Cost to install vented gas log fireplace?

I went the opposite direction. I went from natural gas vented to wood, and hooked up a log lighter.

It should be pretty easy tbh since you already have the gas run. Just need the logs.

I have my logs still that I'll probably never use.

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5 years ago it was about $750 including installation & materials.

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Seems about right, but here’s some info on the stuff and some reasons why you could range from half to double that:
RH Peterson makes the best looking logs.
You can put ventless logs in a vented space, shut your damper, and heat your house. But they don’t look as good, and Baton Rouge isn’t exactly known for needing extra heat.
Real Fyre is the brand of Peterson logs you want.
You’ll find on that website more types of wood than you probably knew existed. The bigger the set, the more expensive. The website is good at showing you the right size and how to measure.
Unfortunately, you’ll notice the $400 set of logs is really just a 12” set, and that’s probably not sufficient for your needs. You’ll also notice the second set of options (under size) is what kind of valve you get. You can have match-light only for no extra cost. A remote kit starts around $500 and maxes a touch over $700.
My wife also loves to light our fire pit most nights of the year. Below 90 degrees is a safe bet she would like it to be lit. I bought a remote with variable flame kit (standing pilot). If I could go back, I would probably go for the millivolt pilot + no flame adjustment (at the time, there was no combination of millivolt and variable flame). In retrospect, the valve is pretty loud, and we do raise/lower the flame level, but it takes a while to turn on/off and sometimes when the battery is dying (change them about once a year), it doesn’t want to shut all the way off (there’s an audible ‘click’ you have to hear, and sometimes some wives think not seeing a flame is good enough. Hopefully you don’t have one of those…). Relighting the pilot after a battery change also can be difficult sometimes. I would rather change the flame height by hand and have the simple on/off without pilot option. I have a second set that is match light. We don’t use it as much. I do eventually want to add a remote kit to it.



Good luck. Watch some burn videos. If you buy a remote valve, consider going to your local fireplace store and getting a pro install. If going match-light, and you understand how to check a gas fitting for leaks, self-install away but watch a few videos on how to position things. Generally, you put a layer of sand (often included) over the burner for a dispersion effect, then a layer of rock wool that looks like coals, then you surround that with small rocks that look like spent coals. Adding behind the burner doesn’t add much value to the appearance and just uses more material. If you DIY, it takes surprisingly little of the included stuff to look nice, so add a little at a time until you’re happy with it instead of just dumping it all in because you have it.

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I have an existing wood burner fireplace, and it has a gas hookup with a lighting rack to assist in lighting your traditional wood logs.

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Yes I did it 2 1/2 years ago. HopefulDoc provides an excellent summary of things to consider. I also had natural gas hookup to light wood logs, and I purchased Real Fyre, burner, etc from eFireplaceStore LINK.

There is a great deal of info, and videos on that website, which was very helpful as I decided to DYI the project. Recalling from memory it cost me between $700+ for the logs, burner, etc. I did go with the more expensive remote control burner that allows you to ignite the logs and turn, the flame, off, and control flame height from the comfort of your couch. I’ve had no problems, other than to remember to replace the batteries, but the comments made HopefulDoc in regards to that unit is my experience as well.

Checking the price of what I bought on eFireplaceStore it appears prices have gone 30% or so in the past few years.

I did stop by Woodburners store on Airline Hwy, near Siegen Lane, to discuss the project with them, they provided me an estimate of $1000-1200 do the project for me, so I saved several hundred as a DYI.

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Isn't this still relatively dangerous?

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NG and propane are capable of nearly perfect combustion (CO2 + H2O- no CO produced). Many people have gas stoves in their house for this reason. Stoves are a bit less likely to have their combustion interfered with (the burner doesn’t have stuff near it). It’s always possible for something to fall on the burner of a ventless log set, but it would be pretty obvious if you were looking at it, and if you see soot buildup, then you should reconsider the idea. But overall, it’s considered pretty safe to install without a vent.