Custom Brick Fireplaces in Savannah, GA

We design and build brick fireplaces in Savannah, GA that become a focal point in your home. From traditional wood burning masonry fireplaces to modern gas ready surrounds, we tailor the layout and brick pattern to your style. Our team also repairs and refaces existing fireplaces for a fresh, safe finish.

Vanguard Masonry Savannah provides professional brick fireplace throughout Savannah, GA and the surrounding area. Our licensed, insured crew delivers safe, clean, on-time work with a free estimate before anything begins. Call (912) 461-6709 or request your free quote.

Brick Fireplaces Built for Savannah Homes

A brick fireplace is more than a feature on a real estate listing. In Savannah it becomes the spot where friends gather after a backyard boil, where you dry out after a stormy day, and where your home gains a solid focal point that never goes out of style. Vanguard Masonry Savannah builds brick fireplaces that fit the way Lowcountry homes are actually lived in, from historic townhouses to newer builds on Whitemarsh and Wilmington Island.

Our crew is local and used to working inside older masonry envelopes, tight alleys, and humid coastal conditions. We pay attention to how your fireplace will vent in our climate, how it will tie into your existing brick or siding, and how its weight will sit on Savannah’s softer soils. Every project starts with a walk through of your home, a look at access routes and structure, and a conversation about how you plan to use the fireplace so we can recommend the right design and firebox type.

Types of Brick Fireplaces We Install and Restore

Vanguard Masonry Savannah handles both new brick fireplace construction and restoration of existing ones.

Indoor wood burning fireplaces: Traditional open masonry fireplaces with firebrick fireboxes and brick chimneys or flues. These are common in Ardsley Park, Baldwin Park, and older Midtown homes and often need lining or rebuilds to be safe.

Gas burning fireplaces: Using prefabricated gas inserts within a custom brick surround. Many Southside and island clients choose this for convenience and cleaner burning with logs that turn on by switch or remote.

Outdoor brick fireplaces: Permanent structures on patios, screened porches, and near pools. We design for wind direction near the marsh, salt air, and seating layouts so smoke and heat work with your typical gathering size.

Refacing and surrounds: For homeowners who already have a working firebox or gas insert but want a new brick face, hearth, and mantel. We can replace outdated tile or stone with brick patterns that suit the age of the house.

Historic repairs: In Victorian District and downtown row houses, we rebuild or stabilize existing brick fireplaces, often closing unsafe openings and restoring a single main fireplace that can still be used or left as a decorative feature.

How We Design Your Brick Fireplace

A durable fireplace in Savannah begins with planning. Vanguard Masonry Savannah guides you through a clear design process so there are no surprises once work begins.

Site evaluation: We confirm where the fireplace can safely sit in relation to framing, plumbing, and electrical. For indoor work, we look at attic and roof access for chimney routing. For outdoor units, we measure distances from property lines, overhangs, and neighbors to avoid smoke issues.

Use and fuel choice: We ask how often you will realistically use the fireplace. If it is primarily for looks and occasional ambiance, a gas insert with a brick surround may make sense. For frequent winter fires or cooking outdoors, we plan a full masonry firebox with the right throat and smoke chamber proportions.

Draft and venting: Coastal air can be sticky and still, which makes a poorly designed fireplace smoke into the room. We calculate fireplace opening size relative to chimney height, recommend flue liners sized to your firebox, and plan for insulated stainless or clay flues as appropriate.

Aesthetic details: Brick color and texture, mortar shade, joint profile, arch shapes, and mantel style are all decided before we price. We bring sample boards that match what has historically been used in Savannah neighborhoods so your fireplace does not look out of place. We can also match to existing exterior brick if you want continuity between indoors and outdoors.

Materials, Brick Layouts, and Finish Options

The materials you choose for a brick fireplace affect not just the look but also performance under heat and humidity.

Brick types: For the visible face, most Savannah homeowners choose standard clay face brick in warm reds, buff, or mixed tones that fit our older architecture. For coastal properties, we recommend brick with low absorption to reduce salt and moisture issues. Inside the firebox, we always use firebrick and high temperature refractory mortar, not regular brick and mortar, so the firebox can withstand repeated heating.

Patterns and details: Running bond is common, but we can introduce soldier courses over the opening, herringbone in the firebox back or on the face, and basketweave patterns on the hearth. Corbeled brick mantels or simple brick trim bands can add character without using separate wood elements.

Mortar and joints: Color and joint style change the personality of the fireplace. Tight concave joints with a buff mortar give a more formal look, while slightly recessed joints with gray mortar better match older downtown masonry. We discuss how different mortars will show soot over time and recommend sealed or darker joints where maintenance is a concern.

