They installed the fireplace into a chase on an outside wall without reinstalling missing insulation as required by IL Energy Code (which requires the entire fireplace chase to be finished equivalent to the rest of the outside wall--i.e. insulation and drywall). In addition, a more-than-sufficiently-large hole was cut into the back of the chase for the vent, which to my recollection did not receive any insulation either. I didn't think much of it until winter hit--bringing serious cold air drafts, along with frosty ice build up on the front of the fireplace frame within the house. I have since learned the repeated ice build up and melting will lead to wood rot, mold and rusting of the fireplace. I sent a few emails to Neal (the owner) about the issue. He not only refused to discuss it, but is also trying to push the responsibility off on a handyman. That is, prior the fireplace install, Ithe overhang edge of the chase roof had to be removed so the outside gas vent would have more clearance. Due to Neal's high "day rate" for a few hours of work, I hired my own guy to remove the overhang. Neal also wanted the fireplace box removed to measure clearance inside the chase and he subsequently rec'd photos and measurements. Despite clear lack of insulation and drywall across the ceiling of the chase, he and his team never mentioned it, nor did they come prepared to satisfy that aspect per IL energy code. With exposed plywood and nails from the shake roof above, and torn drywall corners visible, they simply installed the fireplace box, leaving the entire ceiling of the chase without insulation or drywall. I'm not the fireplace expert; I relied on him and his team--just as they directed that the overhang on the outside should be removed. Just as they directed to clear out the old fireplace box so they could measure. Yet...no mention of energy codes or insulating the chase. It would certainly be incumbent on a company claiming to be professional fireplace installers to address this one way or another, vs simply ignoring it. No wonder this company requires deposits upfront followed by immediate payment in full. I have also since learned they have held onto my credit card info (more than a year and half later) and charged a service fee without my authorization ($257.50 to change a few double A batteries instead of mentioning "there are batteries, did you check them?" when I called to say the fireplace wasn't turning on). Certainly leaves the customer feeling taken advantage of. Very bad experiences all around with Fireplaces Plus. UPDATE: He threatening me with a lawsuit unless I remove my review. My review is honest and accurate. I wonder how often other unhappy customers have felt intimidated enough by his lawsuit threat to remove their negative reviews...? read more

Fireplaces Plus - Frost occurring on the front of the fireplace during cold days due to improper fireplace install by Fireplaces Plus - Fireplace Services Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

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I purchased new logs, grate, burner, lava rock for my gas fireplace in my family room. "Clean out the old and install all new" was my goal. First of all Robin, my sales person was very very professional in his presentation and I felt comfortable ordering from him. He expedited the installation and today, a fine young gentleman named Taylor installed it. It looks great and I am very pleased! They have also installed several Broil Master outdoor grills at my various homes in the area that they service over many years. Again, very pleased with the service, installation, and the products that they represent. Highly recommend them. Thank you! read more

Very professional. Great service at a fair price. Fireplace products were very good. Would recommend them highly.

Excellent service. Fair pricing, left everything neat and clean. Added a remote control starter for the fireplace

I called Fireplaces Plus and explained that the pilot light isn't lit in my fireplace. I cannot start it. They were upfront with their charge of $250, plus the cost of parts. I agreed and made an appointment, thinking that the repairs were more than batteries. The technician arrived promptly, I live 10 minutes from the store, he was at my home for 5 minutes, and was charged $250 to change batteries. To me, these are deceptive practices that leaves me feeling of being taken advantage so this company can make an easy profit. Going an extra mile for a customer goes a long way with their customer services image. I will be taking my business elsewhere. read more

This once fine establishment is now gouging customers with 150% price increase on service for out of warrantee products. Think twice!!

Very small company that carries only the most expensive products. Called to have gas insert serviced. Told them THEY had shut off a leaky valve a few years ago. THEY had no record of servicing us. THEY ARE THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN! Service guy came out, asked how old the insert was and then said it would Monday before they could fix it. Today is Thursday. They say they are busy. What a waste of time! read more

We decided to add a mantel. Love the job they did. Could not be happier. I definitely recommend them. read more

Fireplaces Plus - Fireplace Services Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

This is based on a phone call, but when I told them that a technician from Lindemann's told me I needed to spend 10K for a new fireplace unit, they sent me to Peter at Lake County Chimney Sweep who could have sold me something not needed, but who was honest and said that my unit was fine as it is. read more

