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 Delaware
A chimney inspection in Delaware, OH typically costs $149 – $249 for a Level 1 visual check, $249 – $499 for a Level 2 camera inspection, and $1,000+ for a Level 3 when we need to open up masonry. Most inspections run about 45 – 90 minutes, and you get a written report with photos before we leave the driveway. Flint Chimney Sweep has served Delaware homeowners since 2002, and our crews know the difference between a 1920s brick flue off Sandusky Street and a 2005 factory-built unit in a Sawmill Parkway subdivision. Call (830) 251-4560 for a flat price before you book.
Why Flint Chimney Sweep Is Delaware’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
We operate under The Garrison Standard, the same code every Garrison Partners location follows: written price first, written guarantee on every repair, and a technician in uniform who tells you what he sees on camera. Delaware homeowners call us when they want a straight answer, not a scare pitch. We’ve inspected chimneys in Glenross, Woods at Dornoch, and the older frame homes off Winter Street, so we know the local housing stock and the failure patterns that come with it.
Every inspection includes a camera run and a photo report. You see what we see. If a flue liner is cracked, the photo shows it. If the chimney crown is letting water in, you’ll see the spalling on the photo. Nothing gets recommended without evidence you can verify yourself. That’s how Hank Delano runs our Delaware inspection team, and it’s why our reviews from Delaware customers mention the photos and the straight answers more than anything else.
We stock the parts Delaware homes actually need: DuraFlex liners for older masonry flues, HeatShield and Gelco for factory-built fireplace repair, and Famco and Copperfield caps and dampers. If a Delaware inspection turns up a missing cap or a worn damper, we often have the part on the truck that day. Not always, but often.
Fireplace Inspection in Delaware
Fireplace Inspection in Delaware means going beyond what a standard chimney sweep covers: we open the damper, run the camera up the flue, and check the firebox brick, the smoke chamber, the chimney crown, and the flashing where the chimney meets the roof. For a prewar home downtown or a 1990s split-level off Pennsylvania Avenue, the questions differ. An older masonry flue may have spalling brick from decades of Ohio freeze-thaw. A newer factory-built unit may have a disconnected air-cooled flue or a rusted damper linkage. The inspection tells you which one you’ve got.
A fireplace inspection in Delaware runs $149 – $249 for a Level 1 when the chimney has no known issues, and $249 – $499 for a Level 2 camera inspection when something has changed: a new home purchase, a chimney fire, a change in fuel, or water stains on the ceiling below the chase.
What the Camera Shows
We run a video camera from firebox to crown. You get still photos of anything we flag: creosote buildup, missing mortar joints, a cracked flue tile, a disconnected liner. No photo, no recommendation.
When Delaware Homeowners Book This
Wood burners book it before burning season starts in October. Anyone buying a home books it during escrow. Anyone with a stale-smoke smell in the living room on a windy day books it immediately, because that’s often a drafting problem, not a dirty chimney.
Chimney Inspection Services in Delaware
Chimney Inspection Services in Delaware cover everything from a quick real-estate inspection to a full Level 3 tear-down when the flue is too damaged to assess from the inside. We offer Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 inspections, camera inspection, flue inspection, and real estate inspection for buyers and sellers across Delaware. Each level follows the same rule: written price before the first tool comes off the truck, written report with photos before we leave.
A flue inspection zeroes in on the inner liner, the part that carries smoke and carbon monoxide out of the house. If a Delaware flue has third-degree creosote, a cracked clay tile, or a rusted metal liner, that’s a life-safety issue, not a maintenance item. We’ll show you on camera.
Real Estate Inspection in Delaware
Agents in Delaware and the surrounding MLS area call us because we deliver the inspection report the same day and we tell the buyer straight: this chimney is safe as-is, or this chimney needs $X before you close. No vague language, no soft-pedaling that becomes a lawsuit later.
