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
AfterChimney Company in Cambridge, MA
A chimney cleaning in Cambridge, MA typically runs $180 to $320 for a standard sweep, and most jobs take 60 to 90 minutes once our technician arrives. Cambridge’s housing stock is the defining factor here: dense triple-deckers, 19th-century Victorians, and brick row houses built before modern flue standards means nearly every chimney we open has decades of creosote, a missing cap, or a liner that no longer meets code. Call (830) 251-4560 for a written, flat-rate quote before we schedule anything.
Why Cambridge Homes Are Different
Cambridge chimneys are older than the city’s reputation for being new. Most homes in neighborhoods like Mid-Cambridge, Riverside, and Cambridgeport were built between 1870 and 1920, and their flues were designed for coal or open-hearth fires, not the high-temperature gas and wood appliances that sit in them now. That means unlined or under-lined flues are the rule rather than the exception. We regularly open chimneys in East Cambridge where the clay flue tiles have cracked behind the brick wall, below the roofline, where a homeowner could never see it.
New England winters also do a specific kind of damage. Freeze-thaw cycles push moisture into old mortar joints, and a chimney that looks solid from the street may be shedding bricks at the crown, two feet above the gutter line. Add in the fact that many Cambridge blocks are built row-house tight, and rooftop access is often through a scuttle, not a full stair, which changes how we set up ladders and staging on every job. The work is dense; the access is tight; the tolerances are older. That is not a reason to delay cleaning. It is the reason the inspection matters as much as the sweep.
Our Main Cambridge Services
Cambridge homeowners call us most about two things: getting a chimney cleaned before the burn season and figuring out whether an older flue is safe to keep using. Each service has its own Cambridge page with pricing, process, and photographs of what we look for.
Chimney Sweep in Cambridge
A chimney sweep in Cambridge is a mechanical cleaning of the flue from the firebox to the cap, using rotary brushes sized to your liner. In Cambridge, where flues run narrow and tall through old brick, we sweep from the roof down in most cases, then clean the smoke chamber and damper. The page for this service covers what is included, what creosote looks like at each stage, and how often Cambridge chimneys need it. Chimney Sweep in Cambridge
Chimney Inspection in Cambridge
A chimney inspection in Cambridge is a camera-scanned evaluation of the entire flue path. In homes built before World War II, we are looking for cracked clay liners, spalling brick, and the gaps in mortar that let heat reach framing. Every inspection includes a written photo report you keep. Chimney Inspection in Cambridge
Chimney Repair in Cambridge
A chimney repair in Cambridge covers everything from a rusted damper to a partial rebuild above the roofline. Older Cambridge chimneys often need flue relining, crown reconstruction, or repointing of mortar joints that have been open to weather for decades. Every repair carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise, in writing. Chimney Repair in Cambridge
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service in Cambridge
We stock and install HeatShield, Gelco, and Olympia Chimney products on Cambridge jobs. Most replacement parts for these brands are on the truck or available to us within one business day, which keeps multi-visit repair work from dragging out. Our brands page shows what we carry and why we specify each one.
Pricing for Chimney Company in Cambridge, MA
| Service | Typical range in Cambridge |
|---|---|
| Chimney sweep (standard) | $180 – $320 |
| Chimney sweep with heavy creosote (Stage 2 or 3) | $260 – $420 |
| Level 1 chimney inspection | $140 – $230 |
| Level 2 chimney inspection (camera scan) | $260 – $450 |
| Re-pointing / masonry repair (per square foot) | $28 – $55 |
| Chimney cap replacement | $180 – $410 |
| Flue relining (stainless steel, per foot) | $90 – $160 |
| Flue relining with HeatShield (ceramic, per foot) | $95 – $165 |
| Damper replacement | $290 – $560 |
| Chimney crown rebuild | $420 – $950 |
What pushes a Cambridge price toward the top of those ranges is access: a three-story roofline, a rear flue that needs scaffolding on a zero-lot-line wall, or a flue that has not been opened in a decade and needs three passes instead of one. Whatever the number is, you get it in writing before a single tool comes off the truck.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Cambridge
We work across the city. Our scheduling runs on a single dispatch window, so we can usually reach any Cambridge address within a few days of the call.
- Mid-Cambridge
- Cambridgeport
- Riverside
- East Cambridge
- North Cambridge
Service Area – Cities Near Cambridge
We serve Cambridge and the surrounding communities along the Charles and Mystic corridors. If you are across the line, we likely cover you: Somerville, MA, Belmont, MA, Medford, MA, and Boston, MA. Dispatch and scheduling are coordinated from our Boston office, and crews run Cambridge jobs locally.
Serving Cambridge, MA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Cambridge 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 Company in Cambridge
We schedule by day, not by hour, and Cambridge jobs are grouped by neighborhood. Most sweeps and inspections can be scheduled within three to five business days. If a repair is urgent, we will tell you plainly whether it can wait.
Most sweeps and inspections need no permit. Structural repairs, partial rebuilds, or liner installations may require one depending on scope and the Cambridge building code. We will tell you before quoting if a permit is likely in your case.
All of it. We run jobs in every Cambridge neighborhood, including the tight-access rowhouse blocks in East Cambridge and the older Victorians in Mid-Cambridge. There is no part of the city we decline because of parking or rooftop access; we plan for it instead.
If your Cambridge chimney has not been opened in a year or more, call (830) 251-4560 for a free estimate. Hank Delano runs our Cambridge work, and every job gets a written price before we start.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local chimney cleaning pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Cambridge Customers Say
"Smoky fireplace for years. Turned out the cap was clogged. Swapped it and the smoke is gone."
- Brandon T."Rebuilt the crown on our chimney where water had been getting in. Neat masonry and a fair price."
- Eddie J."Very respectful, wore boot covers, laid drop cloths. Left no soot."
- Jan S.