how much does a chimney inspection cost

$150 – $280

The average cost to have your chimney inspected and cleaned is about $220 for a 1-2 story chimney in good maintenance. Taller chimneys, those with a steep roof, or where the fireplace has not been regularly maintained, can cost up to $425 or more.

Typical Range

$150 – $280 / Pair

Last Updated: Thursday, March 31, 2022


How Much Does Inspection or a Chimney Sweep Cost?

Low Estimate

$80 – $150

Average Cost Estimate

$150 – $280

High Estimate

$200 – $600

Type of Service Inspect, Clean if Needed Inspect, Clean if Needed Inspect and Clean
Inspection Type Visual, Level 1 Visual, Level 2 Camera, Level 2
Number of Flue’s 1 1 1-2
Frequency of Use Rarely Use Fireplace Use Fireplace Weekly Use Fireplace Daily
Cleaning Frequency Rarely Swept or Cleaned Every 2-3 Years Annual Inspect and Clean
Chimney Height 1 Story High 1-2 Stories High 2 Stories or More
Roof Type Flat or Low Pitch Average Pitch Average or Steep Roof Pitch

Sections: Overview | Product Costs | Installation Cost | DIY or Pro

Overview of Chimney Cleaning and Inspection

Whether you want to set a mood for a romantic night with a special someone, or you need to provide warmth to take the chill out of a cold area, seeing smoke rise out of your chimney always elicits warm thoughts. When you keep your chimney cleaned and maintained, a fireplace can provide many benefits over the life of your home. Unfortunately, when soot and creosote build up inside your chimney, it’s also one of the leading causes of fire. With chimney cleaning cost being as low as it is, there’s no reason to skip this very important home maintenance item. Even if you have gas logs, you still need to keep up with the maintenance of your chimney.

On this page of Business Finance News, we’ll help you understand about chimney cleaning cost, and compare the difference in cleaning prices you’ll run into when calling a chimney cleaning service to your home. We’ll explain how the height of your home, the pitch of your roof and several other factors like maintenance, flue condition and more, can have an impact on this important annual maintenance task. Finally, we’ll share a comparison table of other leading websites and show their average chimney cleaning costs around the US, as well as a section devoted to homeowners who have shared what they paid for the service at their home.

Related Cost Estimates

Cleaning Service and Supplies Cost Details

Chimney Sweep Cost Factors

Chimney cleaning is just about 100% service related, unless the company near you provides video inspection or needs to do repairs in order to correct problems with your chimney or fireplace. Although it is a service, there are several factors that are going to affect how much your chimney cleaning service charges for completion of the project.

  • Height of Chimney – Is your home 1, 2, or 3 stories tall or higher? Obviously, single level homes are going to be much easier for a chimney sweep to work on, and take much less time in completing the service. If they have to use a lift, or a very tall ladder, the cost is going to rise according to the amount of extra time it takes to clean your chimney.
  • Frequency of Use – The more often you use your fireplace, build-up will occur sooner. On the other end of usage, if you rarely use your fireplace, you could have animal nests or debris in the flue which could catch on fire, or block the venting of smoke out of your chimney.
  • Time Since Last Cleaning – Being a responsible homeowner, you should have your chimney inspected at least once every year, to prevent fire and other problems that could lead to a dangerous situation. There is no schedule that says it should be cleaned annually, but the inspection will dictate when it needs to be cleaned. If you’ve neglected your chimney for several years, the cleanup could take extra time due to the soot and creosote build-up, adding to your cost.
  • Type and Height of Roof – Even if you have a single-level home, you could have high ceilings or a steep pitch on your roof. Either of these factors will increase the cost of chimney cleaning due to the added time the company needs to setup, and work on the higher, more dangerous roof.
  • Chimney Flue Inspection – The type of inspection provided by the company handling your chimney sweep can affect the cost. While a few still rely on a flashlight and their own eyes, most qualified companies now include camera inspection as part of the chimney inspection cost you’ll pay. You may be able to save a few dollars using a company that doesn’t inspect with cameras, but in the end, the inspection is not as good.
  • Repairs, if Needed – Over time, your chimney may decay in the cement joints of the flue, or have cracks develop in the flue tile itself. Also, if your damper or chimney cap are damaged, this is the best time to get them repaired, while the company is at your home. Repairs can add to the cost quickly.

Retail Cost of Supplies

If your chimney needs major repair work to the flue, masonry or firebox, it’s more than we’re going to cover in this article. Since our focus is on the task of cleaning, we’ll discuss the smaller repairs that most chimney repair companies will discover during inspection, and repair for an extra fee.

  • $60 – $420 | Chimney Cap – If the cap is old, damaged or close to needing replacement, now is the time to do it. It’s got to come off already, the labor should not add any extra cost.
  • $625 – $1,900 | Chimney Liner – If the flue liner is in very poor condition, you may need to install a Chimney liner.
  • $95 – $250 | Chimney Damper – The damper is a door inside the fireplace that allows the smoke to vent through the chimney. If the damper is damaged, it may need to be replaced.
  • $25 – $85 | Ash Dump Door – The ash dump doors can get dislodged or the hinges can corrode over time and may need to be repaired or replaced.

Permits and Inspection Costs

Although it’s not likely to need permit costs during a chimney inspection and cleaning, if you have to replace the chimney liner or reline the chimney in any way, the new liner may need to be inspected by local authorities.

  • $50 – $200 ea. | Chimney Inspection by local Fire Dept Authorities

Completed Inspection and Cleaning Time

  • 2 – 4 Hours | In most circumstances a chimney sweep company can complete the service in 2-4 hours, assuming there are no major repairs to complete.
  • 4 – 8 Hours | If you have a 2+ story home, high roof, need a major repair, or other factor that requires additional safety needs or time, you can expect the inspection and cleaning to take 4-8 hours.

DIY or Hire a Pro

No question – hire a chimney sweep company to handle the inspection and cleaning. It requires tools that you just need to buy, unless you plan to go into business and do this daily. The cost of cleaning your chimney is affordable enough that I would always hire a pro. Let’s not even start to talk about the mess, and working from the roof for several hours.

  • Need to work long periods on roof.
  • Need high end inspection camera equipment to do the job right.
  • Messy… actually, if you don’t know what you’re doing, it could be very messy.
  • Need to buy specialty tools and brushes.

I’ve cleaned out my firebox many times and even replaced a damper door once. Cleaning a chimney is just one of those DIY projects, I really don’t want to try. If the guy doing the inspection says it’s time for a cleaning and explains why, I’ll gladly have them do it also.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *