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 San Antonio
A chimney inspection in San Antonio typically costs $189 – $459 depending on the level, and a Level 2 inspection with camera scan runs $349 – $459 in most San Antonio homes. We schedule San Antonio inspections within 2 – 4 business days, never same-day, because a proper inspection takes time and we won’t cut corners to squeeze in a rushed job. Flint Chimney Sweep has been inspecting chimneys in San Antonio since 2002, and our crews know the older ranch homes, the mid-century builds, and the newer construction out toward Helotes the same way you know your own street. Call (830) 251-4560 and a live person answers, any hour.
Why Flint Chimney Sweep Is San Antonio’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
San Antonio homeowners keep our number because we put the price in writing before a single tool comes off the truck. That is not a slogan. It is the way Hank Delano runs Flint Chimney Sweep, and it is the same Garrison Standard every Garrison Partners location follows: written scope, written price, written one-year guarantee on any repair we recommend. If a covered repair fails within 365 days, we return at no charge. No argument, no second invoice.
Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed, so when the truck pulls up in Alamo Heights or Terrell Heights, you know exactly who is walking through your door. We carry professional-grade inspection gear and repair materials from Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield, and we stock common liner and crown components locally so San Antonio jobs do not wait on out-of-state freight. We answer the phone with a live person 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No voicemail trees.
San Antonio customers use us because a Chimney Inspection here means a camera goes up the flue and a photo report gets emailed to you the same day. You see what we see. Nothing gets recommended without picture evidence you can hold in your hand.
Chimney Fire in San Antonio
Chimney Fire in San Antonio is the inspection we run after a homeowner has experienced or suspects a chimney fire, or after years of neglected burning have left heavy creosote deposits that could ignite. In San Antonio, this most often happens in older homes where the original clay flue liner has cracked and creosote has accumulated behind the firebox. We scope the full flue with a camera, check the smoke chamber, crown, and damper, and then give you a written report and a flat price for whatever the camera actually shows. A chimney fire inspection in San Antonio runs $349 – $459 when it includes the full camera scan and written report. If a sweep is also needed, a standard sweep adds $189 – $259.
What the camera tells us
We run the camera from the firebox up to the crown. The images show us liner cracks, missing mortar joints, creosote glaze, and any separation between flue sections. In San Antonio’s clay-heavy soil, drought-cycle movement can shift chimney stacks and open hairline cracks that are invisible from the roof. The camera finds them.
When you actually need this level
If you hear a rumble that sounds like a freight train, see flames shooting from the top of the chimney, or smell a sharp, acrid odor that won’t go away, stop using the fireplace and book a chimney fire inspection. Even without a dramatic event, a chimney that has not been swept in years and burns a lot of oak or mesquite can carry enough creosote to be a real risk. This is one of the few times we’ll tell you to act quickly rather than wait for spring.
Level 2 Chimney Inspection in San Antonio
Level 2 Chimney Inspection in San Antonio is the standard we recommend for any home being bought or sold, any chimney that has had a change to the fuel type or liner, and any house where a chimney fire may have occurred. In San Antonio, where 1950s and 1960s ranch homes off Rigsby Avenue, Vance Jackson Road, and Bandera Road often still carry their original single-wythe brick chimneys and unlined flues, a Level 2 is the only way to see what is actually going on behind the firebox. A Level 2 cash price in San Antonio runs $349 – $459, and includes a full camera scan, attic and crawlspace access points where applicable, and a written photo report.
What a Level 2 covers
A Level 2 includes everything in a Level 1 visual inspection plus the camera scan of the full flue interior. We check the smoke chamber, damper operation, chimney crown, flashing, and the accessible portions of the exterior masonry. If the home has an attic or crawlspace, we inspect the chimney chase and any exposed flue sections there. You get a written report with photos, and if we find damage, a flat price for the repair, written on the spot.
San Antonio real estate and this inspection
Realtors and home inspectors across San Antonio call us for Chimney Inspection in San Antonio because the Level 2 is what lenders and insurance underwriters want to see after a sale. A standard home inspection does not include a camera scan. We document what the general inspector cannot, and the photo report gives the buyer or seller a defensible paper trail.
Trusted Brands We Service in San Antonio
We do not use whatever liner or crown material is cheapest on the truck that week. Flint Chimney Sweep specifies by job, so a San Antonio homeowner with a cracked clay liner gets a DuraFlex or HeatShield option quoted with the brand name on the ticket, not a mystery “liner kit.” We carry Olympia Chimney and Famco components for dampers, caps, and chase covers, and Copperfield products where the job calls for them. Parts are stocked locally so most San Antonio repair work starts without waiting on freight from Dallas or Houston.
