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.
Trusted Chimney Inspection for Austin Homeowners
Austin’s freeze-thaw cycles and cedar-heavy air don’t just age roofs, they age chimneys. Hairline cracks in a flue liner, a rusted damper, or spalling brick might not show up on a casual glance from the driveway, but they’re exactly what a trained eye finds fast. Since 2002, Ashby Chimney Austin, led by Nathan Corliss, has performed our Chimney Inspection in Austin across the city and found problems before they found our customers. A chimney inspection in Austin typically runs between $150 and $400 depending on depth, and we book within days, not weeks. Call (254) 274-4486 and you’ll speak to a live person, not a voicemail.
Fireplace Inspection
Fireplace Inspection is the close-up look at your firebox, damper, hearth, and surrounding masonry to make sure the parts that hold fire are still doing their job. You need one before your first burn of the season, after any change in how the fire draws, or when you notice soot staining above the opening. Ashby Chimney Austin includes a fireplace inspection as part of every standard chimney inspection, because a chimney is only as safe as the box feeding it. Most fireplace inspections in Austin are included in our standard $150 to $275 inspection range.
What we examine
We look at firebrick for crumbling or cracked joints, the damper plate for rust-through, and the hearth for heat damage. In older Austin homes near Hyde Park and Tarrytown, we regularly find dampers rusted shut from decades of unused fireplaces.
What it flags
A fireplace inspection catches two big things: places where heat has already damaged masonry and places where a fireplace has been used without a working damper. Both are cheaper to fix in October than in February.
Styles & brands we work with
Chimney Inspection Services
Chimney Inspection Services cover the full scope of what we check from cap to firebox, and they’re built around the NFPA’s three levels of inspection. You need them when buying or selling a home, after a chimney fire, after heavy storms, or when you’ve let a few seasons go by without one. Ashby Chimney Austin performs Level 1 inspections as a matter of course with every sweep, and Level 2 inspections whenever conditions have changed or a home is changing hands. Standard inspections in Austin run $150 to $400.
Level 1, 2, and 3 explained
Level 1 inspects accessible areas only. Level 2 adds attic, crawlspace, and camera work. Level 3 involves removing parts of the chimney to see hidden areas and is rare.
Why the level matters
If you’ve never had a camera down your flue and your house predates the 1990s, you probably need more than a Level 1. We’ll tell you plainly which level applies and why, and the written price comes before anything starts.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Chimney Flue Inspection
Chimney Flue Inspection is the specific examination of the clay or steel tube that vents combustion gases out of your home. In Austin, our limestone-heavy soil settles and shifts, and that movement is what cracks older clay liners over time. You need a flue inspection if you smell smoke in the house during a fire, if you see flaky tile pieces at the bottom of your fireplace, or if you’ve never had the flue checked since buying. Flue-specific inspections are included in our camera inspection for $175 to $350, depending on height and access.
The difference between liner and flue
The flue is the passageway. The liner is the protective wall inside it. People use the terms interchangeably, but an inspection covers both: we’re checking the passage for obstruction and the liner for breach.
What we’re looking for
Cracks, gaps, spalling, and creosote glaze that has hardened inside the flue are the four things that lead to liner replacement more than anything else in the Austin area.
Chimney Fire
A chimney fire happens when creosote built up inside the flue ignites, and it’s not a small event; it can reach 2,000 degrees and destroy a liner in minutes. You need an inspection after any chimney fire, even one that seemed minor, because what survives is often a cracked liner that looks fine from the top. Ashby Chimney Austin inspects after chimney fires to document what remains and tell you honestly what needs repair and what can wait. Post-fire inspections run $250 to $450 because they require camera work and full documentation.
Signs one already happened
A loud roar that sounds like a freight train, visible flames from the top, honeycomb-textured creosote inside the flue, and cracked flue tiles are the classic signs. If you’ve seen any of these, do not burn again until it’s inspected.
What happens after
We document the liner’s condition with a camera, note which sections failed, and give you a written report with recommended repairs and a written price. Nothing gets recommended without the camera footage to back it up.
Level 2 Chimney Inspection
A Level 2 Chimney Inspection is the full documentation-level inspection that includes a camera scan of the entire flue, the attic, the crawlspace, and all accessible exterior surfaces. In Austin, this is what real estate transactions ask for, what insurance companies want after a chimney fire, and what you need after any earthquake, hailstorm, or foundation repair. Ashby Chimney Austin conducts Level 2 chimney inspections for $250 to $450, with the written report included.
