We purchased the Xtrordinair 36 Elite NextGen Hybrid Wood Fireplace, and every part of the process was outstanding. From Ron in Templeton, to the installers Frank and Justin, to the woman in billing, and the owner Jason, every interaction was professional and positive. The entire project stayed on schedule from the tear-out of our old fireplace to the installation of the new unit, with no delays along the way. The quality of the product, along with the craftsmanship involved in installing the new chimney, was second to none. We are 100% satisfied and highly recommend the Forden's team. read more

Forden's - Fireplace Services Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

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We built a new home in 2020. We bought a gas insert fireplace that is beautiful to look at, but also heats a large part of the house. To keep it operating at top condition we have Forden's do a service every couple of years. They were on time, cleaned up and was a good value. Can't wait until it is Winter to turn it on. Good job Fordens! read more

Updated 4/27/26: I did get through to scheduling last week and they were here this morning to work on the fireplace. The problem is not yet resolved but Forden's team is on it. Upgraded my experience. They tried to fix our gas fireplace 2 months ago, but it still leaks combustion gases into our home. I have called twice, once during business hours and once outside, one week apart, left detailed messages both times. No reply. I believe they are a capable shop, IF you can get their attention. They seem to be way over booked and not well managed. I like these guys, but they are not dependable nor prompt- if you get through you will be booked months out! Only one good review this past year, there's a problem here. read more

We are sure happy with our new fireplace insert. Dealing with the employees has been a pleasure, Julian and Frank installed it in a flash. We purchased the "Heat and Glo", what a pretty and functional unit. I highly recommend visiting Forden's for your fireplace needs. read more

Forden's - The Heat & Glo fireplace insert - Fireplace Services Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Prompt, curious and professional... The team was great to work with and the installers did a fantastic job!

Super helpful, professional and fair prices. I would highly recommend this company. All the latest choices plus knowledgeable staff. read more

A few years ago I purchased 3 pellet stoves from Forden's. Two for the house ( Both Harman's) and one for my workshop and it is a Quadra-Fire. We love our the performance, the representative from the Templeton store (Ron Goddfrey Jr) is very knowledgeable and congenital. I have no problem with product or sales. But they are lacking in the service department, $285 per hour for guess work repairs with a 3 month waiting period. Please read more

Provided chimney sweep service. Professional with a two man service and well equipped truck. Able to access a 2 story house and thoroughly clean flue quickly with excellent clean up. Service was requested for safety reasons but chimney has improved draw afte read more

Forden's - Fireplace - Fireplace Services Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

I shopped around until I found Fordens's and I'm so glad I did. They fitted my fireplace with a beautiful Insert that is so efficient. The installers were super professional and did high quality work. I couldn't be more impressed. I'm definitely 100% a happy customer. Nicky in bookkeeping was great to work with too. I highly recommend Fordens. read more

We depend on our gas fireplace for our heat. Even though it took a few weeks for Forden's to schedule us in for the repair, it was well worth the wait. A top notch two-man team came out and did an excellent repair of the gas regulating electronics, thoroughly cleaned the whole fireplace, including the logs and the glass, and left it in the best condition its ever been in! I love the way they arranged the logs - artful as well as skilled! The price was entirely reasonable. We are very happy customers and will know exactly who to call if we ever have issues with our fireplace in the future. Highly recommend! read more

I purchased my fireplace insert brand new from Forden's in 2016. Their technicians came out and installed the whole system, took them hours and it seemed at times they weren't quite sure how to assemble it, it made me nervous but I trusted they knew what they were doing. Fast forward to last year when we got a crazy amount of rain... Apparently, their efforts to build/install the insert and chimney cap were not done properly, and the whole system got drenched, rusted and the control module shorted out and started a small fire. They told me I could pay a technician could come out in like 4 months to take a look at it. They wouldn't waive the fee, even given the dire situation. Needless to say, I'm devastated. read more

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My gas fireplace stopped working so I called Fordens and spoke to Niki. She was great. The technician Ben showed up and did the work. He was also great. Outstanding customer service. I highly recommend Fordens and if needed I will use them again. read more

Just had Ben service our fireplace. What a great job cleaning the log set and glass. Replaced embers. Spray painted the back which showed signs of rust, and recalibrated the flame equipment. He really cares about the quality of his serv read more

Forden's - Fireplace Services Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

We had a fireplace from Forden's installed in a second home in Cambria through our contractor during a remodel several years ago. Recently we purchased two inserts for another house in Cambria. We called Forden's and met with their salesperson at the house to see what would fit in the existing brick fireplaces. After selecting the units, we contacted the store and placed the order. When the units arrived, we were scheduled for installation and I was present when both units were installed. The process I described above was seamless. From the initial contact with the salesperson through scheduling with Nikki and seeing the efficient and expert installers on the job, this was a wonderful experience. Everyone that I dealt with was cordial, professional and efficient. This is a well managed and quality oriented operation. read more

Top notch service with personable care and communication. Steve came out and assisted us with a built in unit having issues. He solved the problem with persistence and professionalism. Will continue to use these guys and would highly recommend. read more

