with full brick, thin brick veneer, and reclaimed brick when it fits the project. If you have an older home on the west side, we can usually match the color and size of the original brick so the new fireplace looks like it has always been there. For more modern houses we often use clean-lined modular brick or thin veneer over a framed or block structure to keep weight under control while still giving you the look of real masonry.
How We Design and Build a Brick Fireplace
Every brick fireplace project with Legendary Masonry Cleveland follows a clear set of steps so you know what is happening and why.
1. Site visit and inspection: We start with a visit to your home. If you already have a fireplace, we inspect the firebox, chimney, flue, surrounding brick, and the roof penetration. We look for cracked liners, spalling brick, past smoke stains, and any signs of moisture intrusion which are all common in older Cleveland chimneys. If there is no fireplace, we check the framing, proximity to exterior walls for venting, and basement structure to confirm it can handle the added weight.
2. Layout and function choices: We talk through how you want to use the fireplace. Wood burning, gas logs, sealed gas insert, or decorative only. That choice affects how we build the firebox, what type of flue or venting you need, and how much clearance is required. For example, a true wood-burning fireplace in a century home near Lakewood may need a larger masonry chimney and a lined flue, while a gas insert in a 1990s Strongsville home might vent through a smaller metal liner inside the old chimney.
3. Structural and code planning: Before any brick is laid, we address clearances to combustibles, hearth depth, and chimney height relative to the roof line, following Cleveland and Ohio codes. For new builds or major rebuilds, we may pour a small footing or reinforce flooring to support the masonry. We also plan smoke chamber dimensions and how the throat of the fireplace will be shaped to pull smoke up and out instead of into the room.
4. Masonry build: Once the structure is ready, we build or rebuild the firebox in firebrick, then construct the surrounding brickwork. Mortar types matter in our climate. In older brick homes we often use a softer mortar so it moves with the original brick instead of cracking it. In newer construction we can use a stronger mix. Joints can be struck, raked, or flush depending on the look you prefer.
5. Finish details and cleanup: At the end we tool the mortar joints for a clean look, install any stone or wood mantel you have chosen with proper clearances, and wash down the brick. If you opt for a gas setup, we coordinate with a licensed plumber or HVAC professional for the final hook-up and then complete a final visual check and, where needed, a test burn.
Brick Options, Layout Styles, and Mantel Choices
A brick fireplace is highly visible, so the details matter. Legendary Masonry Cleveland helps you choose a brick layout and style that fits both your taste and the character of your Cleveland neighborhood.
For traditional colonials and Cleveland doubles, we often use standard modular red brick in running bond with a simple soldier-course detail along the opening or hearth. If you like a more rustic, historic look, we can source tumbled or reclaimed brick with softer edges and color variation. This works well in older Tremont and Ohio City homes where a perfectly uniform brick would look out of place.
Layout also affects the feel of the room. A floor-to-ceiling brick wall with a wide hearth can make a 1960s ranch living room feel more grounded and cozy. A lower, wider firebox with a simple surround may better suit a smaller bungalow near Slavic Village. We can angle bricks to create a raised hearth for seating, build shallow niches in the brick for wood storage (where code allows), or keep things minimal so the mantel or TV above the fireplace becomes the focal point.
Mantel choices are another big decision. Many Cleveland homeowners like a stained oak or maple mantel to match existing trim. Others prefer no mantel at all and a clean brick face from floor to ceiling. We set mantels at the right height so they meet code clearances above the firebox and so heat does not damage televisions or artwork. Surrounding materials can include simple brick returns, a stone or cast-concrete shelf, or a thin steel shelf for a more modern look.
We also discuss whether you want the brick sealed. Sealers can make cleaning soot easier but can slightly darken the color and change the sheen. In a home where the fireplace will be used heavily through winter, especially with real wood, planning for easy cleaning and maintenance up front can save a lot of work later.
Costs, Timelines, and What Affects Your Price
The cost of a brick fireplace in Cleveland can vary widely, and we are upfront about what drives it so you can budget with realistic numbers.
The biggest factors are whether we are building new or rebuilding, the type of fuel (wood or gas), and how much structural work is required. Building a new, fully functional wood-burning brick fireplace with a masonry chimney in a two-story home is usually the most expensive option. It may involve cutting through floors and the roof, building a full-height chimney, and pouring a footing in the basement or crawlspace. A brick surround around a factory-built metal fireplace or gas insert is typically less costly because much of the internal firebox and venting system is pre-engineered.
Material choices also affect price. Full brick construction is heavier and uses more material and labor than thin brick veneer over block or metal studs. Reclaimed brick can cost more to source and install but may be worth it if you want an exact match to an existing chimney or exterior. Custom features like arched openings, corbelled brick details, or extended raised hearths all add labor time.
Existing problems can add to the scope as well. It is common in older Cleveland housing stock to find cracked clay flue tiles, missing mortar in the smoke chamber, or water damage near the chimney crown. In those cases we will give you options, such as installing a stainless steel liner, rebuilding the top courses of brick, or adding a proper crown and chimney cap, before we finish the visible fireplace. Addressing these issues is not about upselling. It is about making sure the fireplace is safe, drafts correctly, and does not leak water into your walls and attic.
As for timing, a straightforward brick fireplace facing around an existing insert might take several days once materials are on site. A full build with structural work and a new chimney can stretch into a couple of weeks, depending on weather, inspections, and coordination with other trades. We schedule noisy and dusty work in blocks so you can plan around it, and we protect floors and nearby finishes so the rest of your home is not heavily impacted.
Common Cleveland Fireplace Problems and How We Fix Them
Many of our calls are not for brand-new fireplaces but for aging brick fireplaces that are smoky, ugly, or unsafe. Legendary Masonry Cleveland has repaired and rebuilt hundreds of them in this region, so we know the patterns.
Smoke spilling into the room is one of the biggest complaints. In older homes near the lake, wind can drive smoke back down a short chimney. Sometimes the opening is too large for the flue size, or the smoke chamber was never shaped correctly. We may recommend resizing the opening, installing a smoke guard, rebuilding and parging the smoke chamber to smooth it, or raising the chimney height. These fixes are specific to how your fireplace and roof are built, and we will show you photos or video from inside the chimney so you understand the cause.
Cracked or falling brick around the firebox is another common issue. Freeze-thaw cycles in Cleveland, along with old, hard mortar and improper previous repairs, can cause bricks to pop or spall. We remove damaged brick, cut out failing mortar joints, and replace with brick that matches the original as closely as possible. When previous repairs used the wrong mortar, we may need to grind those joints out and repoint with a more appropriate mix that will move with the old brick instead of breaking it.
Water leaks around the chimney can stain walls near the fireplace and weaken the surrounding masonry. We look at the entire system, not just the visible brick inside. That may include repairing the chimney crown, adding or replacing a cap, repointing exterior joints, and confirming that the flashing where the chimney meets the roof is sound. Once the source of the moisture is fixed, we can restore interior brick, repaint surrounding walls, or rebuild damaged sections of the fireplace face.
Before we leave any job, we explain how to use the new or repaired fireplace safely, how often to have the chimney cleaned, and what early warning signs of trouble look like, such as fine cracks, new staining, or odor when it rains. The goal is a brick fireplace that works hard every winter without becoming a recurring problem.
