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 Inspection Across Los Altos
A chimney inspection in Los Altos typically costs $189 – $389 for a Level 1 visual check and $289 – $589 for a Level 2 camera inspection, with most large estate homes falling between $350 and $550 because of multiple flues and harder access. We schedule most Los Altos inspections within 3 to 5 business days, not weeks, and every quoted price is written down before we touch a ladder. If you live in Los Altos Hills, the Country Club area, or anywhere in between, call (669) 266-5073 and we’ll give you a straight answer on what your chimney actually needs. Nathan Corliss runs our crew, and he’s the one who answers the phone.
Why Ashby Chimney San Jose Is Los Altos’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
Ashby carries ash right in the name, and that’s fitting for the work we do across Los Altos’s older, custom-built homes. We’ve been at this since 2002, and the complaint we hear most often from Los Altos homeowners is that a previous company quoted one price, showed up late, and then found problems they couldn’t verify. We don’t work that way. Every inspection includes a written price before work starts and a written guarantee when we’re done. If a covered repair fails inside the guarantee period, we return and fix it at no charge. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise, part of the Kingswell Guarantee that every Ashby location operates under.
Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed, so when someone pulls up to your Los Altos home, you know exactly who’s walking in. We answer our own phones around the clock, no voicemail loops. And when we recommend a liner repair or damper replacement, you’ll see the problem yourself on our camera scope before you spend a dollar. We won’t put you through a sales pitch you can’t verify.
Los Altos isn’t a one-size-fits-all market, and we treat it that way. Large hillside properties with multiple fireplaces, original 1960s masonry chimneys, and gas conversions each need a different inspection approach. Our Chimney Inspection team maps every flue and smoke chamber before recommending any work. That’s how we’ve earned a strong local reputation across Los Altos and the surrounding peninsula.
Styles & brands we work with
Chimney Fire in Los Altos
Chimney Fire in Los Altos is a phrase we use for the full annual cleaning-and-inspection combination that most homeowners with wood-burning fireplaces need before the burn season starts. It means we sweep the flue, remove creosote and any debris, and visually inspect the firebox, damper, smoke chamber, and crown. In Los Altos, where so many homes still have original fireplaces that see regular use from November through February, this job catches problems early. A standard chimney fire plus Level 1 inspection in Los Altos runs $189 – $389 depending on flue height and access.
Sweep, Smoke Chamber, and Firebox Clearance
On most Los Altos homes we’re removing first- and second-stage creosote from the flue and clearing the smoke chamber where it narrows above the damper. That narrowing, common in 1950s-1980s construction, is where creosote and nesting debris hide. We clear it by hand, not just with the brush.
When a Level 2 Scan Should Follow
If the visual inspection turns up moisture staining, spalled brick, or evidence of a past chimney fire, we recommend moving to a Level 2 camera scan. You’ll watch the footage with us. We don’t ask you to take our word on anything.
Level 2 Chimney Inspection in Los Altos
Level 2 Chimney Inspection in Los Altos is a video-scanned examination of the entire flue interior, smoke chamber, and damper assembly, and it’s the standard we recommend for any hillside or estate home with multiple fireplaces or a history of moisture intrusion. In Los Altos Hills especially, oversized custom chimneys from the 1960s through 1980s were often built with shared or interconnected flues serving multiple fireboxes. Hidden offset angles, secondary dampers, and dead-air chambers are common in this construction. A Level 2 inspection in Los Altos runs $289 – $589, with larger multi-flue homes at the higher end.
Camera Mapping of Multi-Flue Systems
We use a video scope to trace every flue from the firebox to the crown. That mapping tells us whether upstairs and downstairs fireplaces share a flue, whether a corroded damper is stuck, and whether original clay liners are cracked. You get a photo report, not a verbal summary.
Inspection for Real Estate and Gas Conversion
We handle a lot of Los Altos real estate inspections before closings, and we also inspect before gas inserts are installed. A gas conversion changes draft dynamics, and the old flue needs to be sized and scanned before you put a liner or insert in. This is the inspection that tells you whether the chimney is safe for the new appliance.
Common Chimney Inspection Problems We See in Los Altos Homes
Here’s what actually shows up in Los Altos, at the rate we see it.
- Spalled brick crowns from winter rain: Many Los Altos chimneys weren’t built with proper crown overhangs. Wet winters in this climate let water soak into the crown, freeze-thaw cycles spall the brick, and the flue liner starts to shift. A Level 1 visual usually misses it; a camera scan finds it. Cost of repair, if caught early: a crown reseal. If caught late: a partial rebuild.