Not enough nice things to praise. Without mentioning all the names, the sales team, installers and estimates, desk receptionist and appearance in the shop are excellent. Look at my indoor installation! Nearly finished with tile and painting: this powerhouse saves our utilities and keeps us toasty for a faction of what the electric heating costs. Installation from start to finish took 2 months including gas lines and permit. read more

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Everyone has been so helpful and amazing here. We purchased a fireplace and had it installed earlier this year. Jason and Gary were so great to work with. Red Tail construction did the work at the house and were awesome as well! read more

Forden's - After. - Fireplace Services Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

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hello everyone, our fire place stop working we called many place to service our geographic location, they couldn't but all of them referred me to Forden's. today my fire place was repaired, cleaned and look even better then before. Ben our technician was super knowledgeable, super friendly and very kind. the price of the repair was more then competitive. 1) they call and text you in advance to remind you of the service date and time, and on time. 2) service quality top top top. 3) same as above. they are going to take care of our outdoor fire place next week. so we can be ready for the next winter to come. honestly if you in need of a repair or shopping for a new one give them a chance, they are good. read more

Our Fordan's technician Johnny just left after fixing our malfunctioning and poorly installed Superior gas fireplace. He arrived on time and was friendly and professional. He corrected all the issues and cleaned the whole unit (including the glass)!! Very satisfied and will consider having them come out periodically to inspect it. Don't let some handyman try fiddling with your fireplace. Call and hopefully they will send you Johnny! read more

We purchased our home in February and it seemed that the previous owners never had the gas fireplace cleaned. It was full of dust and dirt. We called Forden's and they gave us an appointment as soon as possible. Ben showed up on time and did an absolutely amazing job. Our fireplace was old and dirty. He made it look so much better than it did before. It glows in areas that were covered in dust before. I didn't even know there were other areas that were supposed to show flame. Even better he got it done before Christmas which I didn't think would happen. Thank you so much. We are excited to show off our gorgeous fireplace now. read more

If I had it to do over again I'd buy an insert from one of the knowledgeable online companies. Then I'd call the Chimney Doctor or MKW Fireplace construction in Cambria to do the install. The whole process would have been faster and less expensive AND, I wouldn't have had to deal with the obtuse people at Forden's. There is an alternative people!! read more

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Took the time to walk us through fireplace options and clearly explained pros and cons. I highly recommend Forden's. read more

Steve was excellent, I bought an old home with an existing wood stove and needed to insure it was installed per code for my insurance. They checked it out even though they didn't sell that model. Everything was good, insurance company happy. And I was very happy. read more

I just want to say that these guys are nothing short of stellar to deal with.  I was in the market for a gas log set for my fireplace and decided to give these guys a try.  Upon my first visit I knew they were the ones to go with.  The staff are very knowledgeable and welcoming.   Jason was great to deal with and was very helpful in helping me decide what size logs and burner to go with. After looking over the catalog I chose the logs and burner and they took care of the rest.  I was told it would be approximately 4 weeks to get an appointment for installation.  I called my deposit in the next day at 9am and by 11am that same day they called asking if I was available in the morning the next day for my logs and burner to be installed.  I was pleasantly surprised and said of course!  The next day the installer ( Johnny) showed up right on time and got to work right away.  He was very kind and respectful and honest.  He explained everything to me and told me my fireplace was not large enough on the inside to accommodate the remote control igniter box so he suggested just lighting the flame manually and painting the inside black with a high temperature paint, which he luckily had with him, to give the fireplace a clean and classy beautiful look.  I agreed and let him do the magic.  He was such an artist and craftsman and did a beautiful install on our old fireplace. He was very clean and conscientious while performing the work in my home.  All in all I had nothing but a truly awesome experience with these guys.  They will definitely be my go to people for my future fireplace needs.  Thank you again!!! read more

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Forden's has responded (as they have to other negative reviews) to say they tried to address this privately, but they have never reached out. I have reduced my rating to one star. Buyer beware! read more

It all started when I asked Michael at Fordens to give me some numbers for BBQ modules supplied by Kindred about a year ago. My wife and I are building a house and we decided on a unique way of building a custom BBQ island. He sent me the pricing and all seemed good. Fast forward to about 3 months ago and I asked him again for an actual quote, but with a slightly different configuration. I also asked another local distributor for a quote on the same product. Fordens came in about $500 less for the same product so we went with them. I stopped by, paid the deposit and signed the contract. About a month later Michael calls me and said the supplier is charging them more for delivery and since they are not making a profit, he needs to charge me another $900. I was not happy with that but what could I do? They had my deposit. So reluctantly, I said OK, but let me first call the supplier to see if there was anything I could do. I had been in contact with Kindred before asking about their modules. So I sent an email to the supplier and they said they would look into it. But Michael decided to go ahead and pick the modules up without telling me and before I could let him know that they were looking into it. So he held onto my order and demanded $900 to deliver them to my house. This is a clear bait and switch. I was stuck because I had already put down a deposit. They did not live up to their contract. Buyer beware!!! read more

