Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFast, Reliable Chimney Inspection Across Chicago
A chimney inspection in Chicago typically starts at $149 for a Level 1 and runs $249 – $399 for a Level 2 camera inspection, which is the version most Chicago homeowners actually need. We dispatch from our metro office and crews cover the city daily, from Rogers Park down to Beverly. You’ll get a written price before any work begins, and every repair carries our one-year guarantee in writing. Call (830) 251-4560 and you’ll reach a live person, not a voicemail tree.
What matters in Chicago isn’t just that someone looks at your chimney. It’s that they look at the right things: the crown, the top-course mortar, the damper, the smoke chamber. We grew up on this city’s housing stock. Bungalows in Portage Park. Greystones in Bridgeport. Frame walk-ups in Avondale. Each one fails in a predictable way, and we know what to look for before we ring the bell.
Why Flint Chimney Sweep Is Chicago’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
Flint Chimney Sweep has operated as a Chicago Chimney Sweep and part of the Garrison Partners family since 2002, and our Chicago crews run on the same code every Garrison location follows: The Garrison Standard. That means a written price before tools come off the truck, a uniformed background-checked technician on every call, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise on every repair we recommend. If a covered repair fails within one full year, we come back at no charge. No argument, no second invoice.
Homeowners across Chicago call us after being burned by companies that quoted one number on the phone and another at the door. That doesn’t happen here. The price you approve before we start is the price on the invoice. Hank Delano leads our inspection operation with a simple rule: nothing gets recommended unless the camera footage backs it up, and every recommendation gets documented in a photo report you keep. That’s the only way to run a Chimney Inspection business that deservedly holds a local reputation in a city this big.
Chimney Camera Inspection in Chicago
Chimney Camera Inspection in Chicago is the single most useful service we offer, because so many of the problems in this city’s chimneys are invisible to the naked eye from the hearth. A proper camera inspection runs $249 – $399 and involves feeding a high-resolution camera up through the flue to record the condition of the liner, the smoke chamber, and the crown. Our crews do this on almost every Chicago inspection, because the city’s freeze-thaw cycles crack things that a flashlight from below will never reveal.
Chicago’s freeze-thaw cycle and lakefront weather are brutal on masonry. Chimney crowns and the mortar at the top of the stack routinely crack and spall while the flue liner above the roofline stays intact. So the failure we find most often is water entry through a failing crown, not a dirty flue. A camera inspection is the only way to document that before it becomes a ceiling stain or a full rebuild.
When You Need It
You need a camera inspection if you’ve bought a new house and the chimney hasn’t been checked, if you smell damp or chimney odor on rainy days, or if water marks appear on the ceiling near the stack. You also need it before any real estate closing in Chicago, because banks and title companies increasingly want a Level 2 report before they sign off. If you’ve had a roof replacement, a chimney fire, or a lightning strike, the camera goes up.
What You Get
You get a photo report you can keep. Not a one-line scribble on an invoice. We document every crack, gap, and obstruction with still images from the camera feed, and ours are reviewed by Hank Delano before anything is recommended. If the crown and liner are healthy, you’ll hear that plainly. If they’re not, you’ll see it in pictures before you spend a dollar.
Fireplace Inspection in Chicago
Fireplace Inspection in Chicago usually means checking more than the firebox: it means the damper, the smoke chamber, the exterior masonry, and the flue above it. A standard fireplace inspection with a Level 1 visual check runs $149 – $199, and a Level 2 camera inspection runs $249 – $399. Most Chicago homes with original fireplaces need the Level 2, because dampers and smoke chambers get skipped when the last guy treated the job as a brush-and-go.
A rusted or stuck damper causes smoky backups on the first cold snap. The smoke chamber above the firebox collects creosote and debris that no rod-and-brush pass will clear. And the chimney cap, if it’s been knocked loose by winter wind or raccoons, leaves the flue open to rain, snow, and nesting. Those are Chicago problems, and they get caught in a proper fireplace inspection.
Signs Your Fireplace Needs Attention
Smoke backing into the room, a damper that won’t open or close, or flaky dark deposits you can scratch off the firebox walls are all signs. So is a fireplace that smells damp on humid days, which usually means water is getting in higher up. Any single one justifies a call. Two or more means you should stop using the fireplace until it’s inspected.
The Old Chicago Two-Flat Problem
We were on a greystone two-flat in Bridgeport where the homeowner kept smelling chimney odor on damp days. A Level 2 inspection with our camera showed a hairline crack running across the chimney crown and open mortar joints in the top three courses, with water tracking down the outside of the flue liner. We documented it with a photo report, and once the crown and joints were sealed the odor and damp staining stopped. The firebox and damper were in fine shape the whole time.
