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 Van Nuys
Get your chimney swept by a crew that knows Van Nuys homes inside and out, from the 1940s ranchers near Kittridge Street to the Mid-Century tracts off Vanowen. A standard sweep and inspection in Van Nuys typically runs $180 to $340 depending on what you’re burning and how long it’s been. We work with the same professional-grade materials you’d find at any CSIA supply house, and if we spot damage during the sweep, we can fix it on the spot, not just write it on a sheet and walk away. Call (833) 958-9616 for a free estimate. We answer 24/7. Fast dispatch from 7am to 7pm, Sunday through Friday.
Why Van Nuys Homeowners Call Chimney Sweep Arleta for Chimney Sweep
Most of the chimneys we service in Van Nuys were built between 1945 and 1970, and a lot of them are still running their original clay-tile flue liners. That means the real work isn’t just brushing out soot. It’s knowing where a 60-year-old liner is likely to have cracked, where a stucco exterior hides a failing crown, and whether that smell on a hot day is creosote or an animal that got in through an uncapped flue. Harold Lawson started this company in 2017 after spending years in the trade, and he built the crew around a simple rule: nothing gets recommended unless the camera shows the problem and the homeowner sees it for themselves.
Van Nuys sits in the San Fernando Valley, and that single fact shapes nearly every call we take here. The dry summers bake chimney crowns. The occasional cold snap sends people to the fireplace after months of disuse. And Santa Ana winds turn any creosote buildup into fuel. We treat every sweep in Van Nuys as a fire-prevention visit, not a formality. Our chimney sweep crews carry inspection cameras on every job, and we hand you the footage before we ever ask you to spend a dollar on repairs.
We also handle dryer vent cleaning as a core service. A clogged dryer vent is a leading residential fire risk, and it’s one that fireplace-only companies in Van Nuys never even look at. One call covers both. We clean it, and if it needs repair, we fix it.
Styles & brands we work with
- Sweep & inspection
- Caps & crowns
- Flue relining
- Masonry repair
- Gas fireplace service
Chimney Services in Van Nuys
Chimney services in Van Nuys almost always start with a sweep and a Level 1 inspection, and that’s where you learn what’s actually going on inside your flue. A standard sweep and inspection typically runs $180 to $340. The process brushes creosote and soot from the firebox through the flue, then we run a camera to check for cracks, gaps, and obstructions. In a city this size, that camera pass matters more than in almost any other part of LA, because earthquake settling is a constant pressure on masonry chimneys here.
Level 1 and Level 2 Inspections
A Level 1 inspection covers what we can see during a routine sweep and is included with the service. If you’ve had a quake, bought the house, or changed from wood to gas, that’s when a Level 2 makes sense, because it gets us onto the roof and into the attic chase to find what you can’t see from the firebox.
Creosote and Soot Removal
Creosote removal in Van Nuys ranges from $180 for a light glaze to $500 or more for stage-three buildup, depending on how long the fireplace has gone untouched. If you smell tar on hot days, that’s creosote volatilizing, and it should come out before the next burn. Soot removal follows the same sweep, and we offer annual sweeps for people who actually use their fireplaces through the Valley’s winter no-burn season.
Chimney Sweep Certified in Van Nuys
Chimney sweep certified work in Van Nuys means the person on your roof knows what a cracked flue tile looks like on a monitor and can explain it to you in plain English. We’re a full-scope chimney and venting company, not a sweep-only operation. That distinction matters here, because sending a low-bid sweep with a brush and no camera into a 1952 chimney often ends with a clean firebox and a completely missed crack in the flue.
Fireplace Cleaning and Annual Sweeps
Fireplace cleaning in Van Nuys runs $160 to $280 for a standard open-hearth fireplace. An annual sweep is the right move if you burn through the winter, but even homes that only burn on holidays should get one every couple of years. Animals move in fast when a cap is missing, and an uncapped flue in 91401 or 91405 is an open door for birds and raccoons.
Repair Capability Beyond Cleaning
When the camera shows a cracked tile or a deteriorating flue, we don’t hand you a card for another company. We install DuraFlex stainless liners and apply HeatShield resurfacing in-house. Those are the same products professional supply houses in the Valley stock, and we’ll show you exactly what we’re installing and why. The footage proves the need, and the estimate sets the final price.
