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 Medford
A chimney inspection in Medford typically costs $179 – $249 for a Level 1 and $349 – $499 for a Level 2 camera inspection, and most appointments are booked within a week. If you’re in Medford, you’ve probably noticed how the housing stock changes block by block: a 1920s two-family near Medford Square has a very different chimney from a 1960s ranch out toward the Fells. We inspect both every week, and we put the price in writing before we book.
Flint Chimney Sweep is part of the Garrison Partners family, and every inspection follows The Garrison Standard: a written price before any work starts, background-checked uniformed technicians, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise on any repair. Call (830) 251-4560 to schedule an inspection anywhere in Medford, from West Medford to Wellington.
Why Flint Chimney Sweep Is Medford’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
Medford homeowners call us because we say what an inspection actually involves, in plain terms, and we don’t invent hazards to sell repairs. A camera inspection here means running a probe up your flue and showing you the photos, joint by joint, on the spot. Nothing gets recommended without visual evidence you can see yourself.
We’ve inspected chimneys on Winthrop Street, along High Street toward West Medford Square, and through the side streets off Main Street in South Medford. The homes on Mystic Avenue near the river tend to have newer liners; the three-deckers off Medford Square often have the original parged flues from the 1920s. Knowing the difference before we arrive means we bring the right camera and the right expectations.
Hank Delano leads the inspection team. Every technician is background-checked and arrives in uniform, and a live person answers the phone 24/7. When you book a Chimney Inspection with us, you get a written price before we dispatch, so the number on your invoice is the number you approved.
Our reputation in Medford is built on showing up inside the window we give and leaving the hearth cleaner than we found it. The 365-Day Done Right Promise is in writing on every repair quote: if it’s not done right, we return at no charge.
Chimney Fire in Medford
Chimney Fire in Medford is a real risk in older housing stock, not a scare tactic. A chimney fire happens when creosote, the tar-like residue from burning wood, ignites inside the flue. In Medford’s pre-1930 two- and three-family homes, the flues are often unlined or parged brick, which lets creosote accumulate faster and burn hotter than it would in a modern stainless liner. The result can crack the flue, warp the damper, or spread to the framing if the fire is hot enough. A proper inspection checks for the creosote load and the condition of the flue before you light the first fire of the season.
What a Chimney Fire Check Involves
Our technician checks the firebox, damper, smoke chamber, and flue for signs of prior chimney fire: puffy or honeycombed creosote, cracks in the flue tiles, or discolored masonry. In a Medford triple-decker, we photograph the smoke chamber joint by joint, because that’s where first- and second-degree creosote builds up fastest. We’ll also check whether the flue is lined at all, which many older Medford chimneys are not.
When It Needs Attention
If you hear a crackling sound from the chimney during a fire, see thick black smoke, or smell an acrid odor on cold mornings even when the fire is out, call us. A standard chimney fire inspection in Medford runs $179 – $249, and if we find second-degree creosote, a sweep is the standard fix before further inspection.
Level 2 Chimney Inspection in Medford
A Level 2 Chimney Inspection in Medford is the camera-based inspection most homeowners need when they buy a house, change fuel type, or haven’t inspected in years. It costs $349 – $499 here, and it involves running a video probe up the entire flue to document cracks, gaps, blockage, and creosote buildup with photos. In Medford, where many homes near Medford Square date to the 1920s and were built with unlined or parged flues, a Level 2 catches problems a flashlight can’t reach.
When Medford Homeowners Need a Level 2
If you’re buying a house in Medford, your real estate agent will usually call for a Level 2 as part of the closing. You should also get one if you’ve had a chimney fire, if you’re switching from oil to gas, or if the chimney hasn’t been used in more than two seasons. A Level 2 gives you the photo evidence to decide whether a repair can wait or needs attention before winter.
Camera Inspection and Photo Report
We run the camera from the firebox up to the flue cap and photograph every joint in between. After the run, we walk you through the images and give you a written report of what we found, what it means in plain terms, and what we would and would not fix. If the flue is clean and intact, we say so, and we don’t invent a liner problem to sell you one.
Trusted Brands We Service in Medford
When a Medford inspection turns up a flue that needs relining or resurfacing, we stock and install professional-grade products including DuraFlex stainless liners, HeatShield resurfacing material, and Olympia Chimney components. We specify the material by the job, not by the margin. That means if a camera run on a 1920s Medford Square flue shows gaps in the parging, a HeatShield resurface is often the right call, not a full liner replacement. These are trade brands you can look up independently, and we’re glad to explain why we chose one over another for your specific chimney.
