Few features carry as much weight in a New York listing as a fireplace. Brokers lead with it, buyers remember it, and in a prewar Manhattan co-op or a Brooklyn brownstone it often defines the main room. The investment question is narrower: does it actually move the price, and which kind of fireplace does that? If you are thinking about adding one rather than buying one, our electric fireplaces are where most apartment projects begin.
The short answer
Yes, a working fireplace is associated with higher NYC apartment prices, but the size of the premium is hard to isolate. A study co-authored by appraiser Jonathan Miller with the NYU Furman Center linked fireplaces to an 11.4 percent price increase for co-ops and 9.7 percent for condos, while Miller himself estimates the fireplace alone at 2 to 5 percent, because fireplaces travel with other prewar features. Because no new wood-burning fireplaces have been allowed since Local Law 38 took effect in 2016, the supply of working hearths is fixed. A built-in electric or water vapor fireplace will not be appraised like a working hearth, but it gives a room the same focal point and is the easiest addition for a board to approve.
Key takeaways
- Published research associates fireplaces with roughly 10 percent higher prices, but that figure blends in the prewar character that usually comes with them.
- Working wood-burning fireplaces are a closed supply in New York City. New ones have been barred since May 6, 2016.
- Electric and water vapor fireplaces add design value and livability rather than a measurable appraisal premium.
- Your board decides what is possible. House rules can be stricter than city code.
In this guide
- Which fireplaces carry value, at a glance
- How much value does a fireplace add?
- Why are working fireplaces so scarce in NYC?
- Can electric or water vapor create the same look?
- What will your co-op or condo board allow?
- Fireplaces in Manhattan and Brooklyn apartments
- Our recommended models
- Which should you choose?
- Frequently asked questions
Which fireplaces carry value, at a glance
| Fireplace type | Can you add one? | What it does for value |
|---|---|---|
| Working wood-burning | No, only existing ones remain | The amenity the research measures; a fixed supply |
| Decorative mantel | Already in many prewar rooms | Character and a focal point; an electric log set or insert brings it to life |
| Direct vent gas | Sometimes, in existing buildings with a vent path | Real flame and heat; approval is the hurdle |
| Electric or water vapor | Yes, in most apartments | Design value and livability, not a measured premium |
How much value does a fireplace add to an NYC apartment?
The most cited numbers come from a study appraiser Jonathan Miller co-wrote with NYU Furman Center researchers. As reported by The New York Times in 2015, it associated fireplaces with an 11.4 percent price increase for co-ops and 9.7 percent for condos. In a 2016 Brick Underground interview, Miller put the fireplace alone at 2 to 5 percent, noting that fireplaces are bundled with high ceilings and other prewar details.
That caveat matters. A Corcoran broker told the Times it is difficult to assign a dollar value to a fireplace, and the same piece observed that buyers who covet one can often get it without paying much extra.
Why are working fireplaces so scarce in NYC?
Local Law 38 of 2015 added Section 24-149.2 to the Administrative Code. Since May 6, 2016, a newly installed fireplace may burn only natural gas or renewable fuel, so no new wood-burning hearths are being built. Existing ones may still burn treated firewood at 20 percent moisture or less. Our guide to NYC wood-burning rules covers the details.
Many advertised fireplaces do not work. In a December 2015 StreetEasy search cited by the Times, about 16 percent of Manhattan resale co-op and condo listings mentioned a fireplace, but only about 6 percent described a working one. Listings still lead with them: a January 2026 Corcoran roundup of Manhattan apartments was built entirely around wood-burning fireplaces.
From our install team
If you are buying, ask whether the fireplace is usable, when the flue was last inspected, and whether the board permits fires. A sealed hearth is still a beautiful mantel, and it is often the easiest place to set an electric insert.
Can electric or water vapor create the same look?
Modern electric fireplaces use layered LED light behind glass to draw a flame across a linear opening. Water vapor goes a step further: Dimplex describes its Optimyst effect as a combination of water vapor and light, so the flame has real depth and movement. Our water vapor fireplaces are the closest you will get to a real fire without combustion.
An electric fireplace will not be appraised like a working hearth. What it gives you is the room a buyer remembers. For a decorative prewar fireplace, a plug-in electric log set or an electric firebox insert brings the original mantel back to life without touching the chimney.
