I am so stressed about this fireplace I am about to pop!
It's like these guys, who have supposedly installed hundreds of fireplaces, have never done this before. The fireplace guys (FP) did not think about insulating around the fireplace (it's an exterior wall people!!!!) to prevent drafts. The subcontractor who installed the venting and hooked up the electrical and gas (GC) didn't think about the distance from the mantel to the fireplace to prevent the mantel from combusting, though neither did FG. FG is sending out a team to put up sheetrock around the fireplace, but then GC calls to say an inspection needs to be done and is looking for the information for the minimum safe distance for the mantel.
Holy cats, guys, talk to each other and figure this shit out! But no, I had to do it and act as the go between and the coordinator of all this. Would I recommend them to anyone else? Oh gods no! As far as I can tell, there is nobody else in the area that does fireplaces besides these people. Ugh!!!!
I hope you are all having a much better day than me. Love and hugs.