Common Chimney Inspection Problems We See in Medford Homes
- Unlined or parged flues in pre-1930 homes. Many Medford two- and three-family houses near Medford Square and South Medford were built before code required flue liners, and the original parged mortar is often cracked or flaking by now. A camera run finds gaps a flashlight never would.
- Spalling brick and cracked crowns on exterior chimneys. Homes out toward the Fells commonly have mid-century exterior stacks, and Medford’s freeze-thaw cycles chew them up. Water gets into the crown, freezes, and fractures the brick, and you’ll see crumbs of brick at the base before you ever smell smoke.
- First-degree creosote flaking off the smoke chamber. This is the one that causes a sharp, acrid odor on cold mornings without visible smoke. It’s the earliest stage of buildup, and a sweep plus inspection catches it before it glazes into third-degree creosote, which is harder and more dangerous to remove.
- Damaged flashing where the chimney meets the roof. Medford’s older slate and asphalt roofs settle, and flashing that looked fine five years ago can open up a channel for water. During a Level 2 we check the flashing from the roof side whenever it’s safe to access, because water intrusion at the roofline is the number one cause of spalling and liner rust here.
Pricing for Chimney Inspection in Medford, MA
A Level 1 inspection in Medford runs $179 – $249, and a Level 2 camera inspection is $349 – $499. The difference comes down to whether we run a camera and how much of the flue we photo-document; a Level 1 is a visual check from the firebox and cleanout, while a Level 2 is the full video run with a written photo report. If we find creosote that needs sweeping, a standard sweep in Medford is $199 – $299 and is booked separately or added to the inspection. Older chimneys with difficult access or very tall flues can run toward the top of that range, and we’ll tell you that before we book, never after. Call (830) 251-4560 for a free estimate; the price we quote is the price you pay.
We Also Serve Cities Near Medford
Flint Chimney Sweep serves Medford and the surrounding communities, including Malden, Somerville, Arlington, and Everett. If you’re in one of those towns and need a chimney inspection, the same written-price guarantee and 365-Day Done Right Promise apply. You’ll get the same camera work, the same photo report, and the same straight answer on whether your chimney actually needs work.
Serving Medford, MA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Medford 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 Medford
If you burn less than a cord of wood a season and the flue was recently inspected and clean, you can usually go two years between Level 1 checks; if you burn regularly or the chimney is unlined, an annual check is the safe minimum. The honest answer is that not every Medford chimney needs a yearly inspection. What matters is the creosote load and the condition of the flue, not the calendar. A Level 1 at $179 – $249 tells you where you stand, and we’ll tell you plainly if the annual visit can wait. Call (830) 251-4560 to schedule and get a written price first.
A Level 1 is a visual check of the accessible parts of the chimney and runs $179 – $249; a Level 2 adds a full camera run of the flue with a photo report and runs $349 – $499. If your Medford home was built before 1930, has an exterior chimney, or hasn’t been inspected in more than three years, get a Level 2. If the chimney is newer, lined, and you burn lightly, a Level 1 is usually enough to confirm it’s safe. We’ll recommend one or the other based on your house, not on what earns us more.
Third-degree creosote is a hard, glazed, tar-like coating that looks like shiny black glass inside the flue, and no, a standard brush will not remove it. In Medford we see it most often in flues that ran hot fires for years without cleaning, and in unlined chimneys where creosote forms faster. Removing it usually requires chemical treatment or rotary cleaning, and a camera inspection confirms the extent before we quote. If you’re not sure what you’re looking at, call us; we’ll photograph it and show you, and you can see for yourself whether it’s first-degree flaking or glazed third-degree.
Yes, spalling brick and a cracked crown are exactly what a proper Medford inspection checks before we ever look up the flue. Exterior chimneys, common on the mid-century capes and ranches toward the Fells, take the freeze-thaw harder than interior flues. If the crown is cracked or the brick faces are popping, water is getting into the masonry, and the flue behind it is compromised. We inspect the exterior first, photograph what we find, and quote the masonry repair separately from the flue work so you know exactly what each part costs. Call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll give you a written price before we start.
Yes to the flat price; no to same-day service. Every inspection is quoted in writing before we book, so the number on your invoice is the number you approved. We do not promise same-day dispatch because our sweeps are booked like real appointments, not emergency calls. If you have a safety concern, we’ll tell you on the phone whether it can wait for the next open slot or needs priority scheduling. The time to book a Medford inspection is before burning season, not during it. Call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll get you on the schedule.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner at Flint Chimney Sweep, serving Medford since 2002.