Level 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.
Flue relining
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterChimney Cleaning Before & After in San Jose, CA
We’ve cleaned and inspected more than 38,000 chimneys since 2009. Every job gets a camera scan, a written price before we start, and a photo record when we’re done. This page shows what that process actually looks like on San Jose homes. The creosote buildup, the cracked flue liners, the smoke chambers packed with debris – then the same chimney after we’ve worked through it.
Recent Transformations
Class III Glazed Creosote Removal, Almaden Valley
The homeowner in Almaden Valley burned oak and almond almost exclusively for three winters without a sweep. We found Class III glazed creosote, a hardened tar-like deposit that standard wire brushes won’t touch, coating more than 60% of the flue liner surface. That’s a chimney fire waiting for a spark. We applied a creosote-modifying chemical treatment, let it penetrate for 24 hours, then ran mechanical chain cutters through the flue to break the glaze loose. Final camera scan showed clean terracotta with the liner joints fully visible. Written scope, written price of $340, photo record archived under Haven Standard Clause 4.
Smoke Chamber Parging Failure Repair, Willow Glen
A 1950s ranch in Willow Glen had a smoke chamber, the area above the firebox that funnels smoke into the flue, with parging – the smooth refractory coating – almost entirely missing. Rough masonry in a smoke chamber traps creosote and creates turbulence that kills draft. We removed the loose material, applied HeatShield cerfractory foam to create the proper sloped profile, and cured it with a controlled heat protocol. The camera footage from before and after shows the geometry change clearly. The homeowner walked away with both videos, the written warranty on the parging work, and our $420 written price already paid. No surprises.
Chimney Cap and Crown Rebuild, Rose Garden
The Rose Garden neighborhood gets more rain than most of San Jose, and this chimney had taken it for fifteen years. The concrete crown, the slab that tops the masonry and sheds water, was spalling – surface concrete flaking off from freeze-thaw and moisture intrusion – with cracks running clean through to the flue tile. The metal cap had rusted through at the seams. We formed and poured a new crown with a 2-inch overhang and drip edge, then fitted a stainless steel cap with 5/8-inch mesh screening to keep out birds and debris. Total written price: $680 for crown and cap, separate from the $180 sweep and Level 2 inspection that found the damage. The photo record shows water staining on the flue liner from before, dry liner after.
Factory-Built Fireplace Flue Fire Damage Assessment, Evergreen
The homeowner in Evergreen heard what they described as “a freight train in the chimney” – the sound of a flue fire, creosote igniting inside the metal flue pipe of their factory-built fireplace. They put it out with a fire extinguisher and called us. Our camera scan found the stainless steel flue pipe warped and rainbow-discolored from temperatures above 2,100°F. That pipe was done. We sourced replacement flue pipe through Olympia Chimney’s distribution network, installed it to the manufacturer’s clearance specifications, and ran a pressure test to confirm draft. The written scope specified exactly which UL-listed components we used and why the original pipe could not be salvaged. Price: $890. The alternative was using a damaged flue pipe and hoping for the best.
Spalling Brick and Tuckpointing, Naglee Park
Naglee Park has some of the oldest housing stock in San Jose, and this 1920s chimney showed it. Spalling brick – faces of the brick popping off from water freezing inside the masonry – had exposed the softer interior. Mortar joints were eroded to half their original depth. We ground out the failed joints to 3/4-inch depth, tuckpointed with Type N mortar matched to the original lime content, and replaced seven bricks with reclaimed period brick from a local salvage yard. The sweep and inspection that found this damage was $220. The masonry repair was quoted separately at $1,840, with photos showing exactly which bricks were replaced and why. The homeowner could see the water intrusion path in the before photos and the sealed structure in the after.
Chimney Liner Degradation and HeatShield Relining, Cambrian Park
A clay flue liner in Cambrian Park had cracked through at the third joint from the top, with a gap wide enough to slide a pencil into. Combustion gases – carbon monoxide among them – were venting into the chimney walls and potentially into the home. Full stainless steel relining would have run $2,400. The damage pattern qualified for HeatShield cerfractory sealant application instead: we cleaned the liner, applied the sealant in two passes with a custom-forming plug, and cured it to create a continuous UL-listed lining surface. Camera verification showed no gaps, no cracks, no exposed joints. Written price: $1,150. The homeowner got the before-and-after camera footage, the written 20-year warranty on the HeatShield application, and our recommendation that the liner be rescanned in five years per NFPA 211 guidelines.
Want Results Like These?
Every job starts with a written price, a written scope, and a written warranty before any work begins. No exceptions. Call (669) 291-2770 and we’ll book your inspection, or bring us any competitor’s written estimate for a free second opinion. Corrine Halstead and our team have been doing this in San Jose since 2009.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney San Jose, serving San Jose since 2009.