Neal and his associates did a beautiful job replacing our old fireplace. They cleaned up the area everyday, and each crew member is a true professional. We totally recommend this great company. read more

Neal took such good care of me. I stopped into the showroom and he walked me through the various fireplace sets. I converted three wood burning fireplaces to gas log. Same week he was out to measure. The install was today and his guy could not nave been nicer. read more

Total confidence in this place. They've been there for years and I never paid attention to them until I decided to do a gas log conversion. They were very knowledge. Both Robin and Caleb educated me on the differences between the options I had and the selection was great. I comparison shopped them and their price beat the two other local places I found. Installation was professional, complete, safe, and they answered every question I had. They ran through a usage walkthrough with me and ensured they met my satisfaction. This was a great experience for me in every way. read more

We had our fireplace installed in 2017, which was done by Fireplace Plus. They did an excellent job with the installation and a few minor issues that I had. Very responsive and attentive. Fast forward to today. Was having issues with the fireplace starting. I called for service, they fit me in and were here within the stated time. The techs, Dan and Dannie explained everything thing they did and made some suggestions. Excellent job. read more

Fireplaces Plus provides customers with the one commodity that's in very short supply: good advice. I came in to purchase a fire pit key. After paying I began shmoozing with Bryan about how a gas fire pit should be set up. Turns out our contractors set ours up incorrectly. The five minutes of advice Bryan gave me might have saved hundreds in repairs in the future. That's expertise worth paying for; these guys know their stuff. read more

Owner Neal came to give us a quote and was so gruff, gave us 3 minutes total, didn't remove his shoes and walked all over our new carpet, couldn't be bothered to answer follow up questions. Go with Hearth & Home, this guy isn't worth your time or money. read more

I'm writing this review on behalf of my parents, Ron and Patti,from Libertyville. They were blown away from Fireplace Plus. Neil & his crew were very professional and the fireplace they received is just beautiful. My parents were impressed with their ability to always be on time & finished the project in time. They are so happy with the addition to their living room! read more

Fireplaces Plus - New fireplace - Fireplace Services Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

So far, this has been a great experience. I did some research on fireplace inserts as a way to make my fireplace better looking and more efficient. Afterwards, I looked for fireplace guys in my area and gave them a call. Neil came out a few days later to measure the fireplace and let me know my options. My wife and I already knew we wanted a modern look, so we went with this one shown in the picture. I was wondering why they charge a delivery fee when places online do not. But when they were delivering it I understood. Places online will drop it off at the curb of your property (not even to the door). These guys brought it inside and installed it (installation was extra). But the unit weights 480 lbs, plus the weight of fireplace bricks to line the unit. So we're talking about 600 lbs. I don't know about you, but I'm happy to pay some guys to deal with that. And amazingly, they did not break anything in the house while moving this iron box. Right away they noticed some brush marks on the unit from shipping and have taken care of contacting the vendor for touch-up spray paint. Its this kind of service that makes it worth the extra money read more

Fireplaces Plus - this insert was put in by the installers at fireplaces plus - Fireplace Services Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

I am so impressed with this company that I started writing this review in my head 3 days into my job. Let me start with company owner Neal. He came out and helped me design the new fireplace. We went through several options and Neal was generous with his time and valuable expertise. He called from our meeting to arrange for the install. He said the job would take 5 days and it took the full 5 days. Rich, the fireplace framer and installer, along with Matt, the electrician, and Juan and Maria the drywall experts all have done a spectacular job. The transformation that they created is truly unbelievable. Rich and I collaborated on the placement of the fireplace, he executed it to perfection. Matt and I collaborated on where the switches needed to be moved to as he tried to navigate through very old switches and boxes that ended in odd places. His suggestions were what I didn't know I needed, and the final placement of the switches were placed where they should have been all along. Juan and Maria completed the drywall, installed the mantle (after we spent some time going over measurements)and kept my house clean, so the dogs and I weren't afraid to walk through the house without shoes. Juan offered to teach me how to tape and mud drywall, which he made look so easy. The team communicated with me every step of the way. They double checked to make sure I was on board with any change no matter how small. I am grateful for the team's collaborative style of work and ethic, the expertise they all brought to my project, and the regard for my safety during a week of renovation. The integrity and work ethic in this team is part of their DNA- they must work like this everyday and with every job. I am nobody special and I felt like I received the royal treatment for the past week. I highly recommend Fireplace Plus! read more