Trusted Brands We Service in Van Nuys
We stock and install Copperfield supplies, DuraFlex liner systems, and HeatShield resurfacing materials on our trucks, so a Van Nuys repair doesn’t wait on a parts order from a distributor across town. When a 91405 homeowner calls with a deteriorating clay-tile flue, we can often quote the liner that same day and get it scheduled before the next cold snap. You can look up every product we use by name. That’s the level of accountability we think this trade has been missing.
Common Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Van Nuys Homes
- Hidden earthquake damage in clay-tile flues. A 1952 chimney that looks fine from the firebox can have cracked tiles halfway up. Only a camera run confirms whether the flue is still gas-tight, and in post-WWII Van Nuys construction, that check is non-negotiable.
- Uncapped flues and animal nests. The older neighborhoods around 91401 and 91405 have mature trees, and birds and raccoons find their way into open chimneys. We pull nests out, then cap the flue so it doesn’t happen again.
- Creosote from gas log sets in wood flues. A gas log set vented into a clay-tile flue designed for wood can accelerate spalling in the smoke chamber. We see this constantly on Van Nuys ranches where someone swapped wood for gas twenty years ago and never relined.
- Crumbling mortar crowns. The dry heat and seismic settling work on crowns over decades, leaving hairline cracks that let in water. From the ground it looks fine. From the roof, it’s often a different story.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterPricing for Chimney Sweep in Van Nuys, CA
A straight chimney sweep and Level 1 inspection in Van Nuys typically runs $180 to $340. Fireplace-only cleaning starts around $160, and heavier creosote removal can push toward $500 when the buildup is severe. If we find damage during the sweep, we give you a written estimate with line-item pricing before any repair begins. We don’t charge for the estimate, and we don’t ask you to commit to anything until you’ve seen the camera footage. This is not a business built on surprise upsells. A homeowner on Kittridge Street watched our tech scope her 1948 flue and learned that the $9,000 reline another company quoted was actually two cracked tiles near the smoke chamber, which we re-pointed and capped instead. That’s the standard here. Call (833) 958-9616 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Van Nuys
Our crews work throughout the central San Fernando Valley, so we’re in Van Nuys one day and nearby the next. That means quick turnaround for homeowners in Valley Glen, Sherman Oaks, Valley Village, and North Hollywood without long wait times. If you’re in one of those areas, the same camera-evidence standard applies.
Serving Van Nuys, CA – Our Local Coverage Area
We serve Van Nuys and nearby communities. Use the map below to see the area we cover. If you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Chimney Sweep in Van Nuys
You can’t tell from the ground, and often you can’t tell from the firebox either. The only way to know if a clay-tile flue has cracked is to run a camera through it. In a 1952 Van Nuys home, we’d recommend that during your next sweep, and we’ll show you the footage on the spot. Call (833) 958-9616 to schedule a sweep with camera inspection. We answer 24/7. Fast dispatch from 7am to 7pm, Sunday through Friday.
No, it’s not always necessary. A full liner is the right answer when the camera shows widespread tile damage, gaps, or a flue that’s no longer gas-tight. But when the problem is two cracked tiles near the smoke chamber, re-pointing and proper capping can be enough. We don’t quote a liner unless the footage shows why, and you get to keep the video. The free estimate is the next step.
That tar smell is creosote volatilizing in the heat. Even a seasoned wood fire leaves creosote deposits, and when temperatures climb, those deposits off-gas. A sweep removes it and stops the smell. In Van Nuys, the dry heat makes it worse, and we’d rather remove it before the next burn.
Yes. Trees aren’t the only thing that gets into an open flue. Birds, raccoons, and even dry wind-blown debris find their way in. A properly sized cap also keeps embers from escaping during Santa Ana winds, which is exactly when you don’t want an open flue. We install caps sized to your flue, not a one-size-fits-all piece from a hardware shelf.
No, and we wouldn’t pretend to. A crown with a hairline crack is invisible from the ground and often even from a ladder at the roofline. We get on the roof and look from above where the crack actually is. That’s part of a standard sweep, and we show you what we find.
Contact Chimney Sweep Arleta for Van Nuys Service
If you’re in Van Nuys and you’re not sure when your chimney was last swept, call us. We’ll talk through what you burn, how often, and what a sweep plus camera inspection costs for your specific home. Free estimates. Camera evidence on every repair recommendation. One call covers your chimney and your dryer vent. Call (833) 958-9616. We answer 24/7. Fast dispatch from 7am to 7pm, Sunday through Friday.
Written by Harold Lawson, Owner at Chimney Sweep Arleta, serving Van Nuys since 2017.