This is a questions that is difficult to answer. The very nature of a bespoke product or service is that your unique problem requires a unique solution, so very often commands a unique price. But that's not to say we won't be able to give you a very good idea of what is likely to increase cost and what is likely to bring the cost down. Of course the bigger the piece, the more it will cost, but there is more to it than that.
There are a number of variables that affect price, but hopefully we can address all of them here so you can see exactly the choices that are available to you, how they affect the price and help you narrow down exactly which avenues you'd like to go down.
Or if you are only interested in a single part of the following information, click the category to be taken straight to it:
Hearth Material - What is it made from?
The first thing that is going to have the biggest impact on the cost of your piece is the material it is going to be made from. The price can swing dramatically from a limestone hearth to a granite hearth, so it's good to know which materials tend to add to the cost when compared to others:
Black Limestone Hearth - 'The Popular One'
This is our most popular material. It is consistent in colour, consistent in texture and also has a consistent pattern on the surface - it's predictability and consistency mean it's an easy choice for so many people. You know exactly what you are getting, the colour is an attractive deep black and on top of that, it's the most affordable material.
Opting for a Black Limestone Fireplace Hearth is a great way to keep costs down. At an average order value of around £200, it's a great option without having to sacrifice on style.
Brazilian Slate Hearth - 'The Decorative One'
This stone is an option for someone who is looking for a stone fireplace hearth that is slightly more decorative than a simple Black Limestone piece. The stone has an unpredictable surface pattern, so whilst still being naturally smooth, each surface has a unique layering pattern thanks to the properties of Brazilian slate.
This unique styling does increase the price slightly. Brazilian Slate Fireplace Hearths are slightly more expensive than a Black Limestone piece, with an average order value of around £300. But for those that are looking for a truly unique piece, it is worth the extra cost.
Granite Stone Hearth - 'The Durable One'
Granite is a premium option. It is the most durable natural stone available thanks to the geological properties of granite (cooled volcanic rock!), it is incredibly resistant to damages, scratches and stains and has an interesting surface thanks to the heating and cooling of the stone in the earths core.
You do have to pay up for the extra durability however. Granite hearths are more difficult to cut through, which increases the price. The average order price can sit anywhere up to £350. But if the hearth is going to be in regular use, especially if you will be sweeping or using tools around the fireplace, then granite may be the best option to guarantee the piece's longevity.
Grey Sandstone Hearth - 'The Traditional One'
This option is perfect for someone looking for a piece for a more traditional property. The surface is naturally riven, meaning there will likely be variation between each piece, but will always be smooth enough to sit a burner on. Sandstone is tougher to cut than Limestone, so there is more work involved when cutting each piece, which brings the costs up slightly.
A Grey Sandstone Hearth sits in a price bracket between Black Limestone and Slate, so an average order value between £200-£300. The reason the price increases from a Black Limestone fireplace hearth is due to the fact they are a harder material, so are slightly more difficult to cut.
Hearth Size - How big is the Hearth?
The size of the hearth is obviously going to have a huge impact on price - we assume this goes without saying! But larger hearths are going to cost more than smaller hearths... of course.
When getting a bespoke fireplace hearth cut, you are charged for the entire piece that is used to to cut your hearth from. The smallest available piece will be used, so there is as little wastage as possible.
We have sorted the hearths into brackets, to make our pricing a little clearer:
- 150cm x 100cm (Large)
- 150cm x 50cm (Medium)
- 120cm x 100cm (Medium)
- 120cm x 60cm (Small)
- 90cm x 60cm (Mini)
So when pricing your hearth, it will fall into one of the above brackets and be priced accordingly.
Hearth Shape - T-Shape, Rectangular or Corner Piece?
Hearths can be required for all sorts of spaces. Some need to be inserted into a fireplace recess, some rooms don't have a fireplace at all and just contain a free standing burner. Different requirements mean you may need a different shaped hearth - all of which can swing the price.
Rectangular Fireplace Hearth
This is the most simple shape to cut. A bespoke rectangular piece simply requires two straight cuts along two of the edges to cut the hearth to your required measurements. The simplicity of the cut is reflected in the price and it is the most affordable solution.
This option is appropriate when you do not have a front 'lip' for your fireplace and therefore a simple rectangle is enough the fill the fireplace recess.
Alternatively, a rectangular piece is used when you have a free standing burner away from the corner of the room. Why spend any more money when a simple rectangular piece will do the job!
Two simple measurements will do, and we will get that cut nice and quickly!
T-Shape Fireplace Hearth
This shape is the most common piece we are asked to produce. It's perfect for when you have a fireplace recess with a protruding front lip. As the name suggest, you have a wider 'wing' or 'lip' at the front, before the piece narrows into a rectangle that sits in the fire recess. The majority of fireplaces are built this way and a T-shape is a perfect solution for many.
