Frequently Asked Questions
Firebrick Chimney Sweep handles chimney sweeping, chimney repair, and dryer vent cleaning for homeowners across Hollywood and the surrounding Los Angeles neighborhoods. Below are the questions we get asked most often, answered plainly. If yours isn’t here, call us at (866) 520-4943 and we’ll talk it through.
What does Firebrick Chimney Sweep actually do?
We clean, inspect, and repair chimney systems, and we clean dryer vents. That means a single company handles the sweep, the diagnosis, and the fix. Most homeowners are used to calling a sweep who finds a cracked liner or crumbling crown, then calling a mason to handle the repair, then sourcing materials from someone else. We close that loop ourselves.
We work with professional-grade chimney materials from DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield. These are the brands certified chimney professionals specify, not whatever’s stocked at the hardware store. That matters most when a problem turns out to be structural. Chimney cleaning is where we start. Understanding the system behind it is what we actually do.
Pricing & Estimates
How much does chimney cleaning service cost?
Most standard chimney sweeps fall in the range of a few hundred dollars, with the final number depending on how accessible the flue is, how much creosote has built up, and whether the fireplace or insert needs a separate inspection. A straightforward sweep of a well-maintained flue costs less than a heavy buildup that takes longer to clear safely.
We give you a real number after we’ve looked at the system, not before. Creosote comes in stages – the light, flaky first stage cleans up quickly, while glazed third-stage creosote is dense, tar-like, and requires different tools and more time. We won’t quote you a flat rate sight unseen and then change it once we’re on the roof. Call (866) 520-4943 for a free estimate.
Do you offer free estimates?
Yes, estimates are free. You’ll get an upfront price for the work before anything starts. If our inspection turns up something beyond a routine sweep – a deteriorated flue liner, a loose crown, a damaged damper – we explain what we found and what it costs to correct, and you decide. There’s no pressure and no surprise line items.
Is it cheaper to repair a chimney or replace it?
Repair is almost always the lower-cost path, and in many cases the liner itself doesn’t need to be replaced at all. A deteriorating clay flue liner can often be restored with HeatShield ceramic resurfacing rather than torn out and relined from scratch. HeatShield lets us rebuild the liner’s interior surface in place, which saves the labor and material of a full reline.
Full replacement or relining enters the picture when the masonry structure itself has failed or the flue is sized wrong for the appliance. A proper inspection tells you which situation you’re in. Our home page outlines the full range of work we take on, from sweep to structural repair.
Do you charge extra for the inspection?
Inspection is part of the service, not an add-on you pay for separately. When we sweep, we’re looking at the same time – the liner, the damper, the firebox, the crown, and the cap. What we find shapes what we recommend, and we tell you honestly when the answer is “nothing needs doing this year.”
Service & Scheduling
Do you offer emergency chimney cleaning service?
We prioritize urgent calls, particularly when a chimney has had a flue fire, when smoke is backing into the house, or when a blockage is sending carbon monoxide risk into the living space. Those situations can’t wait for a routine appointment slot.
If your chimney has been through a fire event, don’t light another fire until it’s been inspected. A flue fire can crack a liner in ways you can’t see from the hearth. Call us at (866) 520-4943 and describe what happened so we can get you on the schedule quickly.
How fast can you respond?
Response time depends on the season and the day. Fall and early winter are the busiest months for chimney work, so booking ahead of the first cold snap gets you in faster. Urgent safety calls move to the front of the line.
If you’ve been flagged by a home inspector, an insurance carrier, or the fire marshal, tell us when you call – those deadlines often shape the scheduling. We’ll give you an honest window rather than an optimistic one.
How often should a chimney be cleaned?
The standard guidance is once a year for any chimney in regular use, and the National Fire Protection Association recommends an annual inspection regardless. If you burn a lot of wood through the winter, or you’re burning unseasoned wood, you may need attention sooner.
Hollywood’s mix of older masonry chimneys and gas inserts means we see both ends of the spectrum: heavy creosote in fireplaces that see daily winter use, and liners damaged by years of acidic condensate in gas appliances. Both need eyes on them yearly.
How long does a chimney sweep take?
A routine sweep usually takes somewhere around an hour, longer if the flue is heavily soiled or if the roof access is complicated. We lay drop cloths and contain the dust, so your living room looks the same when we leave as when we arrived. Inspection and any repair work add time, but we tell you that up front.
Can you clean the chimney while the fireplace is in use?
No – the fire needs to be fully out and the chimney cool before we work. Plan for no fire for at least a day before your appointment. If you’ve had a recent fire and the chimney is still warm, reschedule rather than rush it.
Licensing, Trust & Guarantees
Are you licensed and insured?
We’re a trade-specialized chimney company, and we carry the insurance homeowners expect from a contractor working on their roof and inside their home. We’re happy to walk you through our credentials when you call – we’d rather answer that question directly than have you take a website’s word for it.
What we can tell you without qualification is our scope: we work with professional-grade materials from DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield. Those brands are specified by certified chimney professionals, and their presence in our inventory tells you something about how we work.
