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 Kendale Lakes
A chimney inspection in Kendale Lakes, FL typically runs $189 – $349 depending on the level, and a Level 2 inspection with a camera run costs $349 – $499. Most inspections take 45 to 90 minutes, and you get a written photo report before the tech leaves your driveway. We serve every corner of Kendale Lakes, from the neighborhoods off Kendale Lakes Drive to the homes near SW 127th Avenue and Bird Road. Call (830) 251-4560 to schedule, and you’ll get a flat price in writing before any work starts.
Why Flint Chimney Sweep Is Kendale Lakes’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
Flint Chimney Sweep has operated since 2002 as part of the Garrison Partners family of independently owned chimney service companies. Every one of our technicians arrives background-checked and in uniform, so you know exactly who’s walking through your door. We don’t do voicemail trees. A live person answers the phone 24/7, including weekends, because chimney problems in Kendale Lakes don’t wait for Monday.
Our reputation in Kendale Lakes rests on one habit: we put the price, the scope, and the guarantee in writing before a single tool comes off the truck. That’s The Garrison Standard. If you’ve been burned before by a chimney company that moved the price at the door or left a mess behind, you’ll notice the difference immediately. Hank Delano leads the team, and the discipline starts with him.
We dispatch from our Miami (South FL) office, which means a Kendale Lakes appointment is a local run, not a cross-state guess. When we tell you a crew will arrive in a two-hour window, that window is built around actual drive time through West Kendall, not a call center estimate.
Level 2 Chimney Inspection in Kendale Lakes
A Level 2 Chimney Inspection in Kendale Lakes is what we recommend when something about your chimney has changed: a new appliance, a property sale, a storm event, or a fire that burned strangely. It includes everything in a Level 1 plus a video camera run through the full length of the flue, the smoke chamber, and the firebox. The camera sees what a flashlight cannot, and you get the photos afterward. In Kendale Lakes, where wind-driven rain and hurricane uplift stress chimney caps and flashing year-round, a Level 2 is often the only honest way to determine whether water intrusion has damaged the liner or masonry behind the surface.
A standard Level 2 inspection with a camera report runs $349 – $499 in Kendale Lakes. That price is written before we start. If we find repairs needed, we quote them separately, in writing, and you decide. Nothing proceeds without your approval.
When a Level 2 Makes Sense
Buying or selling a home in Kendale Lakes is the most common trigger. Lenders and buyers increasingly want a documented chimney condition before closing. The second trigger is water. If you’ve seen staining on the ceiling near the chimney chase or heard dripping in the firebox after a hard Miami rain, a Level 2 tells us whether the crown, the flashing, or the liner is the point of entry.
What You’ll See in the Report
Every Level 2 includes time-stamped photos from inside the flue. You’ll see the smoke chamber, the damper, the liner seams, and any first, second, or third-degree creosote. We translate each photo in plain language and mark what needs attention now versus what can safely wait. No one on our team will upsell you a cleaning or a liner replacement without showing you the image that justifies it.
Chimney Leak in Kendale Lakes
A chimney leak in Kendale Lakes is almost always a water problem, not a fire problem, and the flat limestone geography of Miami-Dade makes it worse. Rain pools, drains slowly, and finds every crack in a crown, every lifted flashing seam, and every failed cap screen. The firebox holds water because the surrounding ground can’t pull it away fast enough. That’s why we push a camera inspection and a photo report instead of guessing. You should know whether the fix is a $220 flashing reseal or a $2,400 crown rebuild before you spend a nickel.
Chimney leak diagnosis in Kendale Lakes typically costs $189 – $349, which includes a Level 1 inspection and water tracing. If the scope requires a full camera run, expect $349 – $499. In either case, the number on the invoice is the number you approved beforehand. That’s non-negotiable.
The Cap and Flashing Check
Kendale Lakes sits in a hurricane zone, and uplift on a chimney cap is a real thing. We pull the cap and inspect the base, the screen, and the attachment hardware. Then we inspect the flashing where the chimney meets the roof deck. On tile-roof homes off Kendale Lakes Drive, aging mortar and cracked tile around the chase create entry points that no amount of caulk will fix for long.
Why the Camera Matters for Leaks
A chimney leak that drips into the firebox may have nothing to do with the flue. The camera rules out or confirms a cracked flue liner as the source. If the liner is sound and the leak is external, we tell you that plainly and quote only the exterior work. We do not sell a liner because it’s more profitable. We sell the repair the evidence supports.
