Gerard just completed the installation of a gas insert in my rarely-used living room this week. I am very pleased. Corinne was terrific about answering my preliminary questions, but I spent more time communicating with Gerard regarding how to complete the *look*. First of all, kudos to their employees. All the guys that came to my home were polite and respectful. After each visit my home was left spotless. Gerard figured out a way to adapt my new insert to the decorative iron surround and doors of my old fireplace. No easy feat. He had great suggestions and was very patient while I weighed pros and cons. You know when someone wants you to be pleased vs just wanting to get a job done and move on. Gerard wanted me to be happy. I chose an insert with river rocks and it's great! It warms a couple of rooms the way I hoped it would, and we now actually sit in our newly cozy living room. I really liked working with this family-owned business, and recommend them highly. read more

Corrine is magic with designs. She has all the solutions of installing a beautiful fire place inside or outside of your home . read more

I called today to inquire about "Bio ethanol fireplaces". I am interested in these to replace my woodburning fireplaces. They have an entire page on their website dedicated to them. Yet when I asked when I could come in to see some of these and find out more about them I was told that in fact they do not carry these or have even just one in the store. I find it disingenuous that they will host an entire page about these, and not have any to show. They are basically lying to their potential clients. Not cool! read more

We bought a fireplace installation from this shop and have had problems ever since. Their service is terrible. Very unresponsive and unhelpful. I would not recommend this place at all. read more

I visited the showroom several times and was pleased with their in-store service. I ended up buying a burner and set of logs and had it installed. After using my newly installed gas fireplace and new log set a few times, I noticed black soot over some of the logs. I called The Fireplace Element to inquire about getting a replacement set. They told me that black soot forms on the logs if the flame touches the logs. I now have black soot on my new logs and it look terrible. I wouldn't recommend buying from this place. There are other options in the area. read more

I was charged $350 for a 10 min home inspection visit that they showed up three hours late to. I also bought my fireplace two months ago and have yet to be able to use it because I'm still waiting for a replacement part that came broken. read more

I contacted the store to get quote for electric fireplace for remodeling and was instructed to e-mail Ross directly for an official pricing. We have reviewed few models and options with Ross and the following day I have received the quote for a chosen model.. I call the store on the following day to order after getting approval from the owners. Ross told me that he made a mistake and he cannot sell ne the unit. I acknowledge that mistake happens and was trying to work some sort of compromise, but the owner/manager, Karin was adamant not to give a penny less than MSRP. Karin who I could hear on background was rude and very unprofessional. She annulled the reduced cost offered by Ross, stating she does not care. The business is scam and dishonest. Stay away from this place, cannot even call a business. read more

We were there in May, and place the order for a simple fireplace door that was costly, but we were looking for something nice: 1. it took them over 2 month to make it ( it was promised to be done in 2 weeks) 2. after it was installed it got rusty for no reason, believe me, I was shocked, and when I called I was tolled that that is new for them, that it does not happen, and they don't know what to do with it.... 3. they seem to be knowlegible, but customer service and quality are Not their strong point, priced are high, so one would expect a lot more! Overall, it has been 5 month, my project is far from being over, and I don't even know if they will fix the door! read more

I had purchased our fireplace insert from another Bay Area dealer, but was delaying installation because that dealer was going to charge nearly $3500 to install it. For the life of me, I couldn't understand why the installation needed to cost so much, especially since our contractor set everything up to be as easy as possible, including doing all of the roof penetrations. Funny enough, the other dealer couldn't - or really, wouldn't - explain their pricing either. The lack of transparency inevitably made me feel like I was getting ripped off so I looked elsewhere. Enter in Fireplace Element. Corinne, Gerard, and Amy were a dream to work with. I had a clear and honest bid within 24 hours of my first call. It was about 40% less than the other place. Within 2 weeks, the job was done. Our contractor was very pleased with the level of expertise and craftsmanship, and he has exacting standards. I haven't used the unit regularly yet but hope to do so soon. I highly recommend this business! read more

I did two fireplace projects with The Fireplace Element in the past 2 years. One for a remodeling project in Palo Alto and another one for remodeling of my own house in Mountain View. I can't praise enough the husband and wife team Corinne and Gerard! They provided a knowledgeable recommendation in purchasing the right fireplaces for the styles of the houses, delivered the materials on time, did a professional installation and were flexible in accommodating changes to the scopes and schedules of the project. Highly recommended! ---Simon read more

