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 Kirby
Chimney inspection in Kirby, TX typically costs $189 – $449 depending on the level and scope, and a camera inspection runs $249 – $449 when added to a sweep. Most Kirby inspections take 45 to 90 minutes, and we deliver a written photo report before we leave the driveway. If you’re off Ackerman Road or over by the Kirby Senior Center, our techs can usually reach you within one to two business days. Call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll give you a flat price before the truck rolls.
Why Flint Chimney Sweep Is Kirby’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
Flint Chimney Sweep has been part of the Garrison Partners family since 2002, and our approach is the same in every city we serve: a written price before any work starts, a background-checked uniformed technician at the door, and a guarantee that is written down, not just promised. Kirby homeowners call us because they have been burned before by outfits that quoted one number on the phone and another at the kitchen table. That does not happen with us. The number we write down is the number you pay, and if a repair we make fails within one full year, we come back at no charge under our 365-Day Done Right Promise.
We know Kirby’s housing stock well. The neighborhoods around Binz-Engleman Road, Ackerman Road, and the streets east of the baseball fields off Old Seguin Road are full of 1950s and 60s masonry fireplaces that have never seen a camera. Our techs know what those chimneys look like inside: undersized clay flue tiles, spalled mortar, dampers that have not moved in decades. Scheduling is coordinated from our San Antonio office, and phone coverage is live 24/7, so when you call at 8 p.m. on a Tuesday, a person answers.
Chimney Camera Inspection in Kirby
Chimney Camera Inspection in Kirby is what separates a real diagnosis from a guess. We run a sealed camera up the flue liner and record video of every joint, crack, and gap. You see the footage. You get a written photo report with stills and our notes. In a 1960s ranch off Binz-Engleman Road, we pulled a damper, ran the camera up a clay liner, and found a broken tile section with third-degree creosote glaze sitting right above it. We wrote the flue liner repair and the creosote removal as two line items so the homeowner could decide what to handle first.
A camera inspection in Kirby runs $249 – $449 when bundled with a sweep. It is the only way to see what is happening inside a flue liner that was installed before modern standards existed. You cannot eyeball a cracked tile from the firebox, and you cannot feel a gap behind the smoke chamber by hand. The camera is the tool, and the report is what you keep.
What the Camera Shows
We look at the flue liner from firebox to chimney crown. The images show cracked clay tiles, gaps between tile sections, glazed creosote buildup, and water staining from a missing chimney cap. If your liner is the original from a 1950s or 60s masonry build, the camera usually finds something worth discussing.
When Kirby Homeowners Need It
Before a real estate closing, after a chimney fire, or anytime an inspection has not been done in five or more years. Homeowners who burn regularly in an original masonry fireplace should get a camera inspection at least once before deciding whether the liner is safe to keep using.
Fireplace Inspection in Kirby
Fireplace Inspection in Kirby starts at the firebox and works up. We check the damper operation, the smoke chamber, the flue liner, and the chimney crown and cap from the roof. Kirby’s post-war housing mix means a large share of homes still burn in original masonry fireplaces with undersized clay flue tiles. Our inspectors routinely find flue liner gaps and spalled mortar that would never show up on a newer insert in a neighboring city. Because so many of these chimneys were built before modern liner standards, the inspection focuses on draft and liner integrity more than on creosote volume alone.
A standard fireplace inspection in Kirby runs $189 – $249. A Level 2 inspection with full video documentation runs higher: $349 – $449. We tell you the scope and the flat price before we book, so there is no surprise when the tech arrives in a marked vehicle and uniform.
What Gets Checked at the Firebox
Damper travel and fit, firebrick condition, the smoke shelf, and any staining that suggests water or backdrafting. In Kirby’s older homes, we frequently see dampers rusted open or seized shut, which changes the draft and can push smoke into the room.
Roof and Crown Checks
Missing chimney caps and spalled crown mortar are common on Kirby homes that have gone years between inspections. Those openings let rain in and give squirrels and birds a way down into the flue. We document it with photos so you see exactly what we see.
