Hi, Laura (and Dave). As a design firm we are often asked to consider removing these architectural elements--particularly in our Miami Office. There are a couple of things we look for to determine feasibility. 1) Age of home. This information provides some insight into how the fireplace may have been constructed. 2) Are there any existing drawings filed at the local building department? This is helpful for obvious reasons. 3) the exterior may be stucco finish but what type of construction is the exterior wall? Is it concrete masonry unit (CMU, aka "cinder blocks") or is it wood frame construction?

The above are the drivers of cost/feasibility. Fireplaces that are masonry framed (not just brick veneer lined interior) are supported with a footing at the base, below grade. This makes it very difficult to simply chop out the bottom 1/3 and run a beam across to carry the load (weight) of the upper 2/3s. Feasible, but impractical--especially if windows are spanning below.

So depending on how the fireplace was built (CMU vs Wood) you will likely have to remove all of the masonry from the top of the flue down to the floor level so you don't see the bulge of the old fireplace below the window sill. This is a costly undertaking that affects the roof and the exterior wall. I would say more than 8k of work--not including an architect and his/her structural engineer.

JT, Registered Architect

I've got the same type question.

We are putting vinyl siding on my house and found bad termite damage when they went to cover the chimney. The den area is dark so I was thinking of removing the whole chimney and adding a window.

The house is wood frame on a slab. Chimney has Masonic siding instead of brick. Difficulty? Any idea of cost range?

We just removed a block chimney and installed a glass wall of windows. In SoCal, chimneys are more dangerous than they are useful, so we were glad to see it go.

The cost to replace the fireplace with a glass wall was expensive, but our glass wall is long (over 50 feet). We had to put a structural beam and a shear wall for support. I would think the cost would vary on how much glass you want, what type of windows, etc. I'd get a contractor in for a specific bid.

Did you complete the project? We are looking to do something similar on a poorly designed new construction.

Did you end your doing this? I am considering the same thing and told $8K to remove chimney.