- Shared flues with hidden offset angles: Large hillside homes often route two or three fireplaces into one oversized masonry flue with hard offsets. Creosote builds at the offsets, and draft problems get blamed on the firebox when the real issue is a partially closed damper in a secondary firebox. Mapping first saves everyone money.
- Squirrel and raccoon nests in uncapped flues: The oak and redwood canopy over Los Altos Hills means uncapped chimneys collect nests. Debris and guano accelerate liner corrosion, and the blockage sends smoke and carbon monoxide back into the house. An annual visual without a camera scan misses early-stage damage behind the damper.
- Original cast-iron dampers seized or corroded: In 50- to 70-year-old Los Altos masonry fireplaces, the throat damper is often the first component to fail. It rusts open or closed, and a rusted-open damper costs you heat all winter. We check damper operation on every inspection and show you the condition on camera.
See the difference
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After
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AfterPricing for Chimney Inspection in Los Altos, CA
A straightforward Level 1 inspection and sweep in Los Altos runs $189 – $389. A Level 2 video inspection runs $289 – $589, and if you have three fireplaces or a hillside chimney with difficult roof access, expect the higher end. Real estate inspections that require a written report usually land between $350 and $500. We don’t bid low and add on later. The price we hand you before the work is the price on the invoice. Call (669) 266-5073 and we’ll give you an exact number for your house, usually in one conversation. Estimates are free.
Trusted Brands We Service in Los Altos
When a Los Altos inspection does turn up a liner or damper problem, we repair it with materials from chimney-trade suppliers we’ve worked with since 2002: HeatShield for resurfacing deteriorated flue liners, Olympia Chimney for stainless steel liner systems, and Famco for dampers and caps. We keep stock on hand for common Los Altos applications, which means most repairs don’t wait on a parts order. If you have an older fireplace with a specific brand of damper or cap already installed, ask us; we likely carry the replacement.
We Also Serve Cities Near Los Altos
Our crews cover Los Altos and the surrounding mid-peninsula, including Mountain View, Stanford, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. If you’re just over the border in one of those cities, the same written pricing and guarantee apply. For details on service and pricing, see our Chimney Inspection in Los Altos page or call us directly.
Serving Los Altos, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Los Altos 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 Inspection in Los Altos
You should have all fireplaces inspected annually, even if you only light one. Los Altos Hills chimneys without caps collect squirrel and bird nests quickly, and shared flue systems mean an unused firebox can still be the source of creosote or moisture damage that affects the one you do use. A once-a-year Level 2 scan maps them all and catches problems before they become fires. Call (669) 266-5073 to schedule.
A Level 2 inspection on a large Los Altos home includes a full video scan of every flue, from each firebox to the crown, plus damper function checks and a smoke chamber assessment. Because many mid-century homes here share flues or have offset angles hidden in the chase, the scan is the only way to see what’s actually inside. We give you a photo report with the video stills, not just a verbal summary, and we spend as long as it takes to map all fireplaces on one visit.
Yes, and it’s one of the main reasons we push Level 2 scans on older Los Altos masonry chimneys. A past chimney fire often leaves creosote glazed into a hard, glassy residue and can crack clay flue tiles or separate mortar joints. You can’t see that from the roof with a flashlight. The video scope shows exactly how deep the damage goes, and we’ll tell you plainly whether the flue needs repair or can safely wait. Estimates are free at (669) 266-5073.
Yes. A gas conversion without a video inspection puts you at risk of a flue that’s too large, too damaged, or shared with other fireplaces, which changes how the new insert drafts. We scan the flue, check the smoke chamber, and tell you whether the existing liner will work or needs a stainless liner for the gas appliance. This is the inspection that prevents a bad conversion, not the cleanup after one.
A Level 1 inspection is a visual check of the accessible parts of the chimney from the firebox and roof, which runs $189 – $389. A Level 2 adds a full video scan of the flue interior, smoke chamber, and damper, at $289 – $589. For most Los Altos homes with original fireplaces, wildlife pressure, or multiple flues, we recommend the Level 2 because it sees what a flashlight and mirror can’t. Call (669) 266-5073 and we’ll recommend the right one for your house, not the most expensive one.
If your chimney hasn’t been inspected this year, or you smelled something odd last burn season, call us at (669) 266-5073. Nathan Corliss and our Los Altos crews will show you exactly what’s in your flue, put the price in writing, and guarantee the work in writing. We serve Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, and the surrounding peninsula.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner at Ashby Chimney San Jose, serving Los Altos since 2002.