The Chimney SquadThe Chimney SquadThe truth, up your flue
A chimney sweep Austin homeowners can book for a straight-forward cleaning and honest inspection is what this crew does every day across Travis County. We clean wood-burning fireboxes, gas log flues, and prefab metal chimneys, then tell you plainly what is safe and what needs work — no upsell theater. Whether you searched "chimney sweep near me" from Hyde Park or need a cap replaced out in Circle C Ranch, the work starts with a camera down the flue so you see what we see.
📞 Call (512) 615-2035
Text or call about your chimney sweep job — a quick photo helps us quote fast.
A firm, all-in price confirmed before we start — no surprises.
On time, done to standard, and tidy when we leave.
Full brush-and-vacuum cleaning of the firebox, smoke chamber, and flue to remove creosote and soot from wood-burning fireplaces. We drop-cloth the hearth and run a HEPA vacuum so the living room stays clean, then show you the before-and-after down the flue. This is the annual service most Austin homeowners with a real wood fire need.
Cleaning and clearing for gas-log and gas-insert flues, which build less creosote but still collect debris, soot, and blockages. We check the flue for corrosion and obstructions that can push exhaust back into the room. A lighter job than a wood sweep, but not one to skip.
The standard annual safety check of readily accessible parts of the flue and firebox for a chimney used the same way each season. We look for creosote stage, cracks, and obvious blockages. Included with most cleanings and the right call for a fireplace that hasn't changed.
A camera-scan inspection required for home sales, after a chimney fire, or when you change fuel types or appliances. The video shows the full length of the flue liner so nothing is guessed at. Homeowners in Tarrytown and Hyde Park buying older houses use this for peace of mind before closing.
Supply and install of a stainless or galvanized chimney cap to keep rain, birds, squirrels, and leaves out of the flue. A missing or rusted-out cap is behind most of the water intrusion we find in Austin firebox floors. One of the highest-value, lowest-cost repairs on this list.
Heavy-duty removal for flues coated in glazed, tar-like third-degree creosote that a routine brush won't touch. This requires specialized tools and more time on-site. Common in homes that burn green or unseasoned oak and haven't been swept in several years.
Minor masonry and sealing work on the crown — the concrete slab at the top of the chimney — along with cap fitting to stop water from working down into the brick. Small cracks in the crown widen fast with Central Texas freeze-thaw swings. We seal them before the next round of winter cold.
Detailed cleaning of the firebox and smoke chamber where soot and debris collect just above the fire. A clean smoke chamber helps the fireplace draft properly and keeps smoke from spilling into the room. Often paired with a full flue sweep.
If you burn real wood a few times each winter, book a full sweep plus a Level 1 inspection so the creosote layer never reaches the point where it can ignite. If you have gas logs and rarely see soot, a Level 1 inspection with a light cleaning is usually enough — the trade-off is that gas flues still need a check for blockages and corrosion, so skipping them entirely is a bad bet. If you are buying or selling a home near the University of Texas or in Tarrytown, choose the Level 2 camera inspection because it documents the flue's condition end-to-end for the sale. If water is dripping into your firebox after a storm, start with a cap and crown check rather than a full sweep — the trade-off there is that a cap install costs a fraction of the masonry repair you will face if the leak keeps soaking the chimney. When you are unsure, the camera goes down first and the recommendation follows what the lens actually shows.
| On-site minimum (any single service) | from $150 |
| Standard wood-burning sweep + Level 1 inspection | $150–$275 |
| Gas fireplace flue cleaning | $150–$225 |
| Level 2 camera inspection | $225–$400 |
| Chimney cap supply & installation | $225–$550 |
| Heavy / third-degree creosote removal | $350–$700 |
| Crown sealing & minor cap-and-crown repair | $250–$650 |
Your exact price is confirmed before any work begins.
Austin's mix of century-old brick chimneys in Hyde Park and Clarksville and newer prefab metal flues out in Circle C Ranch and Mueller means one crew has to know both masonry and factory-built systems. The bigger local issue is water, not just fire: Central Texas cold fronts arrive fast after warm humid stretches, and that freeze-thaw cycle pries open hairline cracks in chimney crowns while leaf litter from live oaks packs into uncapped flues. Homes near Lady Bird Lake and Zilker Metropolitan Park sit under heavy tree cover, so an uncapped chimney in those pockets fills with debris far quicker than the postcard drawings suggest.
Neighborhoods we cover: Hyde Park, Tarrytown, Travis Heights, Allandale, Crestview, Clarksville, Barton Hills, Circle C Ranch, Mueller, Zilker.
A standard chimney sweep in Austin starts at the $150 on-site minimum for a wood-burning fireplace with a routine cleaning and Level 1 inspection. Prices climb from there for tall two-story flues, gas systems, or heavy creosote buildup. The number quoted by phone is an honest ballpark, and the exact price is confirmed on-site before any work starts.
Most Austin homeowners who burn wood should have the chimney swept and inspected once a year, ideally before the first cold front. Gas fireplaces need at least an annual inspection even though they build less creosote. If you burn green or unseasoned oak, or fire the chimney several times a week through winter, more frequent cleaning is worth it.
Late summer and early fall are the easiest times to book a chimney sweep in Austin because demand peaks October through December ahead of the first cold fronts. January cold snaps drive a secondary rush once homeowners light their first fires. Spring and summer are the calmest windows for inspections and repairs before the fall backlog builds.
Yes — we install stainless and galvanized chimney caps on both older masonry chimneys in neighborhoods like Hyde Park and Tarrytown and on newer prefab flues in areas like Mueller and Circle C Ranch. A cap keeps rain, squirrels, and oak leaves out of the flue and is one of the most cost-effective repairs to prevent water damage. Cap work in Austin generally runs from $225 depending on flue size and material.
A Level 1 chimney inspection in Austin covers the readily accessible parts of the firebox and flue, checking creosote stage, cracks, and blockages, and is included with most cleanings. A Level 2 inspection adds a camera scan of the full flue liner and is recommended for home sales, after a chimney fire, or when you change fuel types. Text a photo of your chimney to (512) 615-2035 and we'll tell you which level fits.