FIREPLACE REMODELING · JERICHO NY
Fireplace Remodeling Jericho NY
Fireplace remodeling in Jericho NY means custom millwork built around your firebox — a full surround, a custom mantel, and built-in cabinetry designed as one wall, not a stock kit or a cosmetic reface. Creatively Done Homes Improvements Inc. designs, fabricates, and installs custom fireplace walls for Jericho and the surrounding Town of Oyster Bay. Kevin leads every project personally. 40+ years of hands-on experience. In business since 1986.
WHAT WE BUILD · CUSTOM FIREPLACE WALLS IN JERICHO
A Finished Wall, Not a Cosmetic Fix
Many Jericho fireplaces were built as an afterthought — a plain surround, a stock mantel, flat drywall on either side. A fireplace remodel done right treats the whole wall as one system: surround, mantel, the panel work above it, flanking cabinetry, crown, and TV integration, all designed together for the specific room. That is the standard homeowners in Jericho and across the Town of Oyster Bay expect, and it is the work Kevin, Matthew, and team build directly — no subcontractors for finish work of this kind.
PROJECT STORY · A FIREPLACE BUILT-IN WALL
Estate-Grade Result on a Real Budget
This floor-to-ceiling fireplace wall is a good example of how an experienced builder hits a budget without cutting corners — choosing the right material for each location rather than reaching for the most expensive wood everywhere. The wall space was set by the two adjoining windows, which fixed the proportions, and a 30-inch firebox was specified to fit that constraint. From there, every material decision was made to deliver an estate-grade result for the money.
The backing structure is maple plywood, joined with Kreg pocket-hole screws for tight, hidden joints. The panel work is 1x and 5/4 finger-jointed pine with pine moldings — stable, paintable, and cost-effective for trim that gets a painted finish. The crown molding is MDF, and that is a deliberate choice, not a compromise.
MDF gets a bad reputation, mostly because it is used in the wrong places — wainscoting and base molding at waist height and floor level, where it takes knocks from furniture, feet, and cleaning tools. Up on a crown, none of that applies. MDF absorbs far less moisture than wood, stays more dimensionally stable, and therefore cracks less at the caulked joints over the years. For painted crown, it is genuinely the better material. Clients are often hesitant when they hear MDF — knowing where it belongs is part of what 40+ years of hands-on experience buys.
The joints were filled with wood Bondo and faired smooth, so the finished wall reads as one seamless piece with no visible seams between the pine, the plywood, and the MDF. Here is the part most homeowners never hear: on a project like this, the finishing can cost nearly as much as the build itself, minus materials — and sometimes it takes longer. As the trade saying goes, the last ten percent of the job is often ninety percent of the job. That is where the time, the skill, and the difference between good and great actually live.
This kind of floor-to-ceiling treatment suits the larger colonials and center-hall homes common throughout Jericho — including the East Birchwood and West Birchwood streets where Kevin has worked for years. The same proportions that anchor this wall, and the same material judgment that delivered it on budget, are what these Jericho rooms call for: a surround, a mantel, and flanking millwork built as one piece, scaled to the room rather than dropped in from a catalog.
SERVING JERICHO · EAST & WEST BIRCHWOOD
Fireplace Work in Jericho’s Established Neighborhoods
Kevin has worked in East Birchwood and West Birchwood for three decades, long enough to watch these established Jericho neighborhoods steadily turn over — longtime owners moving on, new families moving in and modernizing homes built in an earlier era. A dated brick fireplace is often the first thing they want reimagined, and a floor-to-ceiling built-in wall is a natural centerpiece for that kind of update.
Jericho sits in the Town of Oyster Bay on Long Island’s North Shore, with East Birchwood and West Birchwood among its most recognized residential hubs. The housing stock here — larger colonials and center-hall homes — suits a fireplace wall with real presence, where a surround, a mantel, and flanking millwork can anchor the whole room. Creatively Done Homes Improvements Inc. also serves nearby Hicksville, Syosset, Westbury, Old Westbury, and Muttontown.