Trusted Brands We Service in Chicago
When a repair comes out of an inspection, we work with materials homeowners can verify independently. That means HeatShield for flue resurfacing, Gelco for chase caps and flashing, and Olympia Chimney and Famco for caps, dampers, and masonry components. These are professional-grade trade products specified by the job, not by what’s easiest to mark up. Because our Chicago crews keep common parts on the truck, a repair that follows an inspection can usually be quoted, approved, and scheduled without weeks of waiting on a distributor.
Common Chimney Inspection Problems We See in Chicago Homes
- Crown and top-course mortar failure. Chicago’s freeze-thaw cycle cracks the crown and the mortar joints in the top three courses, letting water down the outside of the flue liner. The liner itself is often fine, so the real repair is masonry and flashing, not sweeping.
- Skips on the damper and smoke chamber. When an inspection is treated as a quick look at the flue, a rusted or stuck damper hides in plain sight. The first cold night, the fireplace smokes back into the living room, and the homeowner blames the firewood.
- Loose or missing chimney caps. Winter wind and raccoons knock caps loose in every Chicago neighborhood. An open flue invites rain, snow, and nesting debris that a rod-and-brush pass will never fix.
- Buy-side surprises on flips. The bungalow bought in Jefferson Park or the frame walk-up in Avondale often has an old unlined flue or a hidden crack the seller didn’t know about. A camera inspection before closing turns a surprise into a line item in the negotiation.
Pricing for Chimney Inspection in Chicago, IL
A Level 1 visual inspection, where we check accessible areas with a flashlight and basic tools, runs $149 – $199 in Chicago. A Level 2 camera inspection, which is what we recommend for most homes, runs $249 – $399. A Level 3, which involves opening up structure to access hidden areas, starts at $500 and is quoted job by job. The main factors are roof height and access: a three-story walk-up in Lakeview takes longer to reach than a ranch in Clearing. Every estimate is written, free, and given before any work starts. Call (830) 251-4560 if you want an exact number for your house.
We Also Serve Cities Near Chicago
Flint Chimney Sweep handles Chimney Inspection in Chicago and the surrounding metro. If you’re just outside the city limits, call us and we’ll confirm whether we dispatch to your address. We keep scheduling simple: one call, one quoted price, one appointment window.
Serving Chicago, IL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Chicago area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Chimney Inspection in Chicago
Once a year if you burn fires regularly. If you rarely use the fireplace, every two years is usually reasonable, but the crown and exterior masonry should be looked at after every winter. Chicago’s freeze-thaw cycling does damage whether or not you burn. If it’s been more than two years, or you just bought the house, book a Level 2 camera inspection now. Call (830) 251-4560 to get a written quote before you commit.
Level 1 is a visual check and costs $149 – $199. Level 2 adds camera work and runs $249 – $399. Level 3 opens up structure and starts at $500. The rule of thumb: if nothing has changed and you had a clean bill last year, Level 1. If you bought the house, had a fire, or don’t know the chimney’s history, Level 2. If there’s been a chimney fire, a visible collapse, or a real estate dispute, Level 3. Call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll tell you which one your situation actually calls for.
Third-degree creosote is a hard, glazed, tar-like coating that forms when fires burn cool and smoky. No, you cannot brush it off. It resists standard sweeping and, in heavy deposits, becomes a chimney fire fuel source. The standard remediation is resurfacing materials like HeatShield or removal with mechanical methods, quoted after a camera inspection shows the extent. If we find it, you’ll see it in the photo report, not just hear about it. Call (830) 251-4560 to get an inspection that shows you exactly what you’re working with.
No. We book inspections on a scheduled basis, because a proper Chicago chimney inspection takes time and we don’t rush it. What we do offer is a written price before booking, a live person on the phone around the clock, and an appointment window we hit. If your situation is urgent, call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll give you the next available slot and an honest recommendation on whether you should stop using the fireplace in the meantime.
It’s safe to wait when the inspection shows no cracks in the liner, no water entry through the crown, no significant creosote buildup, and a damper that opens and closes properly. If the camera finds water tracking, a cracked liner, or heavy glazed creosote, don’t wait. If you’re unsure, call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll walk you through what the report actually means, in plain words, before you spend anything.
Get Your Written Quote Today
If you own a chimney in Chicago, an inspection is the cheapest insurance against a chimney fire or a carbon monoxide leak. Our crews cover the entire city, we put every price in writing before work starts, and every repair carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise. Call (830) 251-4560 and speak to a live person, 24 hours a day. Tell us what you’re seeing, what you’re smelling, or just that you want the chimney checked, and we’ll schedule a camera inspection at a time that works. The quote is free, the report is yours to keep, and the guarantee is in writing.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner at Flint Chimney Sweep, serving Chicago and the surrounding metro.