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
AfterTrusted Chimney Sweep Nationwide
A chimney sweep removes creosote, soot, and blockages from the flue that carries smoke out of your house. Left alone, that buildup becomes the fuel for a chimney fire, or it forces carbon monoxide back into the living space. Flint Chimney Sweep, our Chimney Sweep in Los Angeles, has handled this work since 2002 as part of the Garrison Partners family, and every job ends with a written guarantee. You get a written price before any tool comes off the truck. Call (830) 251-4560 and a live person answers, any hour, any day.
Chimney Sweep Services
Chimney Sweep Services cover the full cleaning of your flue, smoke chamber, damper, and firebox, removing the creosote and debris that restrict airflow and create fire risk. You need this when you see dark buildup on the walls of the firebox, when smoke rolls back into the room instead of up the flue, or when it has been more than a year since your last cleaning. A standard sweep with Flint Chimney Sweep typically runs $149 – $349 depending on the height of the flue, the level of buildup, and any blockages we find. Every sweep includes a camera inspection so you see exactly what we saw, and the written price you approved is the price you pay.
Creosote Removal
Creosote is the tar-like residue that forms when wood smoke cools inside the flue. Stage three creosote is glazed and hard, and it is the leading cause of chimney fires in American homes. Our technicians remove it with rotary brushes and professional-grade equipment, then show you the before and after camera footage.
Blockage and Debris Clearance
Birds, squirrels, and raccoons build nests in flues every season, and a blocked flue will push smoke and carbon monoxide into your home. We remove the obstruction, clean the flue walls, and tell you plainly whether a cap or screen is needed to keep animals out in the future.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Chimney Cleaning
Chimney Cleaning is the hands-on work of brushing and vacuuming the interior surfaces of your chimney so smoke and combustion gases can vent freely. It is the single most important maintenance task for any home that burns wood, and the National Fire Protection Association recommends it annually. Flint Chimney Sweep charges $149 – $349 for a standard cleaning, with the final price dependent on flue height and how much creosote has accumulated. The technician arrives in uniform, covers the work area, and leaves the house as clean as he found it.
High-Efficiency Unit Cleaning
Modern wood stoves and inserts burn hotter and produce a drier, dustier creosote than older fireplaces, which means their flues can look clean while still holding a real fire risk. Our process includes checking the baffle, the secondary burn tubes, and the connector pipe where fine creosote collects. A visual inspection from the firebox alone is not enough.
Post-Season Deep Clean
After burning season ends, creosote sits in the flue through humid summer months, where it absorbs moisture and becomes more corrosive to the liner. A post-season cleaning stops that process and means your system is ready to go when the first cold night arrives. We book these calls throughout spring and early summer without a wait.
Fireplace Cleaning
Fireplace Cleaning focuses on the firebox, glass doors, grate, and the visible surfaces of your fireplace where soot and ash collect after every burn. You need it when the glass is filmed over, when ash has built up an inch or more, or when the firebox smells acrid even after the fire is out. For wood-burning fireplaces, Flint Chimney Sweep folds fireplace cleaning into the full sweep at $149 – $349. The written price you approve before work starts tells you exactly what is included, down to the cleanup.
Wood Fireplace Deep Clean
Ash is mildly acidic, and when it sits against masonry and metal components through the off-season it accelerates wear on the firebrick and the grate. We remove all ash, scrub the firebox walls, and polish the glass doors with a ceramic-safe cleaner. If we see deteriorating mortar joints during the cleaning, we bring you into the conversation with camera images, not vague warnings.
Insert and Stove Surface Cleaning
Inserts trap soot on the glass, on the door gaskets, and around the fan housing where dust and ash combine into a film that is hard to remove with household products. Our technicians clean the full surface and inspect the gasket seal so the door closes tight and the burn stays controlled. A poor gasket seal costs you fuel and can send smoke into the room.
Chimney Services
Chimney Services is the umbrella term for cleaning, inspection, and repair work that keeps your entire venting system safe and functional. You need them on a regular schedule, not just when something looks wrong, because the most dangerous chimney problems are the ones you cannot see from the living room. Flint Chimney Sweep provides all three under one roof, with a written price for each before work begins. A standard home chimney sweep runs $149 – $349, and any repair we recommend is quoted separately with camera evidence in hand.
Full-System Assessment
Every service call includes an assessment of the flue, the liner, the crown, the cap, and the firebox, because a clean flue attached to a cracked crown is still a failing system. We document what we find with photos, give you the priority order, and tell you straightforwardly when something can safely wait. Nothing is recommended without visual proof you can verify on the spot.
