You are buying or selling a house
A real estate inspection of the rest of the house often looks at the fireplace from the room and stops. Chimney specialists use a higher level when the property is changing hands.
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Chimney Inspection in Peoria, IL
An inspection tells you whether the chimney is fit to use. It is not a sweep, and it is not a repair. The level of inspection should be chosen on purpose.
Chimney Repair Peoria is a referral service. We connect Peoria area homeowners with an independent local mason. We do not own trucks, and we do not lay brick. Calls may be recorded.
Call (555) 555-0100
Calls may be recorded.
01
Signs you need this
People in Peoria usually call for an inspection at a few specific moments, not on a random Tuesday.
Photo placeholderPhoto placeholder: inspector's view of a flue tile, camera at the top of a chimney, real job only.
You want to use a fireplace that has been cold for years
An unused flue can hide a blocked cap, a nest, or a liner that has already failed. Lighting a fire to 'see what happens' is a poor test.
There was a chimney fire, a lightning strike, or a bad storm
Those events are a reason to look at concealed damage, not only the brick you can see.
You smell smoke in rooms that should be clear, or the damper will not move
That can be a blockage, a bad connection, or a house pressure problem. It still starts with someone qualified looking at the flue. Do not force a seized damper.
02
What the job involves
NFPA 211 is the standard that defines inspection levels for existing chimneys. The Chimney Safety Institute of America publishes procedures that follow it. We are not CSIA certified, and we do not perform inspections. This is the plain version of those levels so you can ask for the right one.
Level 1, when nothing about the use is changing
CSIA describes Level 1 as the routine inspection during a normal visit: readily accessible parts of the fireplace and chimney, no ladder required, no removal of building finishes. It fits an annual look and a swap to a similar appliance. It does not fit a house sale.
Level 2, when the story changes
CSIA says Level 2 is appropriate when the appliance changes, the house is sold, you are lining the flue, or there was a fire, a storm, or another event that may have caused damage. It includes accessible areas, the attic and crawl space where they can be entered safely, and the outside from a ladder or the roof, including a look inside the flue.
Level 3, when concealed damage has to be opened
Level 3 is the uncommon one. It is used when Level 1 or Level 2 finds a hazard that cannot be judged without opening concealed parts of the chimney or the house. It can mean removing masonry. You should see that scope in writing before anyone opens a wall.
A written report
Ask for the level by name and for a written result. A verbal 'it looks fine' from the ground is not an inspection level.
03
What published prices say
We are not printing a dollar range for inspections. The national repair guides we cite focus on masonry repairs, not on a Peoria inspection fee, and a made up local price would be worse than silence.
What we can say is that a Level 2 takes more time than a Level 1 because of the roof and the flue. A Level 3 is priced after someone knows what has to be opened. Ask for the level in the quote. Sweeping, if you want it, is a separate line. This site does not offer sweeping.
- Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3.
- How many flues are in the chimney.
- Roof access and whether the attic can be entered.
- A camera scan of the flue, which should be stated, not assumed.
Sources
- CSIA procedure for a Level 1 masonry chimney inspection. CSIA describes Level 1 as the routine look when use of the fireplace is not changing: readily accessible parts, without a ladder and without opening concealed areas.
- CSIA procedure for a Level 2 masonry chimney inspection. CSIA says a Level 2 is the right level when an appliance changes, the house is being sold, a fire or storm may have caused damage, or a Level 1 cannot answer whether the flue is sound. It includes accessible areas and the roof.
- City of Peoria permit list. The city says a permit is required to add a fireplace, wood stove, or unit heater. The public list does not give tuckpointing, a crown, or a cap its own line. Ask Building Safety before assuming a permit is or is not required.
04
House sales and older Peoria fireplaces
Photo placeholderPhoto placeholder: masonry fireplace in an older Peoria living room, unstaged and real.
A lot of Peoria sales involve houses with a masonry fireplace that the last owner rarely burned. The buyer still needs to know if the flue is clear and if the crown is dumping water into the masonry. Ask for a Level 2 when the house is under contract, not a Level 1 that never reaches the roof.
West Bluff houses and other early 1900s brick often have fireplaces that were built with the house. Tile liners in those chimneys can be cracked without any stain in the living room. That is a Level 2 finding, not something a general home inspector's flashlight will settle.
If the inspection finds a hazard, the repair pages on this site are the next read: leak paths, tuckpointing, crown and cap, or a rebuild. The inspector and the mason can be the same company or two companies. Either way, you hire them. We only pass the request to one local pro.
Adding a new fireplace or wood stove is on the City of Peoria permit list. An inspection of an existing chimney may not be. If the inspection leads to a new appliance, ask Building Safety before it is installed. Peoria Heights and East Peoria are not covered by a City of Peoria permit answer.
05
Questions
Is a chimney inspection the same as a sweep?
No. A sweep cleans creosote and soot. An inspection judges condition. They are often sold together, and a Level 1 is the level CSIA ties to a routine cleaning visit. If you are buying a house, ask for a Level 2 by name. We do not sell sweeps.
My home inspector already looked at the fireplace. Is that enough?
Usually not, if they did not go on the roof or scan the flue. Their report is still useful. Read what they excluded. A lot of general inspections exclude the flue interior.
What if the report says the chimney is unfit?
Do not burn a fire in it. Get a repair scope in writing: liner, crown, masonry, or all three. A second opinion is reasonable on a five figure rebuild. This site does not interpret the report for you.
Can you inspect it this week for my closing?
This sample does not schedule inspections. We also do not promise that a mason's calendar will match a closing date. Call early in the contract, not the day before.
07
Call or send a note
Call (555) 555-0100. Calls may be recorded. Or use the form at the top of this page. Sample site. This number is a placeholder, and the form does not send your message.
Call (555) 555-0100
Calls may be recorded.