SERVICE — SWEEP & INSPECTION
A proper sweep isn't a guy with a brush — it's a cleaning plus a safety inspection, documented, with your home left as clean as we found it.
The flue gets brushed from firebox to cap with rods and a HEPA-filtered vacuum controlling dust the entire time — drop cloths down before any tool comes out. Creosote, soot, leaves, and the occasional bird's nest all come out; what stays behind is a clean, open flue that drafts the way it was built to.
Then the inspection: firebox, damper, smoke chamber, flue liner condition, crown, cap, and flashing, checked point by point. You get a plain-English rundown — what's healthy, what's aging, what needs attention now — so a small crack gets a small fix instead of becoming next year's big one.
| Typical cost | $180–$350 including inspection; extra flues quoted upfront |
|---|---|
| Visit time | About an hour for a standard sweep |
| Mess | None — drop cloths and HEPA vacuum throughout |
| Systems | Open fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves, gas flues, furnace flues |
| Best timing | Late spring through early fall — before the pre-winter rush |
Level 1 — the standard annual check of accessible areas, included with a sweep. Level 2 — adds a camera scan of the flue interior; required when a home is sold and after any chimney fire or major weather event. Level 3 — invasive inspection when serious hidden damage is suspected.
The smartest booking window is the off-season. Every Bristol sweep's calendar slams shut from September to December — off-season appointments are easier to get, and any repairs the inspection turns up can be finished long before you need the first fire of the year.
NEXT STEP
Sweeps and inspections fill up fast once the weather turns. Call now for a straight answer on scheduling and pricing.
Call (860) 854-8044