Chimney Sweep · Nashville, TN
The Nashville homeowner's guide to chimney sweeping
What the work involves, what drives the price, what your options are, and what a bad job looks like — written so you can judge any chimney sweep in Middle Tennessee, including us.
Estimate request
Tell us about the job.
It comes straight through to us and we respond immediately.
Warning signs
How to know you need us
If you recognize any of these, it is worth having somebody look before it becomes a larger job.
- Smoke pushing back into the room
- A sharp, tarry smell in warm weather
- Birds, squirrels or nesting noise
- Water staining on the wall beside the hearth
- Crumbling mortar or brick above the roofline
- A damper that will not open or seal
- Black, shiny deposit visible in the flue
Your options
More than one right answer.
A chimney sweep who only ever recommends the most expensive option is not giving you advice. Here is the honest range.
Annual sweep and inspection
What most homes need. Once a year before the first fire, which is also when problems are cheapest to fix.
Level 2 camera inspection
Required when a home changes hands or an appliance changes, and the only way to see the whole flue. We show you the footage.
Relining
A stainless liner sized to the appliance. Usually the answer when an old clay flue has cracked or when fitting a modern insert into an old chimney.
Rebuild above the roofline
When the brick has spalled past repointing. Done in matching brick rather than whatever is on the truck.
What it costs
What actually drives the price.
We do not quote chimney sweeping over the phone, because an honest number needs somebody to look at the job. These are the things that move it.
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What the appliance burns
A wood-burning fireplace, a gas log set and a wood insert each foul at different rates and take different time to clean. The appliance drives the job, not the room it sits in.
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How long since the last sweep
A chimney swept every season is an hour. One that has not been touched in a decade can have glazed creosote that needs chemical treatment and repeat visits.
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Level of inspection
A visual check is quick. A camera survey of the full flue takes longer and finds the things that actually matter — cracked tiles, gaps at joints, a liner that has separated.
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Access and roof pitch
Single-storey with a walkable pitch is straightforward. Three storeys, steep slate or a chimney set back from the eaves needs staging and time.
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Repairs found
Sweeping and inspection are the known cost. Crowns, caps, flashing and liners are quoted separately once we have seen them, and never assumed into the first price.
Every estimate is free, written and carries no obligation — including the parts we would find only after starting, which are priced up front rather than left open.
What happens
From your call to the finished job.
Booking
Send the form with what you burn and roughly when it was last swept. That is enough for an accurate price before we arrive.
Setting up
Floor protection, the opening sealed and a negative-pressure vacuum running before a brush goes anywhere near the flue.
Sweep and inspect
The flue swept from top and bottom, then a camera run through the full length. You see what we see.
The report
What is sound, what needs attention and what can wait — in writing, with the footage, and with prices for anything found.
Clearing up
The room goes back exactly as it was. A sweep that leaves soot in the house has not finished the job.
Done badly
What goes wrong, and why it matters.
These are the shortcuts that make a quote look cheaper and cost you more later. Ask anyone you are considering about them.
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Skipping the inspection
A sweep cleans what it can reach. Only a camera tells you whether the flue behind it is intact, and a cracked flue is the failure that actually starts house fires.
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Burning unseasoned wood
Green wood produces far more creosote than dry, because most of the heat goes into boiling water out of the log instead of up the flue.
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Closing the damper too early
Shutting it while embers are still live pushes carbon monoxide into the room. Wait until the firebox is cold.
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Treating a cap as optional
A cap keeps out rain, birds and downdraught. It is the cheapest part on the chimney and prevents the most expensive damage.
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Assuming gas means clean
Gas logs still need annual service. Blocked flues, failed thermocouples and cracked ceramic are all things we find on systems that never make soot.
Before you hire anyone
Six questions worth asking any chimney sweep.
Including us. If a contractor cannot answer these easily, that is the answer.
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Are you licensed for chimney sweeping and can I see the certificate?
A licensed and insured contractor will have this to hand and will not be irritated by the question.
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Is the estimate written, itemized and free?
A verbal number is not an estimate. Itemized means you can compare two quotes on the same basis.
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What happens if you find something once you start?
The honest answer names a rate and a process. The answer to worry about is that it never happens.
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Who is actually doing the work?
Employee crew or subcontractor is not a wrong answer either way, but you should know which, and who carries the insurance.
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What is the workmanship warranty, and is it in writing?
Materials carry a manufacturer warranty. Workmanship is the contractor, and it should be written down.
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Will you pull the permit?
For permitted work, a contractor who suggests skipping it is telling you something important about the rest of the job.
FAQ
Choosing a chimney sweep in Nashville
How do I choose a chimney sweep in Nashville?
Check the license and the insurance certificate, get the estimate in writing and itemized so you can compare quotes on the same basis, and ask what happens if something is found once work starts. A contractor who cannot answer those easily has told you what you need to know.
Should I get more than one quote for chimney sweeping?
Yes, and compare what is in them rather than the number at the bottom. The cheapest quote is often cheapest because it leaves something out, and on chimney sweeping the thing left out is usually the preparation that decides how long the work lasts.
Is the cheapest chimney sweeping quote usually a bad idea?
Not automatically — but an unusually low number is information. Ask specifically what is included, what grade of material is quoted, who is doing the work and what the workmanship warranty is. If all four answers are good, the low quote is a good quote.
Do I need a permit for chimney sweeping in Nashville?
It depends on the scope. Metro Nashville and the surrounding counties permit and inspect a good deal of this work, and a contractor suggesting you skip a required permit is telling you something about how they approach the rest of the job. We pull the permits our work requires.
How far in advance should I book chimney sweeping?
A few weeks where you can. Booking in the quiet season usually means better scheduling and sometimes better pricing than booking in the rush, and it gives you time to make the selections properly.
Free estimate
Need a chimney sweep in Nashville today?
Tell us what is going on and we will get you a free estimate from a local chimney sweep. No obligation, no pressure.