We had an old brick wood burning fireplace replaced with a new gas burning fireplace. Fireplace Plus made it very easy to purchase and have installed. They took care of everything from scheduling, drilling thru brick, running a gas line, electrical work, installing fireplace, tile work to making sure everything was clean and dust free each day they left. Their employees were the best we've ever had in our home. Thank you to all of you. - Tom & Carol R. read more

Fireplace Plus just made my quarantine! first the owner Neal came to our home to go over where the fireplace would be installed and what would happen. He was helpful and knowledgeable about the chicago building and fire codes. I had hired Neal 10 years before to replace my gas fireplace insert and was glad to see he was still in the game. The day of installation came- they were professional courteous maintained masks the entire time and cleaned up impeccably. Anyone looking to install a fireplace or replace an insert, should call fireplace plus. We are so happy. Our house was missing this one feature and now is quarantined perfect. Make sure you speak to the owner Neal if there is any issue, he could not be more responsive or helpful. Thank you again Neal and your crew. You earned my trust and confidence for the next project! Hopefully not for another 10 years! read more

Fireplaces Plus - Jotul Fireplace - Fireplace Services Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

2 years after original purchase and install, I call requesting service. First, girl tells me that I didn't purchase that fireplace from them. Upon checking, she realizes that was false. Can't schedule service call until 4 weeks from now and requires credit card to be on file when you make your appointment. Nawwwwww, we're going to another dealer. Fail read more

Our old fireplace was deemed unsafe due to exposed wood, requiring us to demo and replace the surround. We also wanted to replace the old gas logs with a new set that works with a remote. Firrplaces Plus came highly recommended, and we are so glad we used them! They handled everything - the demo, tile work, and gas work. Everything was timely, professional, and done so well. We are loving our working fireplace and knowing it is now safe to use. read more

We began working with Fireplaces Plus in August 2020 to replace wood burning fireplaces in our new home with gas log sets. Fast forward to May 2021 and the project has been a disaster and still not completed. Fireplaces delivered the wrong logs despite written instructions on which log sets we wanted, then they failed to properly install the logs and then when the logs were installed (at least a few of them), they were installed inconsistent with the look and feel in their marketing materials. I understand that current times can be tough to source materials and labor, but the customer service displayed by Fireplaces has been awful. Far worse than any other vendors involved in our remodel. We have paid in full for our fireplace sets but sadly I doubt we will ever have functioning fireplaces as we were sold. read more

Fantastic work, fair quote, friendly service. My new condo had a very tricky install and the team handled it!

We have used this location several times,we have been doing business for 18 years and they are the best in the area.We just had two fireplaces put in they worked well with the contractors and they delivered everything on time and in great working order. The owner came to our new home to check everything and make sure I knew how to use the remotes.Thank you Neal Great Job. Joe M read more

Terrible support after getting a new fireplace installed. The system keeps malfunctioning if you don't start every few weeks and water continually comes down our chimney. They don't respond when you need help or warranty support. read more

Neal and his team did a fantastic job from start to finish. We had a wood burner installed...Neal promised us it would be in before Christmas and it was! To make this happen Juan demolished our old fireplace, re-plastered walls and tiled the whole area. It looked great...then Rich and Kevin came in a few days later and fitted the stove. We love it. Great price, great service. Would definitely recommend. read more

Great job installing Napoleon Peninsula about 18 months ago. 18 months later I needed some help with some maintenance. Wow! They were helpful on the phone and had a tech from my neighborhood drop by to give me some tips. Super service. Buy from these folks!!!!!! read more

We recently moved to Hawthron Woods. We needed a gas log insert. Neil was knowledgeable and so helpful. He suggested a remote for the gas start. It's perfect. Loved the Birch logs. The installer Juan and his wife were so helpful and patient. They represented the store well with the knowledge and kind teaching manor. I'm a regional manager for a large cellular company, I would love to have this team in one of my stores. Great job! read more

I had a great experience with this company. I have a unique fireplace frame and I wasn't sure what would match it. Neil presented a few good options and made a recommendation and it ended up looking perfect and the installation was very solid. I am pleased and recommend them. read more