Common Chimney Inspection Problems We See in San Antonio Homes
- No clay flue liner at all. A lot of San Antonio ranches built from the 1950s through the 1970s had brick chimneys with no clay flue liner installed from the beginning. Code allows the chimney to exist, but burning in an unlined flue is a fire and carbon monoxide risk. The camera confirms it in ten seconds, and then we give you the relining options.
- Cracked clay liners from drought-cycle soil movement. San Antonio’s clay-heavy soil expands and contracts with rain and drought, and chimneys shift. Hairline cracks in the original clay liner let heat and gases reach the brick and framing. A visual-only inspection misses most of these.
- Spalled and crumbling chimney crowns. Years of San Antonio sun, rain, and the occasional hard freeze eat away at mortar crowns. Water gets in, freeze-thaw cycles worsen the damage, and the crown starts dropping chunks onto the roof or into the flue. We see this constantly on homes in Jefferson, Harlandale, and the older streets around Woodlawn Lake.
- Warped dampers that won’t seal. A 1960s damper that has warped from heat leaves an open path for carbon monoxide to drift back into the living space. The fireplace looks fine. The damper is not. A Level 2 catches this because we test the damper seal as part of the inspection.
Pricing for Chimney Inspection in San Antonio, TX
A Level 1 visual inspection in San Antonio runs $189 – $249. A Level 2 inspection with full camera scan runs $349 – $459. A chimney fire inspection, which is essentially a Level 2 focused on post-fire or high-creosote conditions, runs $349 – $459. If a sweep is added to any inspection, a standard sweep adds $189 – $259. The price you approve before we start is the price on the invoice. Every San Antonio inspection includes the written report and photo documentation at no extra charge. Estimates are free, and you will always get the number in writing before any work begins. Call (830) 251-4560 to book.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Antonio
Flint Chimney Sweep serves San Antonio and the surrounding metros including Converse, Universal City, Schertz, and Helotes. If you live in one of those areas, the same written pricing, same photo report, and same one-year guarantee apply. We coordinate all dispatch and scheduling from our San Antonio office, so the crew you talk to on the phone is the crew that shows up.
Serving San Antonio, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Antonio 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 San Antonio
Once a year, even if you only burn four or five fires a season. Birds, nesting material, and creosote still accumulate, and a cracked liner does not care how often you burn. But we’ll tell you plainly: if you burn only occasionally and the last inspection was clean, you can usually stretch to 18 months without real risk. Call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll look at your last report and tell you honestly.
A Level 2 inspection with camera scan. A 1964 San Antonio home almost certainly has its original clay flue liner or none at all, and the only way to know is a camera in the flue. This is the exact scenario where a visual check gives false confidence. The camera scan gives you a photo record for insurance and future repairs.
You get a written price before we book the appointment, and the invoice matches that number. The only time a price changes is if the inspection uncovers damage that requires additional repair work, and that repair gets its own written quote before anything else happens. You approve it or you don’t. Nothing moves without your sign-off.
Usually yes, when the chimney has been maintained and the inspection is a routine annual check. In a 1950s or 1960s San Antonio home that has never had a Level 2, we’ll often recommend the inspection first, because a sweep alone cannot remove third-degree creosote glaze and the liner assessment may change the whole picture. We’ll tell you which applies to your house before we book.
Minor crown hairline cracks and light creosote can usually wait until the next scheduled service. Stop using the fireplace immediately if the camera shows a cracked or missing liner, if the damper won’t close fully, or if there’s evidence of a past chimney fire. Those are the conditions that put heat, gas, or fire where they don’t belong. If you’re unsure which category you’re in, call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll walk you through what we saw.
What a Proper San Antonio Chimney Inspection Actually Looks Like
Here is the inspection sequence we run on San Antonio’s older single-wythe brick chimneys, and it’s the reason our customers stay with us. First, the tech sets up drop cloths from the front door to the firebox. Then we run the camera from the firebox up through the smoke chamber and flue to the crown. We document every crack, gap, and creosote layer with still frames. The crown, flashing, and damper get checked and photographed. Then, and only then, does anyone talk about repairs. The tech writes the flat price for whatever the camera shows, hands it to you, and emails the full photo report before leaving. That is the Garrison Standard. That is how Hank Delano has run Flint Chimney Sweep since 2002.
We ran a Level 2 on a 1962 ranch off Rigsby Avenue near the AT&T Center, where the homeowner complained about drafting issues and a smoky firebox. Our tech pulled the firebox apart, found first-degree creosote flaking off the walls, a spalled chimney crown, and three hairline cracks in the original clay flue liner using our camera. We gave the homeowner a flat price for a HeatShield liner resurfacing and a crown repair, wrote it on the ticket before we left, and emailed the full photo report the same day.
That is the difference between a San Antonio chimney company that shows up and one that documents. You see the evidence. You approve the price. You keep the written guarantee. Call (830) 251-4560 for a free estimate, and a live person will answer.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner at Flint Chimney Sweep, serving San Antonio since 2002.