Wood stove installation: by-laws, sweeping and insurance

A wood stove heats well and is reassuring during power outages. But every winter, chimney fires break out in Quebec: installation and upkeep matter as much as the stove itself. In Greater Montréal, you also have to follow municipal by-laws that limit which appliances are allowed and when they may be used on smog days.

1. Montréal, Laval, Longueuil: what the wood-heating by-laws allow

Montréal. In the 19 boroughs, the City’s page on solid fuel-burning stoves and fireplaces says an appliance may only be used if it emits fewer than 2.5 grams of particles per hour and its emissions are EPA certified or meet the CSA B415.1-10 standard. During smog, no solid-fuel appliance may be used, even a certified one, unless a power outage has hit the building for more than three hours. For a new installation, the City’s procedure on installing, replacing or removing a fireplace or stove (in French, updated February 5, 2026) says only an EPA or CAN/CSA-B415.1 certified pellet appliance is allowed, that a renovation permit is needed and that any existing chimney must be inspected before applying. After the work, the appliance is declared to the City within 120 days.

Laval. By-law L-12792 (in French) only allows installing an appliance certified to CSA B415.1-10 or EPA that emits 2.5 g/h or less. Since October 1, 2026, an appliance that is not certified or that exceeds 7.5 g/h may no longer be used. Use is banned during a smog warning, except after a power outage of more than 3 hours; an installation, replacement or removal must be declared within 160 days; only dry wood or a product designed for heating may be burned. A first offence costs an individual $100 to $500.

Longueuil. According to the City’s release of July 15, 2025 (in French), since November 1, 2025, solid-fuel fireplaces and stoves are banned during smog warnings, except during an outage of more than three hours; any appliance installed or replaced must be certified and emit no more than 2.5 g/h, and from November 1, 2029, appliances in use will have to meet EPA or CSA B415.1-10 standards.

Elsewhere, the rules vary: in Repentigny, for example, adding a fireplace or a chimney needs a permit, according to its page on applying for a permit or declaring work (in French). Check with your town before you buy.

2. Installation

• Choose a certified appliance, tested for emissions and safety: Montréal, Laval and Longueuil accept nothing else for a new installation.
• Respect the clearances to combustible materials set by the manufacturer, and the floor protection.
• The chimney must suit the appliance: an existing chimney must be inspected before it is reused.
• Keep the appliance’s documents: in Laval, for example, the declaration must give the make, model, manufacturing date, emission rate and certification.

Installing a solid-fuel stove or fireplace falls under RBQ subclass 10: look for that subclass on the installer’s licence before you sign.

3. Sweeping and ashes

• At least once a year, in spring or fall.
• More often if you heat every day: Montréal’s fire department recommends on its heating page sweeping after every two cords of wood burned, or as soon as there is more than 3 mm of creosote on the walls.
• Ask the sweep for a report on the chimney’s condition.
• Put ashes in a metal container with a raised bottom, stored outdoors and away from flammable materials.

Burn dry wood: wet wood fouls the chimney with creosote, the cause of chimney fires.

4. Insurance

Tell your insurer before installing a wood stove or if you use it more; the SIM gives the same advice. Many insurers ask for a compliant installation and an inspection. Keep the installer’s invoice, the proof of your declaration to the City and the sweeping reports.

To find an installer, start from the pages for Montréal, Laval or Longueuil, or describe the appliance and the chimney you have to receive quotes. See also: getting the house ready for winter and power outages and carbon monoxide.