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.
Fast, Reliable Chimney Sweep Across Los Angeles
Chimney sweeping in Los Angeles typically costs $189 – $329 for a standard fireplace cleaning with a Level 1 inspection, while gas fireplace cleaning runs $149 – $249. Most homes in the 90004 – 90008 band need more than a brush through the flue: they need camera evidence of what’s actually going on inside a stack that’s sat untouched for years. That’s the work we do. If you’re in Koreatown, Echo Park, Silver Lake, or anywhere else across Los Angeles, call (833) 467-6493 and we’ll schedule a sweep that starts with a real inspection, not a sales pitch.
We know Los Angeles chimneys. The 1920s Spanish Colonials near Wilshire, the Craftsman bungalows stacked up the hillsides, the 1930s apartment courts off Vermont and Western. These stacks were built for wood fires, then decades of owners stopped using them. Palm fronds, pigeon nests, seismic cracks, creosote gone hard as glass. We see it every week. Chimney Sweep work here means diagnosing what’s been ignored, and we do it with the camera on so you see what we see.
Why Glendale Chimney Sweep Is Los Angeles’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
We’re based in Glendale, which puts us about 20 minutes from downtown Los Angeles and under half an hour from most of Central LA, Silver Lake, and Echo Park. We run trucks into Los Angeles ZIPs 90030 through 90033 and across the 90004 – 90008 corridor every week. Homeowners in those neighborhoods call us because we name the materials we specify, we show camera footage before recommending anything, and we don’t send a sales tech with a commission target to your door.
Noel Tarkanian runs this company on a simple operating rule: if we can’t show you the problem on screen, we don’t ask you to pay to fix it. That matters in Los Angeles, where the old chimneys are easy to upsell on. We’ve watched homeowners get quoted full relining jobs for flues that only needed a sweep and a cap. Our approach is different. You get a written report with photos. You see the creosote, the crack, the debris. Then you decide.
Material transparency is the other reason Los Angeles homeowners stick with us. We use HeatShield for flue resurfacing, DuraFlex when a flexible liner is the right call, Olympia Chimney caps, and Copperfield or Famco components where they fit. We tell you the brand because we stand behind the install. Most sweep companies won’t even name what they’re putting in your chimney.
Styles & brands we work with





Chimney Sweep Certified in Los Angeles
Chimney Sweep Certified in Los Angeles means an inspection that goes beyond the brush. A standard sweep here includes a full flue brushing, removal of creosote and soot from the smoke chamber and firebox, and a Level 1 inspection of the accessible flue, damper, and chimney crown. In Los Angeles, where clay-tile flues from the 1920s and 30s are common, that inspection usually reveals hairline cracks from seismic movement that a brush alone would miss. Expect to pay $189 – $329 depending on flue height, accessibility, and how much creosote has hardened.
Creosote Removal in Older Los Angeles Flues
Third-degree creosote is a hard glaze that forms when wood fires burn cool and the flue never gets hot enough to burn it off. In Los Angeles, that’s almost every fireplace. The fire gets lit a few nights a year, the chimney stays cold, and the creosote sets up like road tar. We remove it with rotary whip systems and chemical treatments when needed, then show you the before-and-after on camera.
Clay Tile Flue Inspection
Los Angeles sits on seismic ground, and 100-year-old clay tiles don’t flex. They crack. When we inspect a flue in a 1920s bungalow anywhere from Koreatown to Jefferson Park, we’re checking for spalled tiles, offset joints, and mortar erosion that lets heat and gases reach the surrounding masonry. A cracked flue is a fire-hazard and carbon-monoxide-hazard issue, and we document every finding with camera footage before discussing repair options.
Gas Fireplace Cleaning in Los Angeles
Gas Fireplace Cleaning in Los Angeles runs $149 – $249 and covers the glass, logs or media, burner ports, pilot assembly, and venting path. Gas fireplaces produce little creosote, but they do collect dust, pet hair, soot film from yellow flames, and sometimes debris from uncapped chimney openings. If your gas insert vents into an old brick or clay-tile chimney built for wood, that flue still needs inspection. Gas exhaust moves at lower temperatures than wood smoke, and a deteriorating old flue with failing mortar can leak carbon monoxide into the living space.
Vented Gas Logs in Pre-War Chimneys
The 1920s – 40s housing across Central and South Los Angeles was built around wood-burning fireplaces. Many owners converted to gas logs without ever inspecting the original flue. That’s a problem when the clay tiles are cracked or the mortar joints have failed. During our gas fireplace cleaning, we inspect the entire vent path. If the old flue needs resurfacing, HeatShield can restore it without a full relining tear-out. If a flexible liner makes more sense, we install DuraFlex and document the whole job.
Standing Pilot and Burner Service
If your gas fireplace in Silver Lake or Echo Park won’t light, or the flame burns yellow and lazy, it usually comes down to clogged burner ports or a dirty thermopile. We clean the assembly, verify gas pressure and ignition timing, and run the unit for a full cycle before we leave. No guesswork, no “it might be this” charges.