When it’s non-negotiable
Home sale, property transfer, new appliance installation, or change in fuel type; these all trigger a Level 2 under NFPA standards. Sellers in our Chimney Inspection in Round Rock and Georgetown often call us the same week they list.
What the report covers
You get a written description of the flue’s interior condition, measurements, crack locations, and photos. We deliver this within days, and we’ll walk you through what it means without jargon.
Chimney Leak
A chimney leak is water coming in around or through the chimney assembly, and in Austin it’s one of the most common problems we diagnose. Our heavy spring rains and the occasional freeze mean flashing, crowns, and brickwork all take a beating. You need an inspection when you see water stains on the ceiling near the fireplace, damp smells in the firebox, or efflorescence, that white chalky powder on exterior brick. Leak inspections in Austin run $175 to $300, and we pinpoint the entry point, not just the symptom.
Top leak sources we find
In neighborhoods like Shady Hollow and Jollyville, it’s usually failed flashing at the roof line. In older central Austin homes, cracked crowns and porous brick are just as common, especially after a hard freeze.
Why fixing the symptom fails
Water can enter at the crown and travel down inside the brick, showing up as a stain six feet from the opening. We trace the path with a camera and moisture testing, then give you a written price to fix the actual entry point.
Chimney Camera Inspection
A Chimney Camera Inspection uses a high-resolution camera fed through the flue to see every segment of the liner’s interior, from the throat to the cap. This is the service that answers the question, “Do I actually need a new liner?” with evidence you can see. You need it when an inspector recommends a liner replacement but can’t show you why, or when you want independent verification of a previous diagnosis. Camera inspections run $175 to $350 in Austin, and the photos are yours to keep.
How it works
We run a camera from the top down and from the firebox up, logging footage that shows cracks, gaps, water staining, and creosote buildup. You watch the screen in real time or review the stills afterward.
What it proves
Nothing gets recommended without camera evidence, period. If a previous company told you a $4,000 liner job was “urgent,” our camera will show whether that’s true or whether you have years left.
Brands We Service
We work with flue liners, dampers, caps, and chase covers from Gelco and Olympia Chimney, two of the most common manufacturers in Texas-built homes. Gelco caps and dampers are frequent on newer construction in Kyle and Buda, while Olympia Chimney liners show up in a lot of 1980s and 1990s Austin properties. We stock their replacement parts and know their failure patterns.
We also service Copperfield dampers and chase components, common on homes in Chimney Inspection - Manor and Hornsby Bend. Whether your chimney is fitted with Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Copperfield, or any other make, our inspection and repair work covers it, and the written guarantee applies the same way.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterSigns You Need a Pro Right Now
- Water stains or damp patches on the ceiling or wall near the fireplace. This means water is entering somewhere in the chimney system. It could be the crown, the flashing, or the liner, but water inside the chase rusts the damper and spreads to framing fast.
- You smell smoke or fireplace odors when no fire is burning. That’s a pressure imbalance caused by a blockage or partly closed damper. It can also signal a cracked flue liner that’s pulling air from inside your walls into the house.
- You hear a loud roar during a fire, like a freight train. That is a chimney fire, not a normal fire sound. Burning creosote can exceed 2,000 degrees and crack a liner in minutes. Stop burning immediately and schedule an inspection.
- White chalky powder is visible on exterior brick. Efflorescence means water has penetrated the brick and is evaporating out. In Austin’s freeze-thaw climate, that trapped water expands and breaks brick faces over time.
- You bought the house and nobody can tell you when the chimney was last inspected. In a city with 1980s-era clay liners and shifting central Texas soil, an uninspected flue is a structural unknown. A Level 2 inspection ends the guessing.
Our Process, Step by Step
- 1
We pick up the phone. You call (254) 274-4486 and a live person answers, whether it’s Tuesday afternoon or Sunday morning. You describe what you’re seeing, and we give you a straight price range before anyone drives out.
- 2
We show up in the arrival window. Our technicians are background-checked and in uniform, and we arrive when we said we would. You’ll know exactly who is walking into your home before the doorbell rings.
