Blackout-Readyby Crisis-Ready Society

Home / The guide / Heating and cooling

Heating and cooling · Choose and design your heating · thermal-7

Install the stove, hearth and chimney to code

Most wood stove fires come from installation faults that are invisible until something ignites. Clearances, floor protection and chimney height are set by codes and by the stove's listing.

How

  1. Read the manufacturer's installation manual first: listed clearances in it override general rules.
  2. Example from the US IRC (2024): an unlisted stove needs 36 inches (about 914 mm) to combustibles unless the wall is shielded to an approved method; the hearth pad extends at least 16 inches (406 mm) in front of the door and 8 inches (203 mm) to each side.
  3. Example chimney rule from the US IRC: the top must be at least 3 ft (0.9 m) above where it leaves the roof and 2 ft (0.6 m) higher than any roof or structure within 10 ft (3 m). Other countries use different rules, so check your local code.
  4. Example, England and Wales (UK) building control guidance: a constructional hearth is 125 mm thick (or 12 mm non-combustible board where the hearth stays below 100 C), projecting at least 225 mm in front of a closed stove (300 mm if it can be used with the door open) and 150 mm to each side.
  5. Example, England and Wales (UK): the flue should generally be at least 4.5 m tall overall, and a closed stove up to 20 kW burning smokeless fuel needs at least a 125 mm diameter flue, rising to 150 mm for any fuel up to 30 kW. Fit a CO alarm in the stove room 1 to 3 m from the appliance and a notice plate near the hearth or chimney.
  6. Size the flue to the stove outlet. DOE warns an oversized flue slows the exhaust and increases creosote. Use a continuous liner and double-wall connector pipe for runs over 8 ft.
  7. Get a permit and inspection where required, and fit a CO alarm and smoke alarm before the first fire.

Safety: Incorrect clearances or flue faults can cause house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. If you smell smoke indoors, shut the stove down, open a window, check the flue is open and call a professional.

Do these first

Sources

  1. What clearances does IRC 2024 require for a wood stove installation? (educational summary of IRC M1901). Jaspector, accessed 2026-11
  2. Burn Wise: Installation and Maintenance. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, accessed 2026-11
  3. Wood and Pellet Heating. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Saver, accessed 2026-11
  4. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed 2026-11
  5. Guide to commissioning a solid fuel appliance. Torfaen County Borough Council Building Control (Wales, UK), accessed 2026-11
  6. Competent person schemes. Welsh Government, accessed 2026-11

Open in the interactive guide