Trusted Brands We Service in Los Angeles
We specify and install professional chimney-industry materials, and we name them because homeowners in Los Angeles deserve to know what they’re paying for. Our trucks carry HeatShield ceramic resurfacing products, DuraFlex flexible liner systems, Olympia Chimney caps and dampers, and Copperfield or Famco components where the job calls for them. When we quote a repair in Koreatown or Hollywood, the brand goes on the estimate in writing. That’s the difference between a contractor who stands behind the work and one who installs whatever’s cheapest at the supply house.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Los Angeles Homes
- Palm debris and pigeon nests in uncapped flues. A 1926 Spanish Colonial near Koreatown had a flue packed with dried palm fronds and nesting material from an uncapped stack. The homeowner hadn’t used the fireplace in years and had no idea. We removed the debris, resurfaced the flue with HeatShield, and installed an Olympia Chimney cap so it can’t happen again.
- Third-degree creosote glaze in rarely used fireplaces. It builds up over years of occasional fires, hardening into a tar-like layer that a standard brush can’t remove. In Los Angeles, this is the single most common finding we document on camera.
- Seismic cracks in chimney crowns and clay tile flues. The same ground movement that cracks stucco walls also splits clay flue tiles and fractures mortar crowns. Those cracks let winter rain into the firebox and hot gases into the wall cavity. We flag them every time, with photos.
- Unvented or improperly vented gas appliances in pre-war chimneys. Converting a wood fireplace to gas without addressing the old flue is common throughout 90004 – 90008. The flue needs to be sized and lined correctly for gas exhaust, and most 1920s chimneys were not.
Pricing for Chimney Sweep in Los Angeles, CA
Here’s what we charge in Los Angeles, straight up. A standard wood-burning fireplace sweep with Level 1 inspection: $189 – $329. Gas fireplace cleaning: $149 – $249. A more detailed Level 2 inspection with camera scan, typically needed before a home sale, after an earthquake, or when a flue hasn’t been used in years: $249 – $399. What moves the price: flue height and roof access, how much creosote has built up, whether we’re pulling debris out of the stack, and whether the chimney serves more than one appliance. We give a flat price before we start, and the camera report is included. Call (833) 467-6493 for a free estimate on your specific chimney.
We Also Serve Cities Near Los Angeles
Our trucks cover Koreatown, Echo Park, Silver Lake, and Hollywood regularly, along with the broader Chimney Sweep in Los Angeles metro. If you’re in one of those neighborhoods, you’re probably less than 30 minutes from our Glendale shop. We know the housing stock, the chimney types, and the common failure points in each area.
Serving Los Angeles, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Los Angeles 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 Sweep in Los Angeles
Yes, and in Los Angeles this is exactly the scenario where we find the worst problems. A fireplace that sits unused for years collects debris, nests, and hardened creosote. The clay flue tiles can crack from seismic movement with no one noticing. The first sweep on an unused fireplace is really a deferred-maintenance inspection: we brush the flue, run the camera, and show you what’s actually in there. Call (833) 467-6493 and we’ll schedule it.
First-degree creosote is a light sooty powder that brushes off easily. Third-degree creosote is a hardened glaze that forms when wood fires burn cool and the flue never gets hot enough to burn the residue off. In Los Angeles, where fireplaces get lit occasionally during the winter and sit cold the rest of the year, third-degree creosote is common. It’s a serious fire risk and requires rotary cleaning or chemical treatment to remove. We document the degree of creosote with photos during every sweep.
You usually can’t tell from the outside. Cracked clay tiles are hidden inside the flue, behind the masonry. The only way to confirm them is with a camera inspection. Signs that warrant one: water stains in the firebox, loose mortar falling into the fireplace, a chimney that leaks during winter rain, or a home that’s been through notable seismic activity. Our Level 2 inspection includes a full camera scan of the flue and a written report with still images. Call (833) 467-6493 to book one.
Yes. We clean the gas appliance and inspect the entire vent path, including the old masonry flue it vents into. Gas exhaust is lower temperature than wood smoke, so the flue stays cooler and any existing creosote or debris becomes a blockage risk. If the old clay tiles are cracked or the flue is undersized for the gas appliance, we’ll show you the footage and talk through options, including HeatShield resurfacing or a DuraFlex liner. Nothing gets recommended without camera evidence.
Don’t use the fireplace until the debris is removed. Palm fronds and nesting material block the flue, which forces smoke and carbon monoxide back into the house. We remove the debris, inspect the flue for damage, and install an Olympia Chimney cap so the stack is sealed against re-entry. We do this work in 90008 and across South Los Angeles regularly. Call (833) 467-6493 for an exact quote, estimates are free.
Written by Noel Tarkanian, Owner at Glendale Chimney Sweep, serving Los Angeles and surrounding communities.