What will your co-op or condo board allow?
This is where the investment case is usually decided. An electric or water vapor fireplace is an interior alteration: framing, finishes and a circuit from a licensed electrician. A direct vent gas fireplace adds a gas line, a new vent through the facade or roof, a DOB plumbing filing and a review by the building's engineer, and some buildings refuse new gas work outright. Vent-free gas is not allowed in New York City. Remember that your building's house rules can be stricter than city code. Our guide to co-op board approval walks through the package.
Not sure what fits your space? Send us your floor plan and alteration agreement and we will tell you which options your building is likely to accept. Book a free design consultation and we will help you narrow it down.
Fireplaces in Manhattan and Brooklyn apartments
Working fireplaces cluster where the housing stock is old. Brick Underground points buyers to prewar buildings and townhouses on the Upper East and Upper West Sides and in Harlem, and in Brooklyn to Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill. In larger buildings they tend to sit in top-floor and penthouse units near the chimney. Any fireplace in a building completed since 2016 burns gas or is electric. For layouts, see adding a fireplace to an NYC condo, co-op or penthouse and the best fireplace for an NYC apartment.
From our install team
Build it in. A unit framed into a finished wall with stone or plaster reads as part of the apartment, which is what a future buyer responds to. A wall-hung box reads as furniture.
Our recommended models
We chose these for how they read in a finished New York room, and for how easily they clear a board.
Linear electric fireplaces Water vapor fireplaces Electric inserts Direct vent gas
Which should you choose?
Pay for a working fireplace if:
- A real wood fire is central to how you want to live.
- The flue has been inspected and the board permits fires.
- You value an amenity whose supply cannot grow.
Add electric or water vapor if:
- The apartment you love has no fireplace, or a sealed one.
- You want a simple board approval.
- You want the focal point without flue upkeep.
Do not overpay for a fireplace on the strength of a percentage. If a working hearth is what you want, it is worth paying for, because it cannot be added later. If it is the look you want, buy the right apartment and build the fireplace in.
Frequently asked questions
Does a fireplace increase the value of an NYC apartment?
Research co-authored by appraiser Jonathan Miller with the NYU Furman Center associated fireplaces with prices about 11.4 percent higher for co-ops and 9.7 percent for condos. Miller estimates the fireplace alone at 2 to 5 percent, since fireplaces usually come with other prewar features.
Can you add a wood-burning fireplace to an NYC apartment?
No. Since May 6, 2016, a newly installed fireplace in New York City may burn only natural gas or renewable fuel. Existing wood-burning fireplaces may continue to operate with treated firewood.
Does an electric fireplace add value to an apartment?
We have not found published data showing an appraisal premium for electric fireplaces. A built-in electric or water vapor unit adds design value and a focal point that can help a listing, but it should not be expected to price like a working hearth.
Will my co-op board approve a fireplace?
An electric or water vapor fireplace is usually treated as an ordinary interior alteration. A direct vent gas fireplace needs a gas supply, a vent path, a DOB filing and the building engineer's review, and some buildings refuse it. House rules can be stricter than city code.
Is a decorative fireplace worth anything?
It still gives a room character and a focal point, and it is often the easiest place to install an electric log set or insert behind the original mantel.
Talk to a specialist
Give your apartment the room people remember
We have been designing, selling, installing and servicing fire features and outdoor kitchens for over 30 years across New York City, Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey and South Florida. See water vapor and linear electric flames side by side before you commit to a wall.
Book a free consultation Call 718-326-4328Showroom: 58-30 Maspeth Ave, Maspeth, Queens. Our Greenvale, Long Island showroom at 13 Glen Cove Road opens winter 2026. Plan your visit.
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Written by the NYC Fireplaces & Outdoor Kitchens team. Last reviewed October 2026. We sell, install and service the products discussed here.
Sources: The New York Times, In New York, the Fireplace Flickers (2015, via Corcoran), Brick Underground, Is a working fireplace worth the work? (2016), Corcoran, Manhattan's Wood-Burning Fireplaces (2026), NYC Administrative Code 24-149.2, Local Law 38 of 2015, Dimplex Optimyst. Market studies reflect conditions when published; specifications change, so always confirm with the manufacturer's current installation manual.