Finishes and add ons: Clients often add raised or flush hearths for seating, brick returns that frame built in shelving, or arched fire openings. We also coordinate with carpenters if you want a wood mantel properly anchored into the masonry, with clearances that meet fire code.

Step by Step: Our Brick Fireplace Construction Process

Homeowners often want to know what will actually happen in their house during a brick fireplace project. Vanguard Masonry Savannah follows a consistent process focused on safety and cleanliness.

1. Preparation and protection: We isolate the work area with plastic sheeting and floor protection, especially important in older Savannah homes with heart pine floors. Furniture and rugs are either moved or carefully covered. For outdoor work, we protect surrounding landscaping and hardscapes from dust and mortar splatter.

2. Structural and foundation work: For new fireplaces, we pour or verify a dedicated footing that can carry the weight of the masonry. Indoor fireplaces may need floor reinforcement from the crawlspace, which is common in Savannah’s raised homes. For existing fireplaces, we assess and repair cracked or sagging hearths before any new brick is laid.

3. Firebox and chimney construction: We build the firebox with firebrick and refractory mortar, forming the correct fireback slope and side wall angles to reflect heat. Then we construct the throat and smoke chamber, followed by flue liner installation, one section at a time, with full mortar support.

4. Face brick and detailing: The visible brickwork comes next. We set out the pattern, cut bricks for arches or returns, and tool the joints to the agreed profile. We clean joints carefully so there are no smeared faces, and we avoid acid washing inside occupied homes unless absolutely needed.

5. Curing and final checks: Mortar needs time to cure, especially in humid Charleston and Savannah style air. We advise on a specific schedule before the first small curing fires. We then check draft, inspect the flue path, and confirm any gas connections are tested by a licensed professional before use.

6. Cleanup: Debris is removed, surfaces are vacuumed, and dust barriers are taken down. We leave written guidance on how to operate and maintain your new brick fireplace.

Cost Factors for a Brick Fireplace in Savannah

No two brick fireplace projects cost the same, and we are upfront about what drives pricing in the Savannah area.

New build vs. modification: Installing a brick fireplace where none exists is more involved than refacing an existing firebox. New indoor builds need footing, structural tie in, full chimney runs, and sometimes roof work. Refacing with new brick around an existing gas insert is typically less.

Indoor vs. outdoor: Outdoor fireplaces avoid some chimney height and roof penetration costs, but need more footing work and often additional brick mass to stand up to open weather and salt air. If the outdoor unit is attached to an existing house wall, we take extra steps to waterproof the tie in.

Firebox type and flue: A full masonry wood burning system with clay tile or stainless liner costs more than a direct vent gas insert surrounded by brick. In many Savannah neighborhoods with height or roofline constraints, we may recommend insulated stainless flue systems which affect price.

Brick and detail level: Standard modular brick in a running bond pattern is more affordable than custom shapes, arches, and intricate patterns. Special order brick colors that match historic facades in downtown Savannah can increase both material and lead time.

Access and site conditions: Tight historic lanes, second floor installs, limited yard access, or the need for scaffolding can add to labor. Before quoting, Vanguard Masonry Savannah walks your property so the estimate reflects real conditions, not a guess.

Common Fireplace Problems We Solve in Coastal Georgia

Savannah’s coastal climate and older housing stock create specific fireplace issues that we see again and again. Knowing these can help you decide whether you need a full rebuild, partial repair, or cosmetic upgrade.

Smoke and poor draft: Short chimneys, over sized openings, or negative pressure from modern HVAC can pull smoke into the room. We address this by adjusting the throat opening, adding or resizing liners, raising the chimney where feasible, and sometimes altering the firebox proportions.

Spalling and deteriorating brick: Moisture intrusion combined with the rare freeze in Savannah can cause face bricks on chimneys and outdoor fireplaces to pop and flake. We identify the source, often missing caps, failed flashing, or soft mortar, then replace damaged brick and re point with appropriate mortar.

Cracked fireboxes and unsafe flues: In many older Savannah homes, fireboxes were built with common brick and standard mortar that eventually crack under heat. We can re build the firebox with firebrick, install new liners, or convert the opening to a gas insert with proper venting if a full masonry rebuild is not practical.

Cosmetic dating: Shiny 1980s tile or stone that does not match the wood floors and trim is a frequent complaint. We carefully remove the old facing, inspect what is behind it, then rebuild a brick surround that fits the period of the home so it looks original rather than an obvious renovation.

With each issue, Vanguard Masonry Savannah explains repair options in plain language, shows you photos of similar work we have done locally, and helps you choose a solution that fits both your budget and how you use your fireplace.