Get matched with top fireplace pros in Starbuck, MN

A 40-pound bag of wood pellets can provide a solid 24 hours or so of burn time, though the exact length may vary. If you’re using your pellet stove as an exclusive heat source during the winter, you’ll need an estimated 100 to 150 of those 40-pound bags, depending on how hot you like to keep your home, its size, the climate, and other factors.

A fireplace is, by definition, an enclosed space where you burn wood or other fuel for the purpose of generating light and heat. A firepit burns wood and is much less expensive to build, but they aren’t technically a fireplace as it isn’t enclosed. An outdoor oven—commonly outdoor brick pizza ovens—often uses wood as fuel, but its primary purpose is to cook food, and you’d rarely just burn wood inside them for warmth or aesthetic reasons.

Running a gas fireplace is potentially cheaper than using central heating if you are heating a single room and don’t need to heat the entire house. That's because gas fireplaces are a better source of direct heat, making them more efficient for warming small spaces. Central heating, while more efficient for whole-home warmth, uses more energy overall. Strategically using a gas fireplace, therefore, can help lower heating bills.

Installing a fireplace outside could be more affordable, but that depends on several factors. If you’re only considering an outdoor fireplace to save on installation costs, you may be surprised once you start receiving quotes. On average, an outdoor fireplace costs around $3,000 to install, but the price can vary significantly depending on how ambitious your outdoor design plans are.