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Look BeforeYou Light It
Chimney Inspection in Binghamton, NY
Brush First, Then the CameraBinghamton Master Chimney Sweep does a chimney inspection in Binghamton with every sweep, top to bottom. Need one on its own, for a house sale or a new stove? It's $150, and you get the findings in writing.
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Types of Chimney Inspections We Do
NFPA 211, the national rulebook for chimneys, says every chimney should be looked at once a year. Most years that's a quick job. A Binghamton chimney is a brick column standing out in the weather all year, though, and after 133 nights below freezing something usually needs a closer look. There are three levels, and the right one depends on what changed since last winter.
These are the inspections we do, from the everyday to the rare:
1. Level 1 Chimney Inspection
This is the yearly check, and it comes free with every $250 sweep. We look at everything we can reach without tools. Inside, that's the fireplace and the damper. Then we check the flue from below and the crown, cap and flashing from the roof.
2. Level 2 Chimney Inspection With a Camera
We run a flue camera (a small video camera on a rod) up the whole flue and watch it on a screen with you. We also check the attic and basement where the chimney passes wood framing. You need this one when you sell the house, add a stove or after a chimney fire.
3. Real Estate Chimney Inspection
A general home inspector shines a flashlight up the fireplace and writes "recommend evaluation." That's it. Before you close on an old house on the West Side or in Johnson City, we scan the flue and send a written report with photos, so the price of any repair is on the table before you sign.
4. Inspection After a Chimney Fire or Storm
A chimney fire can crack clay flue tiles in one roaring minute. It often leaves puffy, burnt soot behind too. Wind and ice dams loosen caps and flashing. We photograph every bit of damage so you have it for your insurance adjuster.
5. Level 3 Chimney Inspection
A Level 3 inspection means opening something up: taking off part of the crown or a section of drywall to see a hidden spot. We almost never need it. If a Level 2 points to a problem we can't see, we explain why before anything gets taken apart, and you decide.
How Much Does a Chimney Inspection Cost in Binghamton?
A chimney inspection in Binghamton costs nothing extra with a $250 sweep, because the inspection is part of it. An inspection by itself is $150, plus $50 for each extra flue. A Level 2 camera inspection for a home sale or a new stove runs $250 to $400.
- With a sweep: included in the $250 first-flue sweep
- Inspection only (Level 1): $150, plus $50 for each extra flue
- Level 2 camera inspection: $250 to $400 depending on flue height and access
- Home-sale report with photos: quoted with the Level 2, usually same week
- Trip charge: $20 for Owego, Whitney Point, Lisle, Greene, Apalachin and Deposit
Every price is written down before we climb the ladder. If the flue needs cleaning before we can see it, we tell you first.
What Every Chimney Inspection Includes
- Firebox, damper and smoke chamber checked from inside the house
- Crown, cap, flashing and brick checked from the roof
- Creosote depth measured and the type noted
- Drop cloths down and the hearth left as clean as we found it
- Findings in writing, with photos of anything that needs work
- No pressure: repairs priced in writing, done now or next spring, your call
What We Look For on a Binghamton Chimney
Most houses we do a chimney inspection on went up between the 1910s and 1950s, and most of their chimneys have never had a camera in them. On an old Southern Tier chimney, these are the things we find most often:
- Cracked crowns that let water into the brick (the crown is the concrete top around the flue)
- Spalling, where brick faces flake off after water freezes inside them
- Gaps and cracks between clay flue tiles that leak smoke and heat into the walls
- Missing or rusted caps, and nests or leaves blocking the flue
- Loose flashing, the metal skirt where the roof meets the brick
- Creosote over 1/8 inch thick, about two credit cards, which is when a sweep is due
Some of these are small fixes. A missing cap is a $200 to $600 job. A flue with cracked tiles is a bigger one, because carbon monoxide can leak through the cracks into the house, and that's when we talk about a stainless chimney liner.