Repair Coordination
When a sweep turns up a cracked flue tile or a rusted damper, the repair is scheduled with the same disciplined process: written price, defined scope, and a one-year guarantee. We use professional-grade materials like HeatShield and Olympia Chimney, chosen for the job rather than for the margin. You will never get a repair recommendation unaccompanied by the images that justify it.
Chimney Sweep Certified
Chimney Sweep Certified means your technician has passed the industry-standard exam covering fire codes, clearances, combustion science, and safe work practices, and that they maintain that credential through continuing education. You need a certified sweep whenever your home’s safety depends on the thoroughness of the person inside the flue. Flint Chimney Sweep dispatches background-checked, uniformed technicians on every call, and every repair carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing. A certified sweep runs the same $149 – $349 as any standard cleaning.
What Certification Actually Covers
Certification tests a technician on the clearances between a flue and combustible framing, the differences between wood and gas venting, and the warning signs of liner failure that untrained eyes miss. It also requires knowledge of local fire codes and the physics of draft, because a chimney that is merely brushed but not assessed is only half serviced. When we say certified, we mean the person in your home passed that exam, not just the company logo.
Why It Matters for Insurance and Home Sales
Insurance claims after chimney fires and carbon monoxide incidents often hinge on documentation from a certified professional. Home inspections routinely flag chimneys that lack a recent certified cleaning and inspection, and sellers are asked to produce the paperwork. We provide a written report with every visit, so you have the documentation when it is needed.
Gas Fireplace Cleaning
Gas Fireplace Cleaning removes dust, pet hair, and mineral buildup from the logs, burner ports, glass, and pilot assembly of a gas-burning fireplace or insert. You need it annually even though gas burns cleaner than wood, because dust accumulation alters the flame pattern and can produce a musty smell when the unit lights. Flint Chimney Sweep cleans gas fireplaces for $129 – $249, with the final written price based on unit type and whether we service the surrounding hearth as well. The flame should burn blue and steady, not lazy and yellow.
Burner and Pilot Service
Spider nests inside burner tubes are a common cause of delayed ignition and popping sounds on startup. We clear the ports, clean the pilot assembly, and verify the burner is lighting evenly across the entire rail. The goal is a clean, even flame pattern and no gas smell at any point in the cycle.
Glass and Log Restoration
Mineral deposits and fine soot film on gas logs and glass panels are normal, but they degrade both the appearance and the heat output of the unit if left alone. We use non-abrasive cleaners made for gas appliances, then check the gasket seal so combustion stays sealed inside the firebox. Logs that are misaligned from home cleaning attempts are straightened as part of the service.
Chimney Maintenance
Chimney Maintenance is the year-round practice of scheduled cleaning, inspection, and minor repair that prevents the big-ticket failures later, guided by a Chimney Sweep Maintenance Schedule: What to Do and When. You need it on a set calendar, not a reactive one, because the cost of a sweep is a fraction of the cost of a liner replacement. Flint Chimney Sweep structures maintenance around your burning season, and the price for a standard visit is $149 – $349. The written guarantee on any repair performed during a maintenance visit is valid for one full year from the service date.
Annual Maintenance Schedule
We recommend one full sweep and inspection per year for wood-burning systems, and the same for gas units even though the cleaning is lighter, as detailed in our Chimney Sweep Maintenance Checklist for Los Angeles Homeowners. Homes that burn more than three cords of wood per season, or that burn green or unseasoned wood, should consider a mid-season check. A simple calendar reminder with our phone number is the cheapest chimney insurance there is.
Wear and Tear Monitoring
Minor issues like a rusting damper plate or a small crown crack are far cheaper to fix the year they appear than the year they fail. Our maintenance visits include a written note on any component that is beginning to show wear, with photos, so you can budget for it. You decide when to act, and we give you the information to make that decision honestly.
Brands We Service
We work with DuraFlex liners, which are the most common relining system in American chimneys, and our technicians understand their specific installation and inspection requirements. When a DuraFlex liner shows signs of creosote buildup or moisture intrusion, we know exactly what we are looking at and can advise you on repair versus replacement with confidence.
We also service systems built around HeatShield and Olympia Chimney components, including their flue repair products and termination caps. Whether you have one of those brands or any other make, we can help you keep it functioning safely.
Signs You Need a Pro Right Now
- Smoke rolls into the room instead of up the flue. A healthy chimney pulls air upward. When smoke spills into the living space, you have a draft problem, and that is often a blockage or a cold flue. Either way, the carbon monoxide in that smoke is now in your breathing air.
