Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 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.
Chimney Company in Westwood, CA
Chimney repair in Westwood, CA usually means dealing with what a long mountain winter and years of heavy wood burning leave behind: cracked crowns, failing flashing, and liners that have been worked past their safe lifespan. Many of the chimneys we service here were built with the town’s early-20th-century lumber-mill housing stock, so the work is often masonry repair on older brick and stone rather than swapping parts on a modern factory-built system. Firebrick Chimney Sweep has served Westwood since 2012. If your chimney needs repair, sweeping, or a full inspection before burning season, call (866) 520-4943 for a free estimate.
Why Westwood Homes Are Different
Westwood sits at roughly 5,000 feet in Lassen County, and heating here is not optional. Homes burn wood heavily from late October through March, often with dense pine and fir cut from the surrounding Lassen National Forest. That kind of fuel produces thick, sticky creosote at a rate you won’t see in lower-elevation towns, and it builds up faster when a chimney is cold and draft is poor, which is common in older, uninsulated cabins.
The housing stock matters too. Westwood has a lot of small frame houses and cabins from the lumber-mill era, plus rural and vacation properties on the outskirts. We regularly find masonry chimneys with deteriorating mortar crowns and older metal stovepipe on wood stoves rather than modern factory-built systems. The Almanor basin’s second-home pattern adds another layer: a cabin that sits empty from spring to fall often has an animal nest, a blocked flue, or water damage from snowmelt that went undetected for months. The first fall visit is usually when a homeowner learns the chimney failed while nobody was watching.
Heavy snow loads and freeze-thaw cycles also do real damage to caps, crowns, and flashing. Water gets into a small crack, freezes, expands, and by spring the crack is a fracture. That’s a Westwood-specific rhythm: the chimney gets worked hard all winter, then punished by snow and thaw, then sits neglected through a short summer. It’s one reason we treat an annual inspection before first burn as the baseline for any wood-burning home here.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Main Westwood Services
Most Westwood homeowners call us first about two things: a chimney that hasn’t been swept in years and a dryer vent they’ve never thought about. Both are ventilation problems, and both share the same core risk: restricted, dirty exhaust that becomes a fire.
Chimney Sweep in Westwood
A chimney sweep in Westwood is not a quick brush-through. Because homes here burn resinous pine and fir for months at a time, creosote can be thick, glazed, and stuck to the flue walls in layers that require mechanical removal, not just a push-pull brush. Seasonal cabins are often the worst: a flue that sat sealed all summer can hold wasp nests, squirrel debris, or enough creosote to block the draft entirely. We inspect and sweep the full system, and if the sweep turns up cracked tile or a failing liner, we repair it ourselves instead of referring you to another company. That matters in a town where the repair and the sweep are often the same job. Learn more about what a sweep involves here: Chimney Sweep in Westwood.
Dryer Vent Cleaning in Westwood
A dryer vent in a Westwood cabin or older frame house is often a long, poorly routed run through a crawlspace or out a roof, and those runs collect lint fast. Lint is the leading cause of dryer fires, and a vent that hasn’t been opened in five years may be nearly sealed. We clean the full duct run, verify the termination flapper, and tell you plainly if the vent is too long or sagging and needs correction. It’s the same whole-home ventilation discipline we bring to chimneys. See how we handle dryer vents here: Dryer Vent Cleaning in Westwood.
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 Repair in Westwood
Chimney repair in Westwood, CA is driven by two forces: heavy seasonal burning and a short, freeze-thaw-heavy spring. When a chimney is burned hard for six months and then soaked by snowmelt, small defects become structural failures quickly. A cracked crown or loose flashing that would be a minor nuisance in a mild climate can let water into the brick, freeze, and split the chimney apart here. Homes from the early lumber-mill era often have original masonry, which means we’re repairing mortar joints and liners that have been in service for 50 to 80 years. Firebrick Chimney Sweep handles Chimney Repair in Westwood start to finish, from inspection to liner and masonry work, using professional-grade materials.
Chimney Cap Installation
Signs you need it
You can see daylight through the flue opening from the roof, or you’ve found bird nests, squirrel droppings, or water puddling in the firebox.
What it costs in Westwood
A standard cap install runs $200 to $650 depending on flue size and roof access; custom caps for odd-sized flues come in at $300 to $750.
How we do it
We measure the flue, select a correctly sized cap with proper venting, and secure it to the chimney crown so animals and rain stay out while draft remains clear.
Chimney Cap Replacement
Signs you need it
The old cap is rusted through, bent, missing mesh, or blown off entirely; you may also see rust streaks staining the crown and exterior brick.
What it costs in Westwood
Replacing a chimney cap runs $200 to $650 for standard sizes and $300 to $750 for custom or specialty caps.
How we do it
We pull the old cap, inspect the crown beneath it for hidden damage, and install a new cap sized and sealed to the flue opening.
Chimney Liner Installation
Signs you need it
A camera inspection shows cracked or missing flue tile, or you see pieces of tile in the firebox and can smell smoke in rooms above the fireplace.
What it costs in Westwood
Liner installation typically runs $1,000 to $2,500 for a fireplace chimney; full horizontal relines fall between $2,500 and $7,500.
How we do it
We remove the old liner or flue tile, size and install a DuraFlex stainless liner, insulate where code requires, and reconnect the appliance.
