What a chimney sweep costs
What changes the cost of a chimney sweep.
You want to know if it's safe to light and what it's going to run. Both come down to your chimney: how many flues it has, how much buildup is in each, and what the inspection finds.
The sweep always comes with the inspection. We don't sweep a chimney we haven't looked at.
We work weekdays, 9 to 5. Pick any time on the form and Kari will call you to set the exact one.
Six things that change it
What we see on the chimneys we actually work on.
How many flues are in the chimney
Not how many you use. A lot of houses have a fireplace upstairs and a wood stove or a second fireplace downstairs, and the furnace or water heater often vents up the same stack. Every flue in the chimney gets inspected, so the count is the first thing Kari asks.
How much buildup is in each flue
Over an eighth of an inch, that flue gets swept. Under that, it doesn't. Two flues on the same house often come out different: one swept, one left alone.
What kind of buildup it is
Soft, flaky soot sweeps out. Glazed creosote, the shiny black stuff that looks like it melted onto the tile, is stage 3. It usually comes from wet wood or burning with the damper choked down, and it takes a separate treatment, not a brush.
What kind of chimney and appliance
A masonry fireplace, a wood stove, a factory-built fireplace in a framed chase, a chimney that also carries the furnace. Each one gets checked a little differently, and each is its own line on your report.
Getting to it
We go on the roof, and into the attic and basement when the chimney runs through them. A tall two-story chimney, a steep roof or a flue with no way to reach the top from the attic all change how the visit goes, so tell Kari what your house looks like.
What the inspection finds
Most visits end at the inspection and the sweep. Sometimes the camera finds a missing cap and a nest, a damper rusted shut, a cracked crown letting water in, or no liner at all. A cap or a door gasket can often be done the same visit. Anything bigger gets pictures and a written number first. Before we leave, the soot comes off the firebox, the damper and the smoke chamber, and the ash in the firebox and on the hearth gets vacuumed up (we don't clean out ash pits). The report comes by email with the pictures.
What to have ready when you call
How many fireplaces and wood stoves you have, whether the furnace or water heater goes into the chimney, what you burn and how often, and anything you've noticed: a smell, smoke coming back in, water, or a noise in the flue. Kari takes it from there.
Google reviews
What people wrote after we left.
“We thought initially we just needed to fix the flashing, but when Jason dug into the problem, we found the chimney extension that was done 25 years ago had an improperly installed vapor barrier... It is so nice to not worry about drip-drip-drip every rain storm.”
“We bought an old house and the chimney was in need of urgent repair... we not only got something functional but also beautifully designed and crafted. We knew exactly what it'd cost and what we were paying for.”
“I got a call back right away the next business day and was scheduled. Jason called and let us know when he would be on his way to our house. He inspected it, showed us pictures of our chimney, and explained the process.”
“The team who worked on our new chimney liner and damper left things super clean and we love that we can have a fire in our fireplace for the first time in a lonnnnnnnnnng time.”
“Returned call same day and scheduled inspection... I was given estimate the next day. They demoed old chimney, installed new liners, and built an awesome new chimney. Wow! Totally satisfied!”
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How it goes
What happens after you call.
You call, we set a time.
We call you back and give you a time, then call again when we're on our way.
We get up on the roof.
Every crack, open joint and flashing seam gets photographed, inside and out.
You get the pictures and a number.
In writing. Nothing starts until you say go.
Chimney sweep cost questions
What does chimney repair cost?
Masonry depends on what's actually up there, so we price it from the photos, in writing. Here's what goes into a chimney repair. Call Kari at 320.414.0191 to set up the inspection, or book online.
Where we work
The north metro, town by town. Tap yours.
Want it on the calendar?
Call Kari and tell her what your chimney looks like, or book online and she'll call you back with a time.
We work weekdays, 9 to 5. Pick any time on the form and Kari will call you to set the exact one.
Got pictures of your chimney? Email them to info@elementhearthandhome.com with your name and number, and Kari will take it from there.