- You can smell smoke or soot hours after the fire is out. A clean chimney should leave no odor behind. A persistent smoky smell means creosote is coating the flue walls and offgassing when the house warms. That coating is the exact material that ignites during a chimney fire.
- A thick, tar-like glaze covers the firebox walls. Stage three creosote looks like black glass and is extremely difficult to remove with basic brushing. It also burns hot and long once it lights. This is not a put-it-off situation.
- Animals or nesting material are visible in the chimney. Squirrels, raccoons, and chimney swifts all enter through uncapped flues, and their nests block airflow completely. The blockage forces fumes back into the house and can smolder from heat below.
- The damper is rusted, stuck, or warped. A damper that does not fully open restricts the draft, and one that never fully closes sends heated air out of the house all winter. A chimney inspection will tell you whether it is a simple replacement or part of a larger issue.
Our Process, Step by Step
- 1
You call and a live person answers. No voicemail trees, no callbacks. You describe your fireplace or chimney, and we book a window that works for your schedule. The phone number is (830) 251-4560.
- 2
We arrive with a written price. The technician walks the property first, shows you the scope on paper, and gets your approval before any tool comes off the truck. That price is the price on the invoice unless you approve a change in advance.
- 3
We protect the home and run the camera. Drop cloths go down, the vacuum system is set up, and the camera goes up the flue so we have a clear record of what the inside looks like before we touch it.
- 4
We sweep and document. The flue is brushed to remove creosote and soot, the firebox is cleaned, and a second camera run shows the after condition. You see both sets of images.
- 5
You get a written report and your guarantee. Everything we found, everything we did, and everything we recommend is written down and handed to you. Any repair carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise for a full year.
How Much Does Chimney Sweep Cost?
A standard chimney sweep with Flint Chimney Sweep runs $149 – $349 for a wood-burning fireplace or stove, depending mostly on flue height, creosote level, and any blockages. Gas fireplace cleaning is lighter work and priced at $129 – $249. If you have multiple flues, a taller roof, or severe glazed creosote, the price moves toward the top of that range and we tell you why in writing before we start.
What affects the price: the height and accessibility of the chimney, the amount and stage of creosote built up, whether an animal nest or other blockage must be cleared, and whether your system includes an insert or stove that requires additional disassembly. How to avoid overpaying: get the price in writing before work begins, ask for the camera footage, and do not accept sweeping as a replacement for inspection. A free estimate from Flint Chimney Sweep gives you the exact number for your house, with no obligation, so you can compare with confidence.
Where We Work
Flint Chimney Sweep serves homeowners and businesses across the United States through local crews that follow the same documented process, the same written-pricing rule, and the same one-year guarantee on every repair. Wherever you live, the Garrison Standard applies: written price first, background-checked uniformed technicians, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise on every repair we perform. Call (830) 251-4560 and you will reach a live person from wherever you are.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chimney Sweep
A chimney sweep is the process of removing creosote, soot, and blockages from the interior of your chimney flue so smoke and gases vent safely outside. It is also the term for the professional who does that work. Flint Chimney Sweep performs the full sweep and pairs it with a camera inspection so you can see the flue condition for yourself.
A standard chimney sweep takes between 45 and 90 minutes from setup to final cleanup, depending on flue height and buildup level. Severe creosote, animal removal, or multiple flues add time. We will tell you the expected duration when you book.
A standard wood-burning chimney sweep runs $149 – $349 with Flint Chimney Sweep. Gas fireplace cleaning runs $129 – $249. The final price is always delivered in writing before work begins, so the number you approve is the number you pay. Call (830) 251-4560 for a free estimate.
Yes, we service DuraFlex and HeatShield systems, along with Olympia Chimney components. Our technicians know these brands’ installation and inspection requirements, and we specify repair materials by the job’s needs, not by our margin.
A live person answers our phones 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. If you are seeing smoke roll into the house, smelling gas, or hearing animals in the flue, call (830) 251-4560 and you will speak to a person immediately, not a voicemail tree.
Every repair carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise, a written guarantee valid for one full year from the service date. If a covered repair fails within that year, we return and fix it at no charge, no argument. The guarantee is included on every repair we perform.
Clear the area around your fireplace or stove, remove decorations from the mantel, and stop burning at least 24 hours before the appointment so the firebox is cool. The technician brings drop cloths and vacuum equipment, so your floors stay protected. That is all you need to do.
Schedule Your Chimney Sweep Service Today
You will get a written price before any work begins, a camera inspection included with every sweep, and a one-year written guarantee on any repair. Call (830) 251-4560 for a free, no-obligation estimate. A live person answers around the clock.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner at Flint Chimney Sweep, serving homeowners nationally since 2002.