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.
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AfterFast, Reliable Chimney Inspection Across San Bernardino
A chimney inspection in San Bernardino typically costs between $149 and $279 for a Level 1 visual check, while a Level 2 camera inspection runs $249 to $399. Most inspections take under an hour, and you’ll get a written report with photos before the technician leaves your driveway. Flint Chimney Sweep has been inspecting chimneys in San Bernardino since 2002, and we put every price in writing before a single tool comes off the truck. Call (830) 251-4560 to book an inspection that fits your schedule. Here’s the thing about chimneys in San Bernardino: the wind does as much damage as the fire. Gusts ripping through the Cajon Pass hit your chimney cap and flashing in ways a house in Redlands or Riverside just doesn’t feel. That’s why our inspectors spend as much time looking at what’s on top of the flue as they do inside it.
We’re not a call center. Dispatch and scheduling are coordinated from our Inland Empire office serving Riverside-San Bernardino, and our techs know the neighborhoods, the roof pitches, and the specific failure points that show up in this city’s housing stock. You call, a live person answers, and you get a straight answer on what an inspection actually involves and what it costs.
Why Flint Chimney Sweep Is San Bernardino’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
San Bernardino homeowners keep calling us back because the invoice matches the quote. Every inspection starts with a written price. Not a vague estimate, not a “we’ll see once we’re up there.” The number you approve is the number you pay. That’s The Garrison Standard, the code Hank Delano runs this operation by, and it applies to every inspection, sweep, and repair we do.
Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed. When a Flint Chimney Sweep truck pulls up in Arrowhead or Verdemont, you know exactly who’s walking up your driveway. The customer reviews from San Bernardino mention the same two things: the tech showed up when we said, and the report made sense. We don’t hand you a sheet of confusing checkmarks. You get actual camera footage or a clear written summary of what’s fine, what’s wearing, and what can wait.
Local expertise matters in this valley. We inspect chimneys on 1950s ranch homes in downtown San Bernardino, on slope-side tile roofs in the foothills, and on newer tract builds near Cal State. Each one has different failure patterns. We know what to look for because we’ve seen thousands of them. And every inspection carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if a repair we recommended fails within a year, we return at no charge. That guarantee is in writing, on every job.
Chimney Leak in San Bernardino
A Chimney Leak in San Bernardino usually traces back to wind-driven rain, not a plumbing problem. The same Santa Ana gusts that push smoke back down your flue also force water under cracked flashing and through a deteriorating crown. If you see water staining on the ceiling near the fireplace, or detect a musty smell in the room after heavy rain, the chimney is the first place we look.
Inspection for a chimney leak runs $199 to $329 depending on access and whether we need camera documentation. We check the crown, the flashing, the cap, and the top courses of masonry. If we find a gap, we show you the photo before we quote a fix. No surprises, no pressure.
Crown and Flashing Assessment
The concrete crown at the top of the chimney is the first line of defense against rain. On older San Bernardino homes, crowns crack from decades of heat and wind cycles. Flashing, the metal seal where the chimney meets the roof, pulls loose when the Cajon Pass wind slams into it repeatedly.
We inspect both every time. If the crown needs resealing, we quote it flat. If the flashing needs re-securing, same thing. You get the details in writing before you decide.
Chimney Camera Inspection in San Bernardino
A Chimney Camera Inspection in San Bernardino is the difference between guessing and knowing. We run a high-resolution camera through the flue and show you real footage of the liner condition, creosote buildup, and any cracks or gaps that a visual check from the top can’t reach. Most Level 2 inspections run $259 to $399 here, and you keep the video or photos in your report.
When do San Bernardino homeowners need this? If you’ve never had the chimney inspected since buying the house. If you smell smoke in adjacent rooms. If the water heater vents through the chimney. Or after a significant wind event that made the cap rattle. The camera reveals what’s hidden behind the flue walls, and we document everything.
Flue Liner Condition Documentation
Older chimneys in San Bernardino often have clay tile liners that crack over time. The camera shows the exact location and severity of each crack, which determines whether you need a repair now or can monitor it another season.
We pair the footage with a written summary. The Garrison Standard means you don’t have to trust our word. You see it with your own eyes.
Trusted Brands We Service in San Bernardino
When a repair is needed, we use materials from brands our inspectors know hold up in this climate. DuraFlex liners for relining jobs. Olympia Chimney caps and dampers. Famco termination caps. Copperfield flashing systems for homes that take repeated wind abuse near the 215 and 210 corridors. We stock common replacement parts locally so San Bernardino customers aren’t waiting a week for a cap or a damper. If your inspection turns up a cracked liner or a corroded cap, the fix is specified by job requirements, not by which brand gives us the highest margin. That’s the only way we’ve worked since 2002. Chimney Inspection reports here always note the exact material we recommend and why.