However, this shape does require more work to get right and this is reflected in the price. A T-shape cut is twice the price of a rectangular piece because it involves double the work. Where the rectangular pieces are a simple case of chopping two sides to your specs, a t-shape has 4-6 slightly more fiddly cuts. Cutting the piece down to size on each side, then cutting away the two back corners to allow the piece to slot into the fire recess whilst leaving the 'wing' or 'lip' on the front.
As you can see, there are far more measurements involved and therefore more cuts and more costs! This is the most expensive option, but is worth every penny for a hearth that fits perfectly.
Corner Piece Fireplace Hearth
There is a third shape that suits a number of situations - albeit a less common shape, it's something that's not to difficult to do. Many people would like a burner fitted into the corner of their space, so they need a hearth that will slot nicely into the corner of the room. This is where the corner hearth is ideal. The corner of the rectangle slots snug-ly into the corner of the room with the front edge finished as per requirements. The result is like below:
Even though the shape seems more complicated than the others, it's actually much less work than a T-shape hearth which is reflected in the price. These pieces are slightly more expensive than a regular rectangle, but much cheaper than a T-shape!
Hearth Edges - the finishing touch!
The final major decision which can affect price is the edge finish on your piece. With specialist tools, we can sculpt the visible outer edges into a range of different styles to make sure you get exactly the look you imagined. There are different costs associated with each style, so lets run you through them.
We've included a side profile for each style, which we hope illustrates slightly more clearly what each style looks like.
Sawn/Straight Edge Hearth - (Standard Option)
This is the standard finish. This choice comes with a clean cut edge, sawn in-house without any extra working beyond that. There is no added cost for this option, but the edges haven't been finished by our masons and may have the odd visible scuff mark along the edges from our saw.
You can see the sawn edge has a sharp top corner, but they are well suited to a modern property.
Chamfered/Bevelled Edge Hearth - (Most Popular)
A chamfered edge is our most popular option. The visible edges have the top corner sanded away to give a 5mm flat face in place of the sharp edge. This softens the look and means our masons will work the edges to ensure no imperfections.
There is an additional cost for this finish, however it is the easiest edge for us to do so the cost isn't substantial. We would always recommend going for this edge over the standard sawn edge as it gives our masons the opportunity to finish the edge and remove any scuffs that may have occurred during cutting.
Half Bullnosed Edge Hearth
Similar to a chamfered edge, but a slightly more noticeable finish. Rather than sanding the top edge away, the top edge has been completely rounded off using a specialist tool, softening the edge even further.
This edge is slightly more work than a chamfered piece, so it is reflected in the price.
Full Bullnosed Edge Hearth
The same style as the half bullnose, but the bottom edge has also been rounded giving a fully rounded edge. This is the most complete finish as all visible edges, top and bottom, have been rounded using our specialist tools.
This edge has the most work involved so is reflected in the price.
Sealing Service - Do You Need To Seal Your Hearth?
Something that is often asked is whether there is a way to protect your natural stone fireplace hearth from stains and damages during and after installation. The simple answer is yes - and it is fairly inexpensive. View our full write up on whether you should seal your hearth here. For an additional £15, the stone can be pre-treated to ensure it is fully protected prior to installation, and will stand up to the test of regular usage.
Our sealing service impregnates the stone by around 6mm, ensuring each part of the hearth is protected against damages and stains.
The sealing not only protects the stone, but is also a solvent based 'colour-enhancer' which darkens the stone and really makes the colours pop:
As you can see, the colour enhancing sealing service adds extra depth of colour to the hearth as well as protecting it against stains and damages. The colour is more consistent, less patchy and protected against stains.
A freshly sealed hearth has a glossy look to it. Your hearth may arrive with a gloss or wet-look finish, but as the sealer slowly impregnates the hearth over the next couple of weeks to the 6mm depth, the gloss effect will soften into a matte finish.
Hearth Delivery Costs
Delivery is something that affects all products and services. Whether a product is sold with 'free delivery' or not, the costs of couriering the item will be built into the price. With hearths being as bulky and heavy as they are, they do incur quite a healthy delivery cost.
The costs are dependent on the size of the hearth, as well as where you live.
Naturally, the cheapest way to save money is to collect it from our yard! We are based in Peterborough (PE6 7PP) and you are always welcome to collect during opening hours and save yourself the entire delivery cost.
Alternatively, if you cant quite make it to our location, it is simple enough for us to deliver it to you. The delivery costs are based on the fire hearth size, the bigger and bulkier, the harder it is to deliver!
We've tried to keep costs as consistent as possible for ease, but as the hearths get larger, we are subject to extra charges from couriers for larger items, so we simply couldn't absorb all the costs.
Certain areas are more difficult for us to deliver to, so as a result there are a list of postcode areas that are subject to exceptions and extra delivery costs below:
As you can see, the costs of your hearth is likely to vary so much depending on your requirements - from everything to the shape of the hearth, or even where you live. We have tried to be as transparent as possible here, so hopefully you have a rough idea of how much your dream hearth is likely to cost!
Click to get a quote if you are ready, if not you can continue reading!