Highly highly highly recommend!!! I cannot express just how happy I am with Gerard and The Fireplace Element. Gerard installed our Napolean HD81 See-through fireplace and we could not be happier with the installation and price. He was so wonderful to work with as was Amy who helped coordinate everything. Thank you so much Fireplace Element for making this part of our home remodel so easy and pleasant. read more

I went in looking for pretty colored glass for my firepit and was happy with their large selection of colors. The woman who helped me was very courteous and helpful. They had a large selection of fireplaces as well and I will definitely go back when I'm in the market for a fireplace upgrade. read more

Fireplace Element did an outstanding job technically converting a wood burning, second floor fireplace to gas. Their analysis of existing gas use in the home and supply to add the Napolean 56kBTU unit was thorough and accurate. Removal of original two sided wood fireplace, surround and ducting was extensive, followed by rebuild of new corner surround, electrical, lengthy gas pipe runs, and replacement roof ducting. Decided not to use them for surround finishing as options were limited. Also post installation service to replace a ceramic log that came broken was a huge waste of my time. After two failed attempts and nine months to get a new log by Fireplace Elements, I called up Napolean directly and received it in less than a week. I had been incorrectly informed by Fireplace Elements that I had to go through them for a replacement, which was not correct. I won't recommend them for service, but design and new installation was superior on unfinished conversion projects. read more

The Fireplace Element was recommended by a friend, so they were one of the places I went to when I decided to upgrade my 27yr gas insert. Although they were not the cheapest option, they had exactly what I was looking for. A contemporary design mounted in the wall and off the floor. I loved the fireplaces they had in the showroom so much that I ended up buying two and upgrading both of my fireplaces. The Fireplace Element installed the fireplaces on schedule, they cleaned up every day they worked in my home, and the project was completed on time and on budget !!! I LOVE both of my new fireplaces - they were worth every single penny. The owners Corinne & Gerard are a delight to work with. I would not hesitate to highly recommend them. read more

Corrin is great !! I went in looking for a fireplace door. We just bought a house and tore down our old fireplace. She patiently listened to all my ideas, helped me design a fireplace based on what I thought I wanted. She understood, I was overwhelmed with things as we had just bought the house. She did not try to upsell anything to me, and advised me on the pros and cons of everything I was coming up with. We still havent started the project yet (waiting for other material). But 5 stars to corrin for walking me through and helping me understand everything. She also gave drawings and instructions to our contractor. How nice is that !!!!! Anybody who needs a fireplace done, shd just go to them and pick one out of their lovely catelog...no headaches!! read more

Our new gas fireplace insert from Fireplace Element is a fantastic addition to our home! Fireplace Element completed the project without any problems. Everyone involved with the installation did a great job, clean and efficient. After burning wood for the last 40 years, gas is so much cleaner and easier. And Fireplace Element made the transition very easy. Thank you Fireplace Element! read more

I would give a higher rating if I could. Corrine was great. Gerard was amazing and exceeded my expectations. I rarely have my expectations exceeded. Not only did he fix and make much more attractive and functional a fireplace we have had for years done by another company that is now out of business. We were barely able to use do to the problems with it. For 8 years would couldn't find anyone competant or reliable to fix it. He was amazing. Not only did he do an excellent job on this, he quickly identified issues we had with a bathroom fireplace and an outdoor fireplace. He fixed those each in a few minutes and didn't even charge me. This guy does old school service. Reliable, smart, professional and pride in his work. Thanks so much fireplace element, I am so grateful to you Gerard and you Corrine. What a great business you have. I will certainly use you for my design client's as well. Sandy V (Los Altos Hills, CA) read more

We are repeat customers of the Fireplace Element having purchased two fireplaces from them. Both installations went smoothly. The second installation was a bit of a challenge but was accomplished without a problem. Any time we have called them for asisatnce, Gerard has come out and quickly dianosed the problem and fixed it immediately to our satisfaction. Any time we have called F.P. they have been very responsive and timely. We are quite pleased with their workmanship and would recommend them to anyone read more

We recently purchased a fireplace insert with river rock, had it installed, and we are very pleased with its looks and performance. Corine gave me very good information and was easy to work with. After checking out two competitors further south, I decided that Fireplace Element offered the best deal. I wasn't disappointed! Gerard made an onsite evaluation before it was ordered and discovered we would need one slight modification. It was installed within about a week after being ordered, and Gerard and Enrique did a great job with the installation. No mess, no fuss! Looks great and was good value. read more