SCOPE CLARIFICATION · WHAT WE DO AND DO NOT DO
What Creatively Done Homes Improvements Inc. Does — and Does Not Do
Jericho homeowners searching for fireplace remodeling will find chimney companies and fireplace stores alongside custom millwork contractors. These are different scopes of work. Creatively Done Homes Improvements Inc. builds the visible fireplace wall — the surround, the mantel, the millwork above it, the panel work, and the full architectural treatment.
✓ What We Build: Custom fireplace surrounds and mantels. Floor-to-ceiling millwork walls. Fireplace built-ins with flanking cabinetry. Overmantels with recessed TV niches. Wainscoting and panel work around existing fireplaces. TV integration with concealed wire routing.
✗ What We Do Not Do: Chimney sweeping, repair, or lining. Standalone gas insert installation. Masonry repair. Outdoor fireplace installation. If your project needs gas line or electrical work, Kevin coordinates licensed trade partners as part of a larger remodel scope.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a fireplace built-in wall cost in Jericho?
The fireplace built-in wall shown on this page ran about $5,600 for the build and finish in 2020 — roughly $6,700 to $7,000 in today’s market. That covers the millwork, surround carpentry, mantel, panel work, and finishing only. The firebox, TV, hearth stone, plumbing, and electrical are separate. Cost is driven mostly by finish labor and scope, not raw materials, so every wall is quoted after Kevin sees it in person.
Why does the finishing cost as much as the build?
On a custom fireplace wall, the finishing can cost nearly as much as the build itself minus materials, and sometimes takes longer. Filling joints with wood Bondo, fairing every seam, priming, sanding, and applying multiple finish coats is slow, skilled work. The trade saying is that the last ten percent of the job is ninety percent of the job — and on painted millwork, the finish is what separates a good wall from a great one.
Is MDF a good material for fireplace millwork?
For painted crown and upper millwork, MDF is genuinely an excellent choice — it absorbs far less moisture than wood and stays more dimensionally stable, so it cracks less at caulked joints over time. MDF earns its bad reputation only when it is used at waist or floor height, where it takes physical knocks. Up on a crown it outperforms wood. Knowing where each material belongs is part of building a wall that still looks right years later.
Can you build a fireplace wall around an existing firebox?
Yes — most of our fireplace projects are built around an existing or new firebox, with the millwork surround, mantel, and built-ins designed to fit it. On the project shown here, a 30-inch firebox was specified to suit the wall space between two windows. We build the visible architecture; if the firebox itself, gas line, or electrical needs work, Kevin coordinates licensed trade partners as part of the scope.
Do I need a permit for fireplace remodeling in Jericho?
Cosmetic millwork around a fireplace usually does not require a permit, but work involving the firebox, gas line, or electrical in the Town of Oyster Bay typically does. Kevin identifies what permits are needed during the estimate and advises on the full process. Most homeowners file the application themselves to save the cost — or we can connect you with an expediter who handles it for you.
Do you serve Jericho and the surrounding area?
Yes — Creatively Done Homes Improvements Inc. serves Jericho including East Birchwood and West Birchwood, plus nearby Hicksville, Syosset, Westbury, Old Westbury, and Muttontown. We’re based in Hicksville at 104 Jerusalem Ave. Hicksville NY 11801. Custom millwork and fireplace work are among our most requested services in the Jericho area.
Kevin leads every project personally — Kevin, Matthew, and team handle design, fabrication, installation, and finish directly. You can also see the same fireplace work in nearby Plainview and Locust Valley. Whether you’re in Jericho, East Birchwood, West Birchwood, Syosset, Hicksville, or anywhere across Nassau County, explore our fireplace remodeling and custom millwork work, call 516-470-1961, or request your free estimate. See finished work in our project gallery.
Get Your Free Estimate
Get a free in-home assessment. Kevin will inspect your fireplace wall, discuss options, and give you an honest estimate — no pressure, no obligation.
Call
Visit
104 Jerusalem Ave. Hicksville NY 11801