Neal is a not only a great guy, but he is a genuine professional. I had been wanting gas logs for our fireplace for years and finally gave Fireplaces Plus a call. I received a call back from Neal the very next day and we scheduled a time for him to come by. He took me through all the options but recommended what he would do given our fireplace. I ordered right there on the spot. Scheduling time for installment was super easy thanks to Marge. And installment was quick, easy and a pleasure with Don, Cory and Zak. We've had our gas logs for 2 weeks now and LOVE them so much. We have a fire going almost every day. Best money I've ever spent. Thanks! read more

Had Neils crew out on Friday and Saturday morning.On Friday Rich and Sam installed my unit having to make some additional cuts in my roof in order for it to fit properly , both guys were great to work with ,hauled away my old unit , cleaned up and answered any questions I might have had . On Saturday Juan stopped by to frame and patch any of the holes and drywall blemishes that needed to get repaired. Juan spent a lot of time framing and patching around my unit making sure everything looked good ,a true professional.Thanks Neil can't wait to fire it up.. read more

This place is great! Their products are top notch, and their customer service is beyond expectations. Today Collin took me through relighting my pilot light so easily! Anyone looking for fireplace logs should look no further! read more

This company was a nightmare. Gave us a start and finish date of 3 weeks . In to the 12th week, Neil the owner called and said they were too busy to finish the job. He did reimburse us some money, but left us high and dry to finish. The area is still unfinished and best yet, I went to turn on the fireplace yesterday and it does not work!!! Have another call into this company read more

Neil was hands down a wonderful person to work with. He came out to our home, went through several options, and helped us order the perfect fireplace doors. He told us the doors would arrive in 3 to 4 weeks which was the quote his factory gave him (we heard the man on the phone). When 3 weeks came and we had not heard from anyone we called and found out there was an issue with the doors and it would take at least 4 additional days. We were a bit upset because we had planned a get together for the weekend after we had hoped to finish the project. Neil talked with my husband for 3 days in a row and managed to have the doors ready by the weekend before so that we would have the week to finish the project. Once we began installing the doors on Saturday we had a few questions and it was definitely after store hours. We called Neil's number planning to leave a voicemail but he answered, helped answer our questions, and even told us to call back at any time during the weekend if we had any other questions. Neil was professional and kind. He made the large purchase and ordeal so much easier to deal with. We went to a few places before and the workers were pretty unfriendly and not helpful when it came to making a decision on the doors. Neil really knows his business and cares about his customers. read more

Neil came out to our home to help us decide what type of fireplace we could put on our lower level. He made it easy and was always available when I needed him and got the job done quickly. The guys who came out were first rate. Very kind and helpful. The sales people as well as the scheduler were always kind and extremely helpful. The end project is stunning. Can't wait for winter now so I can use it again and again. read more

Used Fireplaces Plus to replace my old gas logs and install new glass doors. For the quality we received they were the best value... by far! Service was done right on time and they service guy was extremely friendly and clean! A great experience! read more

Let me state I am a very demanding home owner who expects perfection when purchasing services or products for the home. I am very pleased with the service Neil, the owner, provided and the product he recommended. Neil came to our house and showed us different products and gave us a completely honest answer to all our questions even when it affected the potential sale. Extremely efficient and knowledgeable is how I would describe him. He did his best to have it installed before Thanksgiving and our visiting family loved it. I am currently loving it. I cannot impress on your strongly enough how honest, efficient and knowledgeable Neil is. Sure we could have ordered one online, but Neil made this purchase a wonderful turnkey experience with no buyer's regret. The only drawback is his staff is not as good as him. But almost all business owners struggle with this. This is the only reason I gave Fireplaces Plus 4 stars instead of 5. I would recommend Neil and his services to all my friends. read more

We have been doing business with Firepaces Plus for over 7 years. We bought our log kits, automatic starters and screens all from them. They have a fabulous selection, with fair prices. Recently one of our automatic starters was not working in one fireplace and the other fireplace was just not working at all. They sent someone to fix it and he was able to fix the starter in the one and the other was just that the pilot light was out which they lit. There was concern about the burner pan so the owner, Neal came out to check on it. He said everything was fine. There was no additional service charge for his trip. He just wanted to make sure all was well. I was very pleased with my experience and would highly recommend them. read more

Great job. Neal was highly responsive, knew his business, and provided us with two fabulous fireplaces. His installation crew of Don and his sons Corey and Zak was FIRST RATE--they are a family business of installers who did a great job. We're 100% satisfied. read more