DO NOT USE THIS BUSINESS. I received faulty fireplace stones that burned in various spots the first time I used my gas fireplace. When I called Corrine, the owner, to say that I had unsightly stones in my fireplace she said it was my fault that they had blackened because of how they were set-up (a tray with sand with stacked stones--not a lot of options) After repeated reports of how it couldn't be because of the faulty fireplace stones--I pointed out that a better customer approach would be to apologize and to try and "see what we can do." She then launched into a story of how she sold 700 of some product and 1 was faulty and the person complained--Yes if you get a faulty product you do tend to complain. She was willing to send back to the company and see if they "might" replace. But my experience was so unpleasant I decided to work with other fireplace companies in the area to replace the stones rather than work through Fireplace Elements. It was worth it to me to pay someone else the money to fix the problem. read more

Poor customer support after purchase. They like to blame you for why the fireplace doesn't work, or blame your contractor's installation or anyone else they can think of to avoid handling the problem. And they left the door open and my cat escaped, couldn't find it for two days. (The owner told me I should have put it in a pet hotel while they were working at my house, rather than tell their employee to close doors.) read more

They installed fireplace insert 3 years ago and it was fine until this past Christmas when it stopped working. I called and listened to the message that they were on vacation until after the 1st of the year so I left a message. On the 2nd of January I called again and was told that I would be contacted the next day. Not hearing from them on the 3rd I called again and was told I would be called back with a scheduled time but did not hear from them again. Finally pulled the unit apart and with the help of a Valor parts distributer was able to fix it myself. read more

Very disappointed. I went in for a small project to update the venting grills for my existing fireplace insert. I was told that it was no problem and would take two weeks. We agreed on a maximum price of $200. Three weeks later, no word so I called them. They said it would be in the next week. I come in the next week and the product is not the design we talked about. The employee admitted it was not what we talked about and the vents were taken back and I was told two more weeks. Three more weeks pass by and no word. I call and ask for the status and the employee says they will be ready in one week. I come back in one week later and they are not ready. They say the vents will be ready the next day. I come in and the vents now have the right material, but are not fastened and is of low quality (the material comes out just with the touch of a finger and is frayed on the ends). They say they can fix it and it will take a week. The employee also says that it will be $250. I say that we agreed to a max of $200. A week passes with no word and I call again. They say it will be ready the following week. I come in the following week and it is still not ready. I talk to the constructor and he says that they should have never taken the job on and that they have spent more time on it than it is worth. Constructor admits that he has not done this type of work before and is using materials left over from other projects for the vents. Not the things you want to hear when they have already destroyed the vents. I come in a week later and am handed another low quality work and the employee says they cannot do anything more. She says no charge. At this point, I have to take it so thank them and leave. I research how to order, cut and fasten sheet metal on my own and the whole project takes around $50 and 2 hours. If I had known how poor of quality and service it would have been, I would have never gone here. read more

Don't bother with them.... You can find the exact same product for WAY less... I'm talking about $2000 less!!!! I had Fireplace Element price out two different fireplaces for me. For good measure, I got another estimate from a place in redwood city (for the exact same thing, so we are comparing apples to apples!). Both estimates from Fireplace Element were $2000 more than the other place! AND that didn't even include their $850 installation fee!! Beware!!!! They are way overpriced!!! read more

The Fireplace element replaced our wood burning fireplace with a gas insert, created a custom carved limestone mantel & installed a marble hearth matched by marble countertops installed on top of two surrounding custom made cabinets. The cabinets were made by a different cabinet maker & the final project looks amazing. read more

I converted a circular free standing wood burning fireplace to gas with the campfire motif. I loved that they responded (on a weekend even) to an inquiry email and we were able to get much done by email before having the tech come out for an estimate. They kept me informed to reschedule when the part was delayed due to weather in the east and the installation guys were very professional. I would highly recommend both the ladies in the showroom and the guys who come out to the house. Love my old fireplace now and I din't care if it is "Spare the Air"! read more

We ordered a gas log from the Fireplace Element. It was installed and worked perfectly for several months before it suddenly would not ignite. We called and explained the problem. Long story short, the owner (Gerard), came out and informed us that that particular log had experienced some problems and he offered to replace it with a different element at no charge. Yesterday he fulfilled his promise and we are happy campers. Outstanding customer service! Thank you Fireplace Element. read more

First of all Great customer service! Both Amanda and Corine were outstanding. As advertised they handled everything from start to finish including permits, subcontractors, removal and scrapping of wood pellet insert and installation of venting and the gas fireplace insert. Everyone of the many workers were extremely professional. Highly recommend Fireplace Element and will use them again. Thanks to the entire team.. read more

Great owner great products all reasonably priced and good value for money. Will come back for sure. Highly recommended.

