Hiring a Fireplace Cleaner

A Stranger, a Ladder and Your Living Room

Hiring someone to clean your fireplace means letting a stranger work with soot, a vacuum, brushes and often a ladder in the room where your family spends the most time. That is worth a few questions up front. This guide covers what to ask, what a fair visit includes, what it should cost, and the warning signs that tell you to look elsewhere.

Know What You Are Hiring For

People use "fireplace cleaning" and "chimney sweep" to mean slightly different things.

• - A chimney sweep cleans the flue, the tall passage that carries smoke out of the house. It removes creosote, the tar-like coat wood fires leave behind, which can catch fire inside the chimney.
• A fireplace cleaning focuses on the parts you can see and touch: the firebox, the hearth, the glass doors, the screen and, on gas units, the logs and burner.

Most homes need both on a wood fireplace, often in the same visit. A gas fireplace needs a gas service instead of a sweep, which cleans the burner and pilot and checks the vent.

Questions to Ask Before You Book

• - Are you licensed and insured? Ask for proof. Insurance protects you if someone is hurt on your roof or something in your house is damaged.
• What does the visit include? A fair answer names the parts: firebox, smoke shelf, damper, flue, glass, screen, and a look at the cap.
• What will it cost, and what could change the price? A clear starting price plus the reasons it might go up, such as heavy creosote or a second flue.
• How do you protect the room? Drop cloths, a vacuum with a fine filter, and a tidy work area.
• Will I get a written result? Photos and a short summary of what was found.
• Do you work on gas units? If your fireplace is gas, the crew should know burners, pilots and venting.

What a Fair Visit Includes

A good cleaning visit follows a pattern. The crew lays down drop cloths from the door to the hearth. They set up a vacuum that runs throughout, so dust stays out of the air. They clean the firebox and smoke shelf, sweep the flue from below or from the roof, clean the glass doors and screen, and check the damper. On the way out, they show you anything that needs attention, with photos, and leave the room as clean as they found it or cleaner.

In a home with children, pets or older relatives, a good crew also does a few extra things without being asked. They keep the vacuum hose and tools out of reach. They ask whether a pet should be shut in another room. They never leave a ladder standing alone where a child could climb it. And they point out household safety items: a missing carbon monoxide alarm, a screen with a gap, a rug too close to the opening.

What It Should Cost

Our chimney sweep starts from $225. What moves the price:

• - How much creosote is in the flue. A light layer comes out in one pass. A crusty or glazed coat takes more time or a separate treatment.
• Height and roof access. Tall chimneys and steep roofs take longer.
• Number of flues. Each fireplace or stove has its own flue.
• Animal nests or debris. Clearing a nest is extra work, and it is often the cause of a smoky fire.

Adding an inspection is usually wise. A Level 1 chimney inspection is $55 and can be done on the same visit.

If you want a firm price first, send a photo of the inside of your fireplace with a flashlight shining up toward the damper, and a photo of the chimney from outside, using the quote form on this page. We can usually tell from that whether it is a standard visit or something more.

Warning Signs

Be cautious if any of these come up:

• - A very low phone price, followed by pressure to buy repairs during the visit.
• Claims that the chimney is about to collapse or catch fire, with no photos to back it up.
• No proof of insurance.
• A crew that does not cover the floor or run a vacuum.
• Pressure to decide on a repair before you have it in writing.

A good company shows you what it found and lets you decide later.

How Often to Book

NFPA 211 calls for a yearly inspection and a cleaning when deposits build up. For most families in Thousand Oaks who burn a modest number of fires each winter, that means one visit a year, ideally in late summer or early fall. If you burn often, have a wood stove, or burn wood that is not fully dry, you may need cleaning more often.

Get Ready for the Visit

To make the visit quick and safe:

• - Do not burn a fire for a day beforehand.
• Clear toys, rugs and furniture back from the hearth.
• Put pets in another room.
• Tell the crew about anything unusual: smells, smoke, a sticky damper.

Book a Visit

If last winter was the last cleaning, or nobody at home remembers, book one now. Call us with the button at the top of this page, and we will set up a cleaning that fits around your household's day.