- 3
We inspect from top to firebox. We start on the roof to check the cap, flashing, crown, and upper flue. Then we move inside to the damper, firebox, and hearth. A camera goes through the flue during a Level 2 or camera inspection.
- 4
We show you what we found. You get the report and the photos, and we walk you through what matters now versus what can wait. We’ll never recommend a liner replacement or masonry job without camera evidence you can see yourself.
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We put the price and guarantee in writing. Any repair we recommend comes with a written price before work begins and a written guarantee when it’s done. If a covered repair fails during the guarantee period, we return and fix it at no charge under our 365-Day Done Right Promise.
How Much Does Chimney Inspection Cost in Austin?
A standard Level 1 chimney inspection in Austin runs $150 to $275. A camera inspection, which includes flue footage and photos, runs $175 to $350 depending on flue height and access difficulty. A full Level 2 chimney inspection, the one required for real estate transactions and post-fire documentation, runs $250 to $450. The main factors that move the price are chimney height, roof pitch and access, and whether we’re inspecting an interior or exterior chimney chase. Homes in Lost Creek with steep roofs and tall chimneys trend toward the upper end of those ranges.
What’s included in every inspection: a written report, a direct explanation of what we found, and a written price for any recommended repair. You should never pay for a chimney inspection and leave without knowing exactly what’s wrong, what it costs to fix, and what can wait. Our estimate for repair work is free, and the number we quote is the number that appears on the invoice. Nobody at Ashby Chimney Austin is going to bump the price at the door.
Our Service Area Near Austin
We inspect chimneys across greater Austin, including Round Rock, Georgetown, Kyle, Taylor, Wells Branch, Buda, Manor, Lost Creek, Hornsby Bend, Shady Hollow, and Jollyville. Most appointments in the immediate Austin metro area happen within the same week, and we schedule outlying areas on a route basis to keep travel costs down. If you’re in any of these communities, call (254) 274-4486 and we’ll give you a window. We also provide Chimney Inspection in Round Rock and Chimney Inspection in Georgetown for homeowners in those communities.
Serving Austin, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Austin area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chimney Inspection in Austin
A chimney inspection is a structured examination of the chimney’s interior and exterior, from the cap and flashing down through the flue liner to the damper and firebox. In Austin, our inspections follow NFPA guidelines and are done in three levels, with Level 1 covering accessible areas and Level 2 adding camera work and hidden spaces. Ashby Chimney Austin has performed inspections since 2002 and delivers a written report with every visit.
A standard Level 1 inspection takes between 45 minutes and an hour. A Level 2 chimney inspection with camera work usually takes 90 minutes to two hours. The time depends on roof access, chimney height, and how many flues the house has.
Standard inspections run $150 to $275, camera inspections run $175 to $350, and Level 2 inspections run $250 to $450. The exact price depends on chimney height and access difficulty. Call (254) 274-4486 for an exact quote before anything is scheduled, and you’ll get a written price, no surprises.
Yes, we inspect and repair Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Copperfield, and other chimney-trade brands. We stock common replacement parts for these manufacturers and know their typical wear patterns in central Texas homes. The brand doesn’t change our inspection process or our guarantee.
We answer calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and most Austin-area inspections happen within the same week. If you’re under a real estate contract or just had a chimney fire, call (254) 274-4486 and we’ll work around your timeline.
Every repair we complete comes with a written guarantee under the Kingswell Guarantee. If a covered repair fails during the guarantee period, we return and correct it at no charge under our 365-Day Done Right Promise. The guarantee is included with the repair, not sold separately.
Move furniture and valuables a few feet away from the fireplace so we have clear access to the hearth and damper. If the chimney is accessible from the attic, clear a path if possible. You don’t need to do anything else; we bring the ladder, camera, and tools, and we’ll leave the room cleaner than we found it.
Schedule Your Chimney Inspection Service in Austin Today
If you haven’t had your chimney looked at in more than a season, or you’re seeing stains, smells, or signs something’s off, don’t wait until the first cold snap. Call (254) 274-4486 and a live person will answer, give you a straight price range over the phone, and schedule your inspection. Our estimates are free, our prices are written before work starts, and every inspection comes with a written report. We’ve been doing this in Austin since 2002, and we’d be glad to show you exactly what’s going on in your flue.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner at Ashby Chimney Austin, serving Austin and surrounding communities since 2002.