My experience with Fireplace Element was great! Corinne worked with me to stay within my budget, had suggestions that saved me time and money, and the work was done exactly when they said and at the price they said--and the price was more than reasonable. My house is old and quirky, and they just made adjustments and problem solved until the project was completed to my complete satisfaction. I couldn't be happier with their work! read more

Fireplace Element is top notch!! I stumbled across this place and I am so glad I did. Gerard re-tiled our fireplace and it went from traditional boring to contemporary wow! It made a huge difference in the feel of our entire space. Gerard has great expertise in what he does and Corinne is amazing as well with ideas and scheduling and just a complete knowledge of this specialty. I highly recommend Fireplace Element. read more

After calling many outdoor space heater repair/service shops I finally found one that actually will come inspect ours instead of referring us to places out of the area where we would need to bring the units to them. The Fireplace Element out of Mountain View is a very reliable source; the day of our appointment window, they called to let us know they were running behind schedule, even though they were within the scheduled time frame; it was good to get a call so we knew when to expect them; after troubleshooting our space heaters, and getting them to work again after 1 year of not using them, they put them back together again and checked our gas fireplace remote (a Valor product) which was not on the ticket. Gerald Renaud, the owner, fixed it in a matter of seconds, he knew what was wrong immediately (pilot light was out and the remote receiver needed new batteries) on the way out, we double checked the operation of the space heaters again and found one not lighting properly. An hour and a half later after taking the unit apart and troubleshooting the magnetic pilot switch, the valves, etc; multiple times, he got it working. Gerald was meticulously skilled and experienced with these space heaters. He was kind and professional, and I would highly recommend The Fireplace Element for any of your fireplace, and or outdoor fire pits/space heater service and repairs. Very satisfied with them! They will be placed in our Homeowner's Service/Repair Reference Manual! read more

I am a huge fan!! My home is small, 90 years old, and has a floor furnace as old as it is. Instead of replacing the furnace and cutting holes into my beautiful blond oak floors, I decided to get a gas fireplace insert. After much research and shopping around, I met with the owners of The Element, who helped me arrive at the correct size, BTU's and style. It was the Holiday Season, and they were very upfront and honest about delays in orders and installation. There also were problems with the fit, as my fireplace is decorated with a mosaic made up of a wide assortment of geodes, marble pieces, petrified wood and fossils. However, Gerard made it work! He truly is a master craftsman!! I now have a great heater as well as a gorgeous focal point to my "great room". read more

We have a very small 1947 fireplace that was not usable due to a design error. Gérard was the only contractor able to come up with an insert that fits in the available space. The insert was not cheap, but it it is of very high quality and environment-friendly with hardly any smoke (it burns very hot). The mantle design was very tasteful and the granite choice and cut harmonizes very well with the house. The workmanship was excellent. read more

I've never written a review before, but I'm sufficiently annoyed with this business that I'm doing it now. Absolutely the worst customer service I've ever had. For such a high priced and potentially dangerous product, you'd think they would go out of their way to make sure it is working properly and any bugs are dealt with quickly. Not this place!!! They scheduled an inspection appointment many weeks after requesting one when I complained that the flames were too small compared to what I saw in the store. They subsequently "forgot" the scheduled appointment, had me wait for hours before getting someone here, the person showed up without any necessary parts, said would order it and be back to replace it in a couple of weeks. 2 months went by with no response or return calls. Meanwhile a new and even more alarming issue developed with the fire place ( sparkler wouldn't light up the flames followed by a minor explosion in the box). I've made many more calls with no follow up or return calls. I still can't use the stupid fire place that spent thousands for. If you are considering a gas fireplace, do your homework, and consider other vendors first. The Fireplace Element needs to see a dent in their income before realizing customer service is key in keeping their business afloat. read more

Failed to meet appointment commitments more often than not. Over 3 year period they failed to show up on 1st and 3rd service calls, most recently yesterday ... and provided no advance notice. Always excuses. Enough already. We'll take our business elsewhere, thank you. read more

The service in store was good. Once they had my final payment, they were very unresponsive. My fireplace was not installed correctly and after many phone calls it was finally fixed. Another issue came up and rather than being willing to help I got the response "it was working fine when we left". They continued to not return my phone calls. I dread what is going to happen if we have a problem this winter. After spending over $6,000 you would expect at least some customer service. Note: this is the first Yelp review I have written. I strongly recommend you take your business someplace else. read more

Customer service is a real issue at this business. They don't get back to you in a timely manner and you have to chase them to deliver on commitments. Though the workmanship is good once they focus on your project, the headache of dealing with them is not worth it. read more