My designer/contractor did a nice job with my condo, but was completely stumped with what to do with my old, ragged fireplace. I was fortunate to discover Forden's for a new insert. They visited and explained to me all the pros and cons of many different offerings. Their installation was on time and expertly accomplished and I am most pleased with the results. I am happy to recommend them! read more

Knowledgeable, helpful staff and a great supply of all things fireplace-related. We rolled through town and needed help with a fire pit issue and Forden's got us on our way! read more

We have used Forden's since 2017 for all our fireplace service and maintenance and installation of parts they have been great from responding and giving you an appointment quickly to sending knowledgeable technicians to the job. Highly recommend read more

It's amazing my fireplace can look this great after 15 years. I've neglected it for years and finally had it serviced. The technician was friendly, respectful and knowledgeable. The glass, ceramic logs and flames looks great! The only downside is that we had to patiently wait 4 weeks for an appointment - It was well worth it. We will be servicing from Forden's regularly. read more

Forden's - Fireplace Services Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

Stopped in looking for a gas fireplace insert. They were very informative and helpful. They came out to look at our setup and give a quote. The employees were knowledgeable and professional. We ended up going with one of their inserts. The installers were also knowledgeable. They made quick work of the install. Would gladly go back for any future needs. read more

We purchased a wood-burning stove from Forden's more than 30 years ago and over the years frequented their downtown SLO store. We appreciated their products and service and their long association with the community. So I was very disappointed by my recent experience when I purchased a gas fireplace from them. Only after installation was I told that I would need an additional $500 trim piece to complete the installation. This is an expense I should have known about before purchasing and installing the fireplace. I had explained my plans for installation but was not told about this expense. They were not willing to make any reasonable compromise on this unanticipated cost. read more

I had a fireplace insert installed at home and my chimney swept at our cabin. Forden's did exceptional work on both jobs. Everyone I interacted with was extremely professional. Both installers went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect. It is good to know there are still businesses that treat customers right. Thank you! read more

Unbelievable! Our Heat & Glo gas fireplace shutdown and we tried everything to get it going. No luck. Finally decided to call Forden's for a service call. Instead of just scheduling a repair visit, the technician asked some questions and said he'd contact Heat & Glo and see if they could help. Wow! He called back later and talked me through how I could remove the glass cover and try resetting system. It worked! No service call needed. No fees. I'll remember this company next time. read more

We installed a fan on an existing gas fireplace. They sent a technician out to check and clean our existing fireplace to make sure it was compatible and in good working condition. Tech showed up on time, very professional and clean. Salesman took plenty of time to show and explain our options. They do not do their own electrical work, but have a good selection of qualified electricians for you to call. I think you would be happy doing business with them. They would be my first choice. read more

Forden's just installed a Lopi Northfield free-standing gas heater in our home. The installation was flawless! This heater is a perfect compliment to our small home! Thank you! read more

Forden's - Fireplace Services Near Me - San Luis Obispo, California

The strawberry blond at Forden's has no personality. We bought a few things and were interested in a pizza oven. She just said they are outside. I think, I thanked her for our purchase. I could tell when we entered she wasn't very happy. She may be one of the owners. She is awful at her job. So we went over to William Sonoma where they were happy and greeted us with kindness. We bought a lot of great gifts! Pass on about Forden's in San Luis Obispo and go to another place. Poor customer service!!!! read more

Purchased a $3,500 fireplace and the order was written incorrectly with ONE WORD wrong which resulted in the wrong front grating. My contractor installed the fireplace and unwrapped and installed the grating. When I got home I realized that the wrong grating was installed, I called immediately. Fordens and the vendor Regency were 100% UN-sympathetic and refused to exchange the grates for the ones I wanted. They wanted over $300 for a new set. Greedy, greedy, pigs. I see they are saying that they tried to contact me (below). That's a joke. Don't blame the customer. I must've called them 10 times. There wasn't a communication issue there is a customer service issue. read more

After having another chimney professional (some would call him a doctor) tell me my gas insert fireplace needed over $1500 worth of parts nor could I put a new one in...I called Fordens as a last ditch to see where things stood. Well, not only did I NOT need thousands of dollars worth of parts (that I was told are really hard to get, plot twist, Forden's said they are not), they serviced and cleaned my 2 gas fireplaces and they now look and operate like brand new! Fast service, showed up masked, were honest and super thorough. I am so pleased and will not hesitate to use them again for both my wood burning and gas fireplaces. I did not like the "doctored" up fear mongering that the previous company did. read more

We've been living with a really ugly gas insert for 7 years and finally decided to do something about it. Forden's came out, did the measurements, and us through our options. Once we decided, they were out here to remove the old unit in just a couple weeks (it took them 30 mins to remove it). We needed to run electrical into the firebox to run the fan and they recommended Tim from Auhltimate Electrical, who did a great job (I've left a 5 star review for him on Yelp.). The install took about 1.5 hours and we got exactly what we wanted. I don't know why it took us so long to fix the eyesore of the other insert! If you've done house work on the Central Coast, you know that contractors can take months to show up, if they show up at all. Forden's works like a Swiss Watch. Completely timely and reliable. Hopefully this is the last insert we'll ever need, but if I ever need to do any other work like this, I'll call them. read more