Do you guarantee your work?
Yes – we stand behind the work we do. Because we handle both the sweep and the repair, there’s no gap between contractors where a problem can fall through. If we reline a flue or resurface a liner, we want to hear from you if something isn’t right.
Our repairs use the same professional-grade materials we install on every job, which is the strongest guarantee we can offer: the right component, installed correctly, by the company that diagnosed the problem.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept the standard payment methods homeowners use – major credit cards and check. Ask us about the specifics when you book so there’s no confusion. For larger repair projects, we’ll discuss the payment schedule before work begins.
Why should I hire a chimney specialist instead of a general handyman?
Because a chimney is a structural system with a fire inside it, and getting it wrong has consequences a handyman isn’t trained to see. The name Firebrick reflects masonry-level expertise: this is a company built entirely around chimney systems, not a franchise or a handyman add-on. Chimney work is all we do, and that depth shows in every inspection.
Do you clean dryer vents too?
Yes. Dryer vents and chimneys share the same core risk: restricted, dirty ventilation that becomes a fire. We treat both with the same seriousness. Lint buildup in a dryer duct is one of the leading causes of residential house fires, and it’s the kind of hazard that’s invisible until it isn’t. We address both under one company because combustion and ventilation risk don’t respect the line between “chimney” and “everything else.”
Specific Services
Do you handle chimney cleaning and sweep?
Yes – a full sweep is our core service. We brush the flue, clear the firebox, and remove creosote and soot, then inspect the whole system while we’re there. You get a clean chimney and a clear picture of its condition. If you’re in a neighboring area, our Chimney Sweep in Century City page covers the same service nearby.
Do you handle chimney repair?
Yes. We repair liners, crowns, dampers, and masonry, which is what separates us from a sweep-only operation. When we find a problem during a cleaning, we can resolve it in the same relationship – no referrals, no second contractor, no waiting for someone else to fit you in.
Our range includes HeatShield ceramic resurfacing for deteriorating flue liners, DuraFlex stainless relining, and component repair using Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield parts. If a repair is beyond what’s safe or sensible, we tell you that too.
Do you handle fireplace services?
Yes – we work on wood-burning fireplaces, gas inserts, and the masonry around them. That includes inspecting the firebox and damper, checking that the flue is sized for the appliance, and confirming the system vents correctly. Gas inserts especially need a look at the liner, since the acidic condensate they produce can degrade a clay flue over time.
Do you handle chimney caps and crowns?
Yes. Caps and crowns are where a lot of water damage starts, and they’re one of the first things we check. A missing or damaged cap lets rain, birds, and debris into the flue; a cracked crown lets water into the masonry, which then freezes and spalls. We repair and replace both.
What’s the difference between a chimney sweep and an inspection?
A sweep is cleaning; an inspection is diagnosis. In practice we do both in the same visit – sweeping the flue while assessing the liner, damper, crown, cap, and firebox. That’s why the repair capability matters. The person cleaning your chimney is the person who can fix what they find. Here’s the process we follow on a standard visit:
- Walk the home and confirm the appliance type – wood-burning fireplace, gas insert, or both.
- Lay drop cloths and set up dust containment around the hearth.
- Access the flue from the roof or the firebox, depending on the setup.
- Brush the flue and clear creosote and soot, checking the liner as we go.
- Inspect the damper, firebox, crown, and cap while we’re up top.
- Clean up and walk you through what we found and what, if anything, needs repair.
Is HeatShield resurfacing safe, or do I need a full reline?
HeatShield is a safe and established option for many deteriorated liners, and it’s the reason we can often save you the cost of a full reline. It restores the liner’s interior surface in place. Whether it’s right for your chimney depends on the extent of the damage – a liner with structural gaps or breaks may need a full DuraFlex relining instead. That’s a judgment call an experienced technician makes after looking at the actual flue.
What does creosote buildup actually mean for my chimney?
Creosote is the residue left behind by burning wood, and it’s flammable. Stage one is light and flaky, stage two is thicker and tar-like, and stage three – glazed creosote – is dense and hard, and it’s the stage that makes a flue fire likely. Regular sweeping keeps you in stage one. Once you’re at stage three, the cleaning itself takes more work and a flue fire becomes a real possibility.
What should I do before my appointment?
Let the fire go out at least a day before we arrive, clear the area in front of the hearth, and make sure we can reach the roof. Tell us about any gas insert or unusual appliance setup when you call so we bring the right tools and materials. If you’ve been flagged by a home inspector or insurance carrier, have that paperwork ready – it tells us exactly what they’re looking for.
Have a question we didn’t cover? Call Firebrick Chimney Sweep at (866) 520-4943.
Ready to book?
Call Firebrick Chimney Sweep at (866) 520-4943 for a free estimate. We’ll take a look at the whole system – the flue, the liner, the crown, the cap, and the dryer vent if you have one – and tell you honestly what needs doing. One company, from the sweep through the repair.