Flue Inspection and Liner Condition
If the camera shows a flue liner that has failed, we give you a written quote for flue relining on the spot. We use DuraFlex stainless liners and HeatShield-ceramic restoration where the masonry is still structurally sound. You always see the photos before you decide.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Delaware
Flint Chimney Sweep services and installs equipment from the brands Delaware homeowners already have in their homes, because older flues and factory-built fireplaces mostly share the same handful of manufacturers. We work with DuraFlex stainless flue liners, HeatShield flue restoration material, Gelco chimney caps and chase covers, Famco dampers, and Copperfield flashing. Having those parts in our Delaware service stock means a repair quote usually holds: the cap or damper we quote is the part we can actually get and install, not a placeholder number. That matters when a real estate inspection turns up a missing cap three days before closing.
Common Chimney Inspection Problems We See in Delaware Homes
- Cracked chimney crowns on prewar masonry homes. Homes built before 1940 off streets like West Winter or North Franklin often have original crowns that let water spall the firebox brick. A Level 1 inspection that skips the crown misses the thing that’s actually failing.
- Missing or corroded chimney caps on factory-built units. 1990s-through-2000s subdivisions like Woodside and Sawmill Fields run heavily to factory-built fireplaces. A missing cap lets rain into the flue and animals into the chase. Draft problems in these homes usually trace back to the cap or the flashing, not the firebox.
- Third-degree creosote in flues that were “just swept last year.” Delaware gets real winters and homeowners burn soft maple and pine, which produce heavy creosote fast. If the last sweep was a quick brush-and-go, the flue may already have a hardened glaze the camera picks up.
- Disconnected flue liners in homes with recent roof work. A roofing crew that replaces flashing on a Delaware home sometimes knocks a section of air-cooled flue apart where it passes through the chase. We’ve found this enough times that we check chase seams on every inspection where a roof was replaced in the last five years.
Pricing for Chimney Inspection in Delaware, OH
A standard Level 1 chimney inspection in Delaware runs $149 – $249. A Level 2 camera inspection runs $249 – $499; the higher end covers two-story chases and older flues that need more camera time to inspect fully. A Level 3 inspection, which involves removing masonry to reach hidden sections of flue, starts around $1,000 and goes up based on how much of the wall or chase we have to open. Every inspection gets a written price before we start. If you’re selling a home, ask for our real estate inspection flat rate. Call (830) 251-4560 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Delaware
Our crews also run inspections in Delaware and the surrounding communities, including Powell, Sunbury, Columbus, and Dublin. If you’re in one of those towns and need a Chimney Inspection with camera photos and a written guarantee, call the same number: (830) 251-4560.
Serving Delaware, OH - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Delaware 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 Delaware
No. If you burn fewer than a dozen fires a season in Delaware and you haven’t changed your fuel or appliance, a Level 1 inspection every two or three years is usually enough. The annual rule applies to heavy burners, not occasional ones. But if you’ve had a chimney fire, water stains, or a stale-smoke smell, get the camera in there regardless of schedule. Call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll tell you if an inspection is warranted based on what you describe.
Yes. A Level 1 inspection in Delaware is a flat $149 – $249, and a Level 2 camera inspection is a flat $249 – $499. You approve the number before we schedule. If the inspection turns up repair work, you get a separate written quote for that work, and you’re under no obligation to book it. The inspection price never changes at the door.
First-degree creosote is fluffy soot that a normal brush removes. Third-degree creosote is a hard, shiny glaze fused to the flue wall, the stuff that fuels chimney fires and can’t be removed by a standard sweep. Delaware wood burners see more third-degree buildup than homeowners realize because soft Ohio firewood and low-temperature overnight burns bake the creosote onto the flue. Our camera shows you exactly which degree you’re dealing with, so you don’t pay for a sweep that won’t solve the problem.
Yes, every inspection in Delaware includes a camera run and a photo report. You see stills of anything we flag: cracked flue tile, missing mortar, creosote levels, the damper condition, the crown. If we recommend a repair, you’ll have the photo that justifies it in your hand before you spend a dollar.
Surface creosote, a worn damper, or a cracked chimney crown can usually wait a few months if you’re not burning. Third-degree creosote, a disconnected flue liner, or a blocked flue should not wait, because those create chimney fire and carbon monoxide risk the next time you light a fire. We’ll tell you plainly which category you’re in, and we’ll put it in writing. For a quote, call (830) 251-4560.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner at Flint Chimney Sweep, serving Delaware since 2002.