Trusted Brands We Service in Kendale Lakes
When a Kendale Lakes home needs a new cap, a flashing repair, or a partial reline, we work with materials from brands that hold up to South Florida’s humidity and salt air. That means Olympia Chimney caps and chase covers, DuraFlex liners where a stainless reline is warranted, and Copperfield components where the application calls for them. We maintain stock of common Kendale Lakes repair parts in our South FL office, which shortens turnaround when a crown crack or a failed cap is the only issue. You’ll never wait weeks for a part that should have been on a shelf.
Common Chimney Inspection Problems We See in Kendale Lakes Homes
- Spalled crowns and lifted flashing. Kendale Lakes gets 60+ inches of rain a year, and the flat, high-water-table terrain means water lingers around the chimney base. Cracks in the concrete crown widen with each wet-dry cycle, and the flashing pulls away during summer storm winds.
- Rusted, stuck dampers. Humidity and rain intrusion seize the damper plate inside the throat. A homeowner who thinks the chimney is dirty because it won’t draw may actually have a damper that’s rusted shut and needs replacement, not a sweep.
- Blocked cap screens. Hurricane-season debris, nesting, and salt-driven corrosion clog the cap screen. That restricts draft and can push smoke back into the living space. A simple cap replacement or screen clean often restores the draw.
- First-degree creosote that’s ready for a sweep, not an emergency. Homes off SW 117th Avenue that burn occasional fires accumulate a light, brushable creosote. It’s worth addressing on schedule, but it’s not an urgent hazard. We tell you when that’s the case instead of inflating the risk.
Pricing for Chimney Inspection in Kendale Lakes, FL
A standard Level 1 chimney inspection in Kendale Lakes runs $189 – $249. A Level 2 inspection with full camera documentation runs $349 – $499. Leak-specific diagnostics fall in the $189 – $349 range depending on how much of the system needs to be traced. What changes the price is the need for roof access, the height and pitch of the roof, and whether a partial teardown of the cap or chase is required to see the flashing. Every quote is written before work begins, and a full-year guarantee applies to any repair we perform. Call (830) 251-4560 for a free estimate. You’ll know the price before you commit to anything.
We Also Serve Cities Near Kendale Lakes
Our Chimney Inspection team works throughout South Florida. While this page is for Kendale Lakes specifically, we regularly dispatch to Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, and Orlando. If you’re in one of those markets, we can usually coordinate a visit through the same scheduling line.
Serving Kendale Lakes, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Kendale Lakes 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 Kendale Lakes
Yes. The biggest chimney problem in Kendale Lakes is water, not fire. Even a chimney that’s never lit has a cap, a crown, flashing, and a firebox that sits exposed to hurricane-season rain and humidity. A rusted damper, a cracked crown, or a failed cap can introduce water into the walls and ceiling long before you ever think about the chimney. A Level 2 inspection with a camera shows you the condition of the flue even if it’s never carried smoke. Call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll quote a flat price before scheduling.
A Level 2 includes everything in a Level 1, plus a camera run through the flue, the smoke chamber, and the firebox. The technician documents time-stamped photos and writes a plain-language report. It’s the standard we recommend in Kendale Lakes whenever a property changes hands, after a major storm, or when the chimney has been dormant for years. Costs run $349 – $499 in this market. The report is yours to keep, and we explain every finding face-to-face. Call (830) 251-4560 with questions.
Annually, even in South Florida’s mild climate. The National Fire Protection Association recommends an annual inspection, and the reason here has less to do with creosote and more to do with water intrusion and hurricane damage. A cap that shifted during a storm or flashing that loosened over a wet summer will not announce itself. An annual inspection catches those before the ceiling stains. Call (830) 251-4560 to book, and the schedule we set respects your time.
Yes, but the mechanism is obstruction, not just dirt. A blocked flue, a stuck damper, or heavy glazed creosote can restrict draft and push combustion gases back into the living space. In Kendale Lakes, we also see draft problems caused by rusted dampers and blocked cap screens, which is why a proper inspection matters more than assuming a sweep will solve the issue. If you notice smoke lingering or a faint smell after a fire, call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll diagnose it properly.
Almost never. A chimney that leaks during heavy rain in Kendale Lakes nearly always has a water-intrusion failure: a cracked crown, lifted flashing, a bad cap, or a combination. A sweep will not stop that leak. The right first step is a leak-specific inspection, which typically runs $189 – $349, and gives you photographic proof of the entry point. Call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll find the leak and quote the fix in writing before any work starts.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner at Flint Chimney Sweep, serving Kendale Lakes, FL since 2002.