Wood Stove Pipe Installation Diagram: Every Part From the Stove to the Cap

A wood stove pipe installation diagram helps you match the parts to the stove manual when your stove arrives. We sell the whole chimney system as a DuraVent dealer, and we often take calls from customers working through that same pile of parts. Here, we walk you through each component between the stove and the cap. We cover the two ways a chimney can leave your house, the clearances needed to pass inspection, and the order to put everything together.

The wood stove pipe installation diagram, top to bottom

Start at the cap and work down, as an inspector does. Every run has two kinds of pipe. Stovepipe goes inside the room. Chimney pipe, the flue, runs from the ceiling or wall onward. You cannot swap one for the other. The joint where they meet is where most mistakes happen.

1. Chimney cap. This keeps rain and animals out and holds the spark screen. Every install requires one.
2. Storm collar. This cone sits on the flashing to shed water. High temperature sealant seals it to the pipe.
3. Roof flashing. Choose this by roof pitch. Metal and tile roofs use a soft aluminum version.
4. Chimney pipe above the roof. This insulated pipe reaches at least 3 feet above its exit and 2 feet above anything within 10 feet. It needs a roof brace past 4 or 5 feet of exposed height.
5. Attic insulation shield. This keeps insulation away from the hot pipe as it passes through the attic.
6. Ceiling support box. This carries the chimney’s weight and connects stovepipe to chimney pipe. One box holds 35 or 60 feet of chimney, depending on the line.
7. Chimney adapter. This short stainless fitting locks the stovepipe into the support box.
8. Stovepipe. This is the black pipe in your room. Choose single wall stovepipe or double wall stovepipe, in 24 inch lengths, plus one adjustable or telescoping piece to close the gap.
9. Stove adapter or damper section. This fits the pipe to the collar on your stove.
10. The stove. It sits on its hearth pad at the clearance given in its manual.

That is the straight-up layout. When the chimney leaves through a wall, the parts in the middle change.

Through the ceiling: the vertical chimney most houses use

Your stove sits under the roof, and the chimney goes straight up through the ceiling, attic, and roof deck. This chimney installation drafts best and costs the least. The flue stays warm inside the house, and the run has no turns. You have about 8 feet of stovepipe in the room, a support box at the ceiling, and chimney pipe above it. If a rafter blocks the route, a pair of elbows and a strap take the chimney around the obstruction. That offset cannot exceed 30 degrees. We cover the roof exit and flashing in stove pipe through the roof.

Through the wall: the exterior chimney for a finished house

With this layout, the stovepipe turns 90 degrees into a horizontal run. The route passes through a wall thimble in the exterior wall and meets a tee with a clean-out cap outside of the house. The chimney pipe then climbs the outside wall, supported by a tee support bracket and wall straps. The straps go every 4 feet on one line and every 8 feet on the other. The chimney continues until it clears the roof and gets its cap. This route keeps the chimney out of upstairs rooms, which makes it a good fit for a finished house. An exterior chimney runs cooler, though, and drafts a little less. People often forget the wall thimble. It is the part that makes a hot pipe through a wood-framed wall legal.

The rules that make the diagram legal

• Clearance to combustible materials. Keep single wall stovepipe 18 inches from a wall or ceiling. Double wall can sit 6 inches from a wall. Insulated chimney pipe needs 2 inches to framing. It is the only pipe allowed through the ceiling and roof.
• Pipe joints face the right way. Point the male, crimped end of every piece down toward the stove. Creosote that condenses inside can then run back into the fire instead of dripping through the seams.
• Match the appliance outlet diameter. A 6 inch stove takes 6 inch pipe and a 6 inch chimney. Reducing the diameter by even one inch hurts draft and requires approval from the stove manufacturer.
• The 3-2-10 rule. The chimney termination must be at least 3 feet above the roof where it comes through. It must also reach 2 feet above any part of the roof or building within 10 feet.
• Keep the route straight. Every elbow reduces draft. The chimney lines allow no more than one offset of 30 degrees or less.
• Follow your stove manual and inspector. These numbers come from the pipe listings. Follow the installation instructions for your stove or local building codes if they require more. Most towns require a permit for a wood stove. Ask before you cut.

How to install wood stove pipe, in order

1. Set your stove on its hearth pad at the clearance listed in the manual. Drop a plumb line from the center of the flue collar to the ceiling. That mark gives you the center of the support box or, for a wall exit, the height of the thimble.
2. Cut the ceiling opening between the joists and frame it. Fit the support box, with an attic insulation shield above it if you have an attic.
3. Cut the roof opening from inside. Work up from the support box to keep the chimney vertical. Slide the flashing under the shingles on the uphill side and over them on the downhill side.
4. Build the chimney pipe up from the support box, twisting each length to lock it. Add the storm collar, then the cap. Brace the chimney if more than 4 feet stands above the roof.
5. Back in the room, lock the chimney adapter into the support box. Build the stovepipe down from there, with the rigid lengths first and the adjustable piece last. Keep the crimped ends down.
6. Fit the stove adapter to the collar and secure every stovepipe joint with three screws. Check every clearance again. Start with two or three small fires so the pipe’s paint cures.

Kit or separate parts?

For a 6 inch stove, a wood stove chimney kit covers either the ceiling or wall route. The through-the-ceiling kit costs $865, and the through-the-wall kit costs $1,505. Each includes the support parts, adapters, flashing or thimble, and cap. Add straight chimney lengths from $138 each, plus stovepipe for the room from $212 for a kit. For 7 or 8 inch stoves, or a chimney taller than about 30 feet, we build your list from the class A chimney pipe selection. Send us your ceiling height and roof pitch, and we will count the pieces before you order.

Questions people ask

What is the correct way to install a wood stove pipe?

Use stovepipe in the room and insulated chimney pipe from the ceiling or wall onward. Point the crimped ends toward the stove. Keep the same diameter all the way up and follow the clearances above.

Does a wood stove pipe have to go straight up?

No, although a straight chimney always drafts better. You can use elbows in the room to line up with the ceiling box. In the chimney itself, the limit is one offset of 30 degrees or less.

What is the trick to putting stove pipe together?

Fit every piece before adding screws. Start at the ceiling and work down. Let the adjustable piece fill the last few inches so you do not need to cut anything with snips.

The diagram, with prices

That is your wood stove pipe installation diagram, with the parts and assembly order laid out. You can find every component on our stove pipe and chimney pipe page. Call before you order if you would like us to check the list against your house. We offer free shipping on most brands (exceptions apply) and no sales tax (except WY). You can talk with real people before placing your order.