Chimney Inspection Levels Compared
| Level | When you need it | What we check | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Every year, nothing has changed | Firebox, damper, flue from below, crown, cap | Free with a sweep, or $150 |
| Level 2 | Selling or buying, new stove, after a fire | Everything in Level 1 plus a camera scan, attic and basement | $250 to $400 |
| Level 3 | Level 2 found a hidden problem | Opening part of the crown or a wall | Quoted after Level 2 |
How Often Should You Have Your Chimney Inspected?
Once a year, before the heating season. That's the NFPA 211 rule, and it holds for a house that burns three cords of wood and for one that only lights a fire at Christmas. Furnace and water heater flues count too. In Binghamton, book it by July or August, because September through November fills up fast.
Signs Your Chimney Needs an Inspection Sooner
- Smoke rolling back into the room, or a smell of soot in summer
- White salt stains (efflorescence) on the brick, a sign water is moving through it
- Brick chips on the roof or in the gutter
- A loud roar or popping in the flue, which can mean a chimney fire
- Water stains on the ceiling or wall next to the chimney
We'd rather do a chimney inspection in June than put out a fire in January. If you're seeing any of these, use Contact Us and we'll get you on the schedule. Living west of the city? We cover Johnson City too.
Brush first.Then the camera.30 years in Broome County
How We Work on Every Chimney
- Southern Tier30 YrsOn the roofs
- Every sweepCamInspection
- First flue$250Flat price
- Every hearthHEPAClean room
- Own crew100%No subs
Before you call
Chimney Inspection Questions We Get on Site
Is a Chimney Inspection the Same as a Home Inspection?
No. A home inspector looks at the whole house in a few hours and rarely goes up the flue. Our inspection is only the chimney, the flue and every appliance that vents into it.
Does a Gas Fireplace Need an Inspection?
The flue does. Gas burns cleaner than wood, but birds, leaves and fallen tile still block gas flues. We inspect the venting; gas valve and burner service belongs to your gas fireplace dealer.
Questions we hear
Chimney Inspection FAQs
How much does a chimney inspection cost in Binghamton?
A Level 1 chimney inspection in Binghamton costs $150 on its own, plus $50 for each extra flue. It's included free when we sweep the chimney for $250. A Level 2 camera inspection, needed for home sales and new stoves, runs $250 to $400 depending on height and access.
How long does a chimney inspection take?
A Level 1 inspection takes about 30 to 45 minutes, and a Level 2 camera inspection takes about an hour and a half for a typical two-story house. Tall chimneys, steep slate roofs or several flues in one stack add time. You get the written findings the same day or the next.
Do I need a Level 2 chimney inspection to sell my house?
Yes, the national standard NFPA 211 calls for a Level 2 inspection whenever a home changes hands. Buyers' lenders and insurers often ask for one too. The camera scan shows the inside of the flue, which a general home inspector doesn't check, so cracked tiles don't surprise anyone at closing.
Do I need an inspection if I never use the fireplace?
Yes, if any appliance still vents into that chimney. In many Binghamton houses the furnace or gas water heater still shares the chimney. If that flue is blocked or cracked, it can push carbon monoxide back into the house. An unused chimney also still takes on rain and freeze-thaw damage every winter.
Can you sweep the chimney on the same visit?
Yes, and most people book it that way. A sweep and Level 1 inspection together cost $250 for the first flue, and the inspection happens after cleaning, when the flue walls are clear enough to see properly. If the camera finds a problem, we price the repair in writing before we leave.
Our Other Chimney Services
Chimney Crown Repair
Hairline cracks sealed, broken crowns rebuilt with a real overhang so rain drips clear of the brick.
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Chimney Liner Installation
A stainless sleeve inside a cracked clay flue, sized to the stove, insert or furnace that uses it.
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Chimney Repointing & Masonry Repair
Chimney repointing, tuckpointing and brick repair: worn joints repacked and flaking brick replaced before the freeze gets further in.
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Chimney Waterproofing
Leaks traced to the source, then sealed with a breathable repellent and flash seal.
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Wood Stove Chimney Cleaning
Stove and insert flues swept, baffle cleared and checked, $250 with the inspection.
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Wood Stove Chimney Installation
A new prefab chimney or liner for the stove you just bought, cleared to code.
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Contact Binghamton Master Chimney Today
Leave your name, number and a line about the chimney. We call back the same business day.