Common Chimney Inspection Problems We See in San Bernardino Homes
- Wind-damaged caps and flashing. Santa Ana gusts through the Cajon Pass shear chimney caps and peel flashing loose. We see this in Verdemont and north-end neighborhoods more than anywhere else. The cap rattles or disappears entirely, and rain gets in.
- Third-degree creosote glazing in wood-burning fireplaces. San Bernardino’s dry, windy conditions don’t make creosote worse, but homeowners here tend to burn hot, fast fires that leave a hard, tar-like glaze on flue walls. A visual check alone can’t assess its thickness. That’s where the camera comes in.
- Cracked clay tile liners in pre-1980 homes. Many houses in central San Bernardino and the Del Rosa Valley area have original clay liners. Decades of heat cycles create hairline cracks. Water from a leaking crown accelerates the damage. We catch these early when the repair is a liner patch instead of a full relining.
- Water intrusion through deteriorated crowns. The concrete crowns on older chimneys are often the original pour. Once cracking starts, water works into the smoke chamber and the surrounding masonry. The first sign is usually a damp smell in the living room, not a visible leak on the ceiling.
Pricing for Chimney Inspection in San Bernardino, CA
A standard Level 1 visual inspection in San Bernardino runs $149 to $229 on a single-story home, $189 to $279 on a two-story. A Level 2 camera inspection runs $249 to $399, with the top end reflecting steep roof access in foothill neighborhoods like Verdemont or older two-story builds in the north end. If you’re selling a home, a real estate inspection with full documentation runs $279 to $429. What affects the price? Roof pitch, chimney height, and whether we need to run the camera. You’ll get a flat price before we book the appointment, not after we arrive.
Call (830) 251-4560 for a free estimate. We’ll ask a few questions about your chimney and roof, then give you the number.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Bernardino
Our inspectors cover the whole San Bernardino Valley. If you’re in San Bernardino, we’re already local. We also route regularly to Loma Linda, Highland, Rialto, and Colton. If you’re on the border, call and ask. Our dispatchers know the coverage area street by street.
Serving San Bernardino, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino
Once a year if you burn wood regularly, and at least before the first fire of the season if you use the fireplace occasionally. The National Fire Protection Association standard is annual inspection. For gas fireplaces, every two years is typically enough. But in San Bernardino, we recommend an inspection after any major wind event that rattles the cap or pulls at the flashing. The Cajon Pass wind system creates extra wear that other cities don’t see. Call (830) 251-4560 to schedule yours.
Yes. An inspection is a standalone service. You don’t have to commit to a sweep or any repair. We’ll do the visual check or camera inspection, document what we find, and give you a written report. If everything looks safe, we tell you that. If something needs attention, we show you the evidence and let you decide. You can get the inspection alone, with no upsell pressure. The report is yours to keep either way, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise applies if we recommend a repair and it fails within the year.
The inspection itself is a paid service, $149 to $279 for a Level 1, $249 to $399 for a Level 2 with camera. The quote for any repair work found during the inspection is free. We write it up flat, and you decide whether to proceed. You don’t pay an inspection fee and then get hit with a high-pressure pitch. The inspection price is agreed in writing before we arrive.
The camera shows the inside of the flue liner, floor to cap. It reveals cracks, gaps, creosote thickness, and any obstruction that a visual check from the top or bottom can’t reach. On a standard visual inspection, we can see the top few feet and the firebox. The camera documents the middle sections where heat damage and creosote glazing concentrate. In San Bernardino, where wind-blown debris can wedge into flue bends, that footage matters. You see exactly what we see, and the photos go in your report.
No. Most findings can be scheduled. A cracked crown, worn flashing, or moderate creosote buildup doesn’t require immediate repair unless there’s an active leak or a structural risk. We’ll tell you plainly what’s urgent and what can wait a season. The only exception is if we find a condition that makes the chimney unsafe to use. In that case, we document it in writing and recommend you hold off burning until it’s repaired. But the decision is always yours. Call (830) 251-4560 for an exact inspection quote.
Call Flint Chimney Sweep for Your San Bernardino Chimney Inspection
You want to know if your chimney is safe before you light the first fire. We’ll inspect it, document it, and give you a written answer with photos. Price agreed before we arrive. Guarantee in writing for a full year. Same crew that’s been serving the Inland Empire since 2002. Call (830) 251-4560 to schedule your inspection. A live person answers, 24 hours a day, every day.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner at Flint Chimney Sweep, serving San Bernardino since 2002.