Chimney Flashing Repair
Signs you need it
Water stains appear on the ceiling where the chimney passes through the roof, or you see tar patches and lifted metal around the chimney base.
What it costs in Westwood
Flashing repair runs $150 to $300 per side, with full replacement ranging $600 to $1,800 depending on roof pitch and masonry access.
How we do it
We remove broken or corroded flashing, cut new step and counter flashing to fit the roof and chimney junction, and seal it watertight.
Chimney Crown Repair
Signs you need it
The concrete crown has visible cracks, spalling, or pooled water; inside, you may see water damage at the top of the firebox or a damp flue.
What it costs in Westwood
Crown repair runs $500 to $1,200; full crown rebuilds, when damage is extensive, range $1,200 to $2,500.
How we do it
We clean and prep the existing crown, patch or recast it with a proper chimney crown mix, and slope it to shed water away from the flue.
What Chimney Repair Costs in Westwood
| Item | Typical range in Westwood |
|---|---|
| Chimney cap installation | $200 – $650 |
| Chimney cap replacement | $200 – $750 |
| Chimney liner installation | $1,000 – $2,500 (fireplace) |
| Chimney flashing repair | $150 – $300 per side |
| Chimney crown repair | $500 – $1,200 |
Pricing moves higher in Westwood when a job involves steep roofs, heavy snow access delays, or masonry repairs on chimneys that haven’t been touched in decades. We give you a flat price after inspection, before any work starts, so there’s no surprise bill at the end.
Do I need a new liner or can the old one be fixed?
You need a camera inspection to know for sure. If the flue tile has minor cracks, HeatShield ceramic resurfacing can often seal it without a full reline. If the tile is collapsed or missing, replacement is the only safe option. We show you the camera footage before recommending anything.
Can chimney repair wait until spring in Westwood?
Some repairs, like a small crown crack sealed before snow, can wait until spring if the chimney is not in use. A cracked liner or damaged flashing should be addressed before you burn again. We’ll tell you plainly which category your chimney falls into.
Brands We Service in Westwood
We work with professional-grade chimney-industry materials, not hardware-store substitutes. That means DuraFlex liners for relines, HeatShield ceramic resurfacing for flue restoration, and Olympia Chimney and Famco caps and components. We stock common parts for Westwood jobs and can have specialty items on-site within days. See the full list at our brands.
See the difference
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AfterPricing for Chimney Company in Westwood, CA
| Service | Typical range in Westwood |
|---|---|
| Chimney sweep | $150 – $250 |
| Chimney cap installation | $200 – $650 |
| Chimney cap replacement | $200 – $750 |
| Chimney liner installation (fireplace) | $1,000 – $2,500 |
| Chimney liner installation (full horizontal reline) | $2,500 – $7,500 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $150 – $300 per side |
| Chimney crown repair | $500 – $1,200 |
| Chimney crown rebuild | $1,200 – $2,500 |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $150 – $250 |
What pushes price up in Westwood: roof steepness and snow load on the roof, animal nests or debris requiring removal before work starts, and chimneys that haven’t been serviced in so long that multiple repairs are needed. Every job gets a flat price before we touch anything, so you know the number up front.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Westwood
Westwood is small enough that response time usually runs one to three business days, depending on snow and road conditions in the winter months. We serve the town and the surrounding mountain properties in the 96137 ZIP code.
- Westwood town center
- Clear Creek
- Pine Town
- Westwood Junction
- Almanor basin outskirts
Service Area – Cities Near Westwood
Firebrick Chimney Sweep also serves homeowners throughout Lassen County and the surrounding mountain communities. If you’re outside Westwood proper, we work regularly in Silver Lakes, CA, San Fernando, CA, Northridge, CA, and Adelanto, CA. Call for service-area confirmation and scheduling.
Serving Westwood, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Westwood 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 Company in Westwood
Most Westwood appointments are scheduled within one to three business days in the fall and early winter. If you’re opening a seasonal cabin and need a first-burn inspection, call early; September and October are the busiest months, and the schedule fills fast once nights drop below freezing.
Most repair work, like cap replacement, flashing repair, or crown work, does not require a permit. A full liner installation may, depending on the type of appliance and local code. We’ll tell you what’s needed for your specific job and handle the process where required.
You still need an annual inspection before first burn. In Westwood, a cabin that sits empty for months is more likely to have an animal nest, a blocked flue, or water damage from snowmelt than a year-round home. The inspection is quick and it’s the only way to know the chimney is safe to light.
If your Westwood chimney needs sweeping, repair, or a look before the snow hits, call Firebrick Chimney Sweep at (866) 520-4943 for a free estimate. We sweep it, we repair it. One company, no referrals.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees — talk to a local chimney cleaning pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you — the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Westwood Customers Say
"Creosote buildup was worse than I realized. He measured it, showed me the glazing on the flue with the camera, and was honest that we were closer to a chimney fire than I wanted to hear."
— Scott Ziegler"Crown was cracked and taking water. Repaired it rather than quoting a rebuild, which the previous company had pushed hard for."
— Carmen Garcia"Swept it, capped it, and installed a proper damper. The downdraft smell in the summer that we'd lived with for years is gone."
— Gabriela Torres