Trusted Brands We Service in Kirby
We install and work with professional-grade chimney materials from brands like Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield. These parts are specified by job, not by margin, which means we do not put a cheap aftermarket cap or liner component in a chimney that needs a proper fit. Our dispatchers keep the most common Kirby repair items on hand through our San Antonio supply network, so a damper or cap replacement usually does not mean waiting on a special order. When you call, you get a straight answer about what brand we are using and why.
Common Chimney Inspection Problems We See in Kirby Homes
- Undersized clay flue liners in 1950s – 60s masonry chimneys. Many original Kirby fireplaces were built with clay tiles that don’t meet modern sizing standards. That affects draft and can leave hot gases sitting against the masonry longer than they should.
- Spalled brick at the chimney crown and missing caps. Kirby’s freeze-thaw cycle and the age of these homes combine badly. Water gets into cracked mortar, then the first cold snap pops the brick face off. It’s visible from the ground, but most homeowners never look up.
- Glazed, third-degree creosote in flues that have never been inspected. We see this often on homes where the previous owner burned pine or green wood for years. A basic sweep will not remove glazed creosote safely, and a camera is the only way to confirm what you’re dealing with.
- Damper and smoke chamber surprises found only after the flue liner is cleaned. Because so many Kirby fireplaces are original masonry and not inserts, a straight quote often gets complicated by a damper that won’t seal or a smoke chamber with gaps behind it. We write each issue as a separate line item, with a photo, so you decide what to address now.
Pricing for Chimney Inspection in Kirby, TX
A basic Level 1 chimney inspection in Kirby runs $189 – $249. A Level 2 inspection with full camera documentation runs $349 – $449. A Level 3 inspection, which is uncommon and typically only needed after a chimney fire, is quoted after we assess the damage. The main factors that move the price are the height and pitch of the roof, the number of flues, and whether the chimney is original masonry or a newer insert. We give you a written, flat price before any work starts, and that price does not change at the door. Call (830) 251-4560 for an exact quote. Estimates are free.
We Also Serve Cities Near Kirby
Flint Chimney Sweep serves Kirby and the surrounding region, including Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Fort Worth. If you own a rental property in one of those cities or have family nearby, the same written guarantee and flat-price policy applies. Learn more about Chimney Inspection everywhere we operate or see how we approach work specifically in this area with Chimney Inspection in Kirby.
Serving Kirby, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Kirby 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 Kirby
No. If you burn fewer than a dozen fires a year and the chimney was inspected within the last two years with no issues found, you can usually stretch it to every two years. What matters is that the chimney gets a camera inspection at least once so you know the true condition of the flue liner, and that you don’t skip a roof check after a big storm or a hard freeze. Call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll tell you honestly if waiting is fine.
A Level 2 inspection uses video scanning of the entire flue from firebox to crown, along with checks of the damper, smoke chamber, chimney cap, and accessible roof and attic penetrations. A basic sweep removes creosote but doesn’t document the inside of the liner. If you’re buying a home, changing fuel type, or haven’t had the chimney looked at in five years or more, Level 2 is the one that gives you evidence instead of a verbal assurance. We still give you a flat price before we book.
Third-degree creosote looks like a hard, glossy black glaze and it forms when flue temperatures get high enough to bake the creosote into a dense layer. You can’t knock it off with a brush. The only reliable way to know is a camera inspection that shows the glaze on screen and in the photo report. If you’ve been burning pine or green wood for years in an original masonry fireplace, have a look. Call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll schedule the camera run with a straight answer on what it will cost.
Yes. Every inspection in Kirby is quoted as a written, flat price before we schedule the truck. The price we write down is the price on the invoice. No add-ons, no pressure at the door. If you want the camera report, we tell you the camera cost up front and you decide before we load anything in the truck. Call (830) 251-4560 for your number.
If you have no visible spalling, no water staining on the ceiling around the chimney, the damper opens and closes, and the last camera inspection within two years showed no liner damage, then waiting until fall is usually fine. But if you smell smoke in the house after a fire, hear animals in the flue, or see brick flakes in the firebox, don’t wait. Those are real failure signals on Kirby’s older masonry chimneys. Call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll help you decide with the camera doing the talking.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner at Flint Chimney Sweep, serving Kirby since the company’s founding in 2002.