A couple in East Arlington, a few blocks from Globe Life Field, called last fall after their home inspector wrote one line about the fireplace: “recommend evaluation by a chimney professional.” They had no idea what that meant or what it would cost. A chimney inspection in Arlington, TX from Crownline Chimney Sweep starts with a camera look up the flue and ends with a photo report on your phone, and a Level 1 inspection is included in our $109 first-visit sweep (regular $229). For a home sale, a Level 2 inspection is the right call, and we quote it in writing before we start.
Crownline Chimney Sweep is a local chimney service company at 700 Highlander Blvd in Arlington, near the Parks Mall, between Fort Worth and Dallas. Our crew has inspected chimneys in Arlington homes for more than 20 years, we are insured and bonded, and we are the local chimney company Arlington homeowners trust because the report shows the problem before anyone talks about a price.
What a Chimney Inspection in Arlington Covers
Here is what the crew checks on every professional chimney inspection in Arlington, in the order we do it. Each homeowner gets the same list. Each item gets a photo.
- Firebox and hearth. Cracks in the brick or the refractory panels, gaps in the mortar, and the hearth extension.
- Damper. We open and close it, check that it seals, and look for rust, a bent plate or a broken handle. A damper that will not close is the most common thing we find in Arlington’s older brick homes.
- Smoke chamber and smoke shelf. Creosote buildup, missing mortar and the old rough brick corbels that slow the draft.
- Flue. The camera goes up the flue. We look for cracked or shifted clay tiles, gaps in the joints, creosote stage, and blockages such as nests, leaves or a fallen tile.
- Crown. From the roof, we check the concrete or mortar crown for cracks and for the washed-out edges that let water into the brick.
- Cap and spark arrestor. Is there one, is it rusted, is the screen intact.
- Flashing and brick. Lifted or rusted flashing where the chimney meets the roof, open mortar joints, spalling brick and white staining.
- Photo report. Every photo goes into a report sent to your phone, with a plain list: what is fine, what needs attention, what it costs, and what happens if you wait.
Roof items are checked from the roof when it is safe to walk. On a steep or wet roof we use a ladder at the eave and a camera pole.
Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Chimney Inspections
The three levels come from the NFPA 211 standard, the fire code for chimneys and fireplaces. The level is about how deep we look, not how dirty the flue is. The levels describe inspections, not cleaning, which is why a “$500 Level 1 sweep” quote on the Dallas forums made no sense to anyone.
Level 1 chimney inspection
The yearly check for a chimney that has not changed and has had no known problems. We check everything we can reach without tools: firebox, damper, smoke chamber, flue by camera, crown, cap and flashing. This is the inspection included in our $109 first-visit sweep and in the regular $229 visit.
Level 2 chimney inspection
Everything in a Level 1 plus a full video scan of the flue from top to bottom and a look at the attic, crawl space and any other spot where the chimney passes through the house. NFPA 211 calls for a Level 2 when you buy or sell a home, after a chimney fire, after storm, hail or lightning damage, and when you change the fuel type, add an insert or install a liner. Full details are on our Level 2 chimney inspection page.
Level 3 chimney inspection
A Level 2 plus removal of parts of the chimney, the chase or the walls to reach damage we suspect but cannot see. It is rare, and it is only done when a Level 2 points to a hidden problem. We quote it in writing after the Level 2.
When You Need a Chimney Inspection in Arlington
- Every year, before the first fire. The NFPA rule, and the one that saves the most money, because small cracks found in September are cheap.
- Buying or selling a home. A general home inspector looks at the chimney from the ground. Ask for a Level 2.
- After a hail storm. Tarrant County hail cracks crowns, dents chase covers and tears caps loose. The photo report is what insurance adjusters ask for.
- After a chimney fire. Even a small one. A roaring sound, a puff of smoke from the top, or flakes of expanded creosote in the firebox all count.
- Water stains on the ceiling or wall by the chimney. The leak is almost always the crown, the flashing or a chase cover, and an inspection finds which.
- A smell of smoke in summer. Humid air pulls odor out of creosote. The inspection tells you if a sweep will fix it or if the damper is letting air through.
- You just moved in and have no records. Most Arlington listings never mention the chimney.
Chimney Inspection Cost in Arlington
Crownline includes a Level 1 inspection and the photo report in the $109 first-visit sweep. The regular price for the sweep and inspection is $229. We do not publish a standalone Level 1 or Level 2 price because the right level depends on your chimney and why you need the inspection, so we quote Level 2 and Level 3 inspections in writing before we start, and estimates are free.
For comparison, Brown Chimney, a DFW company that publishes its prices, lists the typical industry range at $100 to $550 for a Level 1 inspection and $200 to $1,000 for a Level 2. Google’s own summary puts a Texas sweep-and-inspection package at $200 to $300. The full price picture, with a hidden-cost checklist, is on our chimney sweep cost page.
Seniors get 10% off, and so do veterans and first responders. We match written quotes from insured companies. One discount per job.
What Chimney Inspections Find in Arlington Homes
More than 20 years of inspecting chimneys in Arlington adds up to a short list of the usual finds, sorted by the age of the house.
1950s and 1960s brick homes in Old Arlington, Oak Hill and around UTA. Original clay tile liners with cracked or shifted tiles, mortar crowns that have washed out at the edges, throat dampers rusted open, and no cap at all. These chimneys were built for a fire every night and have outlived two or three roofs.
1970s to 1990s ranch homes in Dalworthington Gardens, Pantego and South Arlington. Open mortar joints from North Texas clay soil movement, spalling brick on the north face, flashing that has pulled away from the brick, and smoke chambers with heavy creosote because the fireplaces were used hard.
1980s to 2000s factory-built fireplaces in Southwest Arlington and near Lake Arlington. Rusted chase covers with standing water, cracked refractory panels in the firebox, and metal flues with gaps at the joints. On these homes the chase cover is the leak nine times out of ten.
Newer homes in Viridian and North Arlington. Mostly gas fireplaces. Dirty pilot assemblies, spider webs in the burner and a vent cap packed with debris. A gas fireplace needs the yearly inspection even though it rarely needs a sweep, and the service call is free.
Hail is the one thing every decade of home shares. After a spring storm we see cracked crowns, dented chase covers and caps blown into the yard across the whole city.
Why Arlington Homeowners Choose Crownline for Chimney Inspections
- A real Arlington office at 700 Highlander Blvd, not a rented suite number. Call (817) 505-4222 and a person answers 7 days a week, 7 AM to 10 PM.
- A local crew with more than 20 years in Arlington homes, so we know what a 1965 clay flue and a 1995 prefab chase each tend to do.
- Insured and bonded.
- A camera on every inspection. A flashlight from the firebox misses the cracked tile ten feet up.
- Photos you keep. The report is yours, for your records, your insurance adjuster or your real estate agent.
- A written price and a free estimate on any repair. No decisions on the roof.
That is what we mean when we call Crownline the best chimney company in Arlington: every claim on that list is something you can check.
Related Chimney Services in Arlington
An inspection often leads to one of these, and all of them are part of our Arlington chimney services:
- A chimney sweep when the camera shows 1/8 inch or more of creosote.
- A Level 2 chimney inspection for a home sale or after a fire or storm.
- A fireplace inspection focused on the firebox, damper and gas components.
- Chimney repair for the crown, flashing, masonry or liner the inspection flagged, and chimney cap installation when the flue is open to the sky, all with free written estimates.
Call (817) 505-4222 or use the form on this page to book a chimney inspection in Arlington. Fall slots go fast once the first cold front arrives, so the best time to book is before you need the fireplace.