Fireplace Mantels and Surrounds
Mantels, surrounds, and flanking built-ins. The fireplace is usually what the furniture points at, and in most of these houses it was left unfinished.
- Leo runs every job
- Free in-home estimate
- One written estimate
Fireplace Projects
Giving the room a center
A lot of these houses have a fireplace sitting in the middle of a large wall with nothing around it. Sometimes a builder mantel, sometimes just drywall to the firebox. The room has a focal point on paper and nothing to look at in practice.
A surround fixes that, and it is a small enough job that it usually happens in under a week. Adding cabinets and shelves to either side takes it further and solves the other problem in that room, which is that the media gear and everything else has nowhere to live.
The part that is not negotiable is clearance. Combustible material has to sit a set distance from the firebox opening, and that distance comes from the appliance, not from what looks right. We work to the manufacturer spec and the code, and design the surround around it.
Tell us about your project
Takes about a minute. Leo replies within one business day.
Scope of Work
Mantels
Built up from trim or made as a single beam, painted or stained. Height is set by the firebox and the ceiling, not by preference alone.
Full surrounds
Legs, frieze, and mantel shelf wrapping the opening. Turns a hole in a wall into a piece of architecture.
Flanking built-ins
Cabinets below and shelving above on both sides. The most requested version, and the one that actually absorbs the clutter in the room.
Shiplap and panel treatments
Running material up the chimney breast to the ceiling. Common where the wall is tall and the fireplace looks stranded at the bottom of it.
TV integration
Recessed box, blocking for the mount, and a chase for the cabling so nothing runs down the face. Decided before anything is built, not after.
Hearth and stone coordination
We build the carpentry to work with the stone or tile going in, and coordinate with whoever is setting it so the two meet properly.
How the job runs
We look at the firebox
Make, model, and the clearance it requires. That number sets the inside dimensions of the whole surround, so it comes first.
Design around the wall
Ceiling height, wall width, whether a TV is going above it, and what the flanking cabinets have to hold. We work this out on the actual wall.
Written estimate
Material, labor, and finish in one number with the scope listed.
Build and install
A mantel or surround on its own is usually a few days. Add flanking built-ins and it runs one to two weeks depending on the finish.
Finish and sign-off
Caulked, filled, sanded, painted or stained. Leo walks it with you before we are finished.
What Homeowners Say
A few of the reviews homeowners have left for us on Google.
Rated 5 out of 5 stars on Google.
"We are so happy with the work that Leo and his team did on our house! We wanted to update our living room with a new fireplace, new mantel, new floating shelves, new paint/finish over the old dark wood cabinets. Leo took great care to understand exactly what w…"
Jeff Talbot
Rated 5 out of 5 stars on Google.
"Leo was professional, responsive, on time and his work was of high quality. Great communication from start to finish. He installed a residential remodel stair railing. He listened to what I wanted, I got exactly what I wanted. I highly recommend this company."
Suzette Verdine
Rated 5 out of 5 stars on Google.
"I hired Matos Construction to install laminate flooring and also to do closet shelving in our unfinished basement. Leo was also helpful in fixing poor quality finish work we had done by another contractor. Leo was very responsive with his communication. He was…"
Denise Stark
Fireplace Carpentry FAQs
How close can wood trim go to the firebox?
That comes from the appliance, not from us. Every fireplace has a clearance to combustibles listed by its manufacturer, and gas inserts, wood-burning boxes, and older masonry fireplaces all differ. We find the model, work to its spec and the applicable code, and design the surround around those dimensions. If someone offers to build closer than that, it is worth asking why.
Can you mount a TV above the fireplace?
Usually yes, and it needs deciding before we build rather than after. The mount needs blocking behind the finished surface, the cabling needs a chase, and a recessed box keeps the screen from standing proud of the wall. Heat is the other consideration, so we look at what comes off the top of that particular firebox before committing to a height.
How much does a fireplace surround cost?
A painted mantel and surround on an existing firebox is at the low end. Flanking cabinets, shelving, lighting, and a stain-grade finish put it at the high end, and the two are different jobs. Stone or tile, if any is going in, is priced separately by whoever sets it. We measure and give you one written number for the carpentry.
Do you handle the stone or tile too?
We coordinate it rather than set it ourselves, and we build the carpentry so the two meet cleanly. Sequencing matters here, since whether the stone goes in before or after the surround changes how the piece is built. We sort that out before anything gets cut.
Fireplace wall need finishing?
Send a photo of the wall as it stands and we will come measure and put a written estimate together.