Fireplace Tile Surround Installation — Over Brick or Cement Board
The fireplace has dated brick, cracked builder tile or a bare drywall face, and you want new tile around the opening and on the hearth.
JMB Builders does fireplace tile surround installation across the Twin Cities metro: the face around the firebox and the hearth in front of it. Old tile or brick is removed or prepared to tile over, cement board goes on where needed, and the tile is set with heat-rated thinset, grouted and edged clean against the mantel. Clearances follow the fireplace maker's instructions. Priced per project, quoted from photos within one business day.
- Priced per project
- Surround face and hearth
- Clearances per the fireplace maker
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A fireplace surround is a small tile job with rules. The area around the firebox gets hot, and what can go close to the opening is set by the fireplace or insert maker's installation manual: how far combustible material like wood trim and a mantel has to stay back, and what the tile has to be set on. We read that manual (or the label on the unit) before we plan the layout.
What the tile goes on depends on what is there now. Painted or sound brick can often be tiled over after it is cleaned and skimmed flat. Loose brick, old tile that is cracked or hollow, and drywall right against the firebox come off and are replaced with cement board. The tile is set with a thinset rated for the heat, grouted, and finished at the edges with a metal or tile trim so no raw edges show.
Layout is what you look at every day. Large-format tile around a firebox should have its cuts centered and even on both sides, with no thin slivers at the top corners. We lay it out dry before setting, and plan the hearth so its front edge lines up with the surround.
On a gas fireplace, the insert or log set sometimes has to be pulled to tile the face. A licensed gas fitter disconnects and reconnects it. Wood mantels and shelves are quoted as their own line.
What you supply
- The tile, or your choice so we can order it — with some extra for cuts and breakage
- The fireplace or insert brand and model, or a photo of its label
- Photos of the fireplace face, the hearth and the mantel
- Grout color
- A mantel or shelf choice if one is going on
What JMB supplies
- Removal of old tile or loose brick, or cleaning and skimming brick to tile over
- Cement board where the face needs a new backing
- Heat-rated thinset, grout and edge trim
- Layout centered on the firebox, set and grouted
- Hearth tiled to line up with the surround
- Dust protection and cleanup
- A mantel or floating shelf installed when you want one, quoted as its own line
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Surround size: firebox face only or floor to ceiling
- Tile over existing brick vs. demolition and new cement board
- Tile size and type: large format, stacked stone look, mosaic or handmade
- Hearth tile at floor level or on a raised hearth
- Edge trim, mitered corners and notched cuts around the firebox
- A gas insert that has to be disconnected and reconnected by a licensed gas fitter
- Mantel or shelf added
Send a straight-on photo of the fireplace, a close-up of the current surface, the hearth, and the fireplace label if you can find it.
How long it takes
Most surrounds with a hearth: two to three days, including demolition, backer board and a day for thinset to cure before grout.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Tile over brick
Sound brick is cleaned, skimmed flat and tiled over. No demolition dust and the fastest route, but the tile face stands out further from the wall.
Old tile off, new tile on
Cracked or dated builder tile comes off, the backing is checked or replaced with cement board, and new tile goes on flat with clean edges.
Floor-to-ceiling surround
The tile runs up the whole chimney face. Large-format porcelain is common here; layout and centered cuts matter more with each extra row.
Fireplace Tile Surround Installation — Over Brick or Cement Board: questions, answered
Can you tile over a brick fireplace?
Yes, when the brick is sound. It gets cleaned, loose mortar removed, and skimmed flat with a mortar bed so the tile sits flat instead of following the brick. Loose or cracked brick has to be repaired or removed first.
What tile can go around a fireplace?
Porcelain, ceramic and natural stone all handle the heat around a fireplace. The limit is usually what the fireplace maker allows near the opening and how the edges are finished. Glass tile and some stone look products need checking against the manual before they go near the firebox.
Does fireplace tile need special mortar?
It needs a thinset rated for the temperature at the surround, which most modified thinsets are for a typical fireplace face. Mastic is not used there because it softens with heat. The fireplace maker's instructions set the rules for what goes closest to the opening.
How close can a wood mantel be to a tiled fireplace?
That distance is set by the fireplace or insert maker's installation manual and the code. It depends on the unit and how far the mantel sticks out. We look up the numbers for your fireplace before placing a mantel or wood trim.
Do you have to remove the gas insert to tile around it?
Sometimes. If the tile has to tuck behind the insert's trim or the face is being rebuilt, the insert or log set is pulled. A licensed gas fitter disconnects and reconnects it and checks for leaks.
How long does a fireplace tile surround take?
Two to three days for most surrounds with a hearth. Day one is demolition and backing, day two is setting the tile, and grout goes in after the thinset cures. Floor-to-ceiling surrounds take longer.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All tile pages
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