Chimney and Fireplace Service in Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Eden Prairie held its first town board meeting on May 11, 1858, the day Minnesota became a state, but it stayed farmland for most of the next century. Wikipedia marks the opening of Flying Cloud Airport in 1946 as the first sign of large-scale growth. The village came in 1962, city status in 1974, and Interstate 494 and Eden Prairie Center arrived in the mid-1970s. By 2020 the city had 64,198 residents spread around Staring Lake, Round Lake, Lake Riley and the Purgatory Creek valley.

Census ACS (2024 five-year) data shows how late that growth came: under 5 percent of Eden Prairie's 26,557 homes predate 1960, the median year built is 1988, and about 21 percent are from 2000 or later. Gas heats 83 percent of occupied homes. Most fireplaces here are direct-vent gas units, gas inserts or wood-burning factory-built fireplaces in a framed chase, so the free inspection focuses on the chase top, the metal flue and the gas controls.

What Flying Cloud's weather record says

The NOAA station at Flying Cloud Airport sits inside the city. Its 1991–2020 normals show about 145 nights a year at or below freezing, about 72 days when the high never gets above freezing and about 23 nights at or below zero. Subtract one from the other and you get roughly 74 days a year that freeze overnight and thaw by afternoon (our arithmetic, not an NOAA figure).

On a chase, those cycles mostly matter at the lid. Snow piles against the chase, melts in the afternoon sun, and refreezes around the storm collar at night. A cover that has lost its slope or rusted through lets that water run straight down the outside of the metal flue into the firebox.

Chase covers and factory-built repairs

A new chase cover with a sloped or crossbroken top usually costs $300 to $700. Factory-built chimney repairs, such as replacing a damaged flue section, a storm collar or a firebox panel, typically run $250 to $1,200. Because factory-built fireplaces are tested and listed as a system, we replace parts with ones meant for that model rather than mixing brands.

• Rust streaks down the siding below the chase
• Water or rust flakes in the firebox after a thaw
• A cover that dips in the middle and holds water
• Gaps or loose screws at the cover's edges

Gas inserts and log sets

Owners of older wood-burning prefab fireplaces in Eden Prairie often ask about switching to gas. Where the unit's listing allows it, a gas log set typically runs $300 to $2,000 installed, and a full gas insert $2,000 to $5,000. We measure the opening and check the flue at the free visit before quoting either.

Where we work in Eden Prairie

Staring Lake · Round Lake · Lake Riley · Bryant Lake · Purgatory Creek · Eden Prairie Center area · Flying Cloud Drive · Murphy's Ferry area