Chimney sweeps in Bucks County, PA: resale rules, oil heat and what to check
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
What should Bucks County homeowners know about chimney sweeps?
Two things set the county apart. Several of its municipalities have written chimneys into their own codes, most often at the point of sale, so a chimney inspection here can be a legal step and not just good practice. And nearly one home in four heats with oil, a fuel that leaves soot in the flue every winter.
Which Bucks County towns require a chimney inspection when a house is sold?
At least four, each in its own words.
| Municipality | What its code or office says |
|---|---|
| Middletown Township | A level 2 chimney inspection is required for all homes being sold |
| Bristol Township | The seller must give the buyer a licensed contractor's certification that the chimney has been inspected and complies with safety regulations |
| Morrisville Borough | An inspection and certification is required for a chimney or vent serving a fireplace, woodstove or oil flue when occupancy changes |
| New Britain Township | Fireplaces, chimneys and wood stoves are visually inspected before a use and occupancy certificate is issued |
Middletown's rule is the most exact. The township says the inspection must be completed by a certified chimney contractor and a copy sent to its Department of Fire and Emergency Management, which can be reached on 215-750-3812. Level 2 is a term from the national chimney standard: in the trade body CSIA's summary, it is the inspection called for upon the sale or transfer of a property, and it reaches into the accessible parts of the attic, crawl space and basement.
Bristol Township's code makes it unlawful to sell a property without delivering the chimney certification at or before settlement. New Britain's inspections are held not more than 45 days and not less than 14 days before settlement, and any fire safety hazard found is noted for correction by the owner. Morrisville issues no certification until every item inspected is in good working condition, and its list is long: the cleanliness of the venting system, the liner, the cap, the damper and the smoke chamber among them. Only contractors registered in the borough may carry it out.
These are examples, not a complete list. If you are selling anywhere in Bucks, ask the municipal code office what its resale certificate requires.
What does this mean in Levittown?
Levittown is split between municipalities, and two of them have rules in the table. The development, slightly more than 17,300 houses built between 1952 and 1958, runs through Bristol, Falls and Middletown Townships and Tullytown Borough. A Levittown house in Middletown needs the level 2 inspection, and Middletown adds a requirement of its own for Levittown: an inspection of the heater compartment walls. One in Bristol Township needs the chimney certification.
Why does oil heat matter for chimneys in Bucks County?
Because the county burns far more of it than the state does. The Census Bureau estimates that fuel oil or kerosene is the main heating fuel in 23.6 percent of Bucks County's 249,187 occupied homes, against 14.0 percent across Pennsylvania. Gas heats 43.1 percent, well under the statewide 56.4 percent.
An oil burner's exhaust goes up a chimney, and CSIA says an oil flue should be inspected annually because soot builds up on the inner wall of the liner. Excessive soot, it says, can cause chimney fires and blockages that push fumes back into the house. For a Bucks County home on oil, then, the chimney needs a yearly look whether or not the house has a fireplace.
Homes that have left oil behind need the same attention. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a 1990 release that chimney inspections are especially important where oil heat has been converted to gas, because soot and debris left in the chimney can block the escape of carbon monoxide. In a county where oil is this common, the Commission's advice is worth knowing: an inspection at the time of the conversion and yearly afterwards.
Does a wood stove need a permit in Bucks County?
In at least one township it does. Upper Makefield's code says no wood-burning stove shall be installed in any building unless the owner has obtained a wood-burning stove permit from the township. Elsewhere in the county the answer comes from the local building code office, and what Pennsylvania requires of chimney sweeps explains how the state code leaves repairs and permits to municipalities.
Who can you turn to in Bucks County if a job goes wrong?
The county has its own office. Bucks County Consumer Protection/Weights and Measures says it mediates consumer complaints against businesses, whether or not the business is in the county, and its list of problems includes false statements that repairs are needed and incomplete or unsatisfactory home repairs. A dispute over a chimney repair you were told was urgent falls squarely within that list. A complaint form is available online.
Registration is checked with the state. The Attorney General's contractor search can be filtered to Bucks County and has a work type called Chimney Sweep. How to choose a chimney sweep covers the other checks, the cost guide has the published prices, and businesses serving the county are on the Bucks County chimney sweeps page.
Sources
- FAQs: Fire & Emergency Services, Middletown Township, Bucks County
- Code of the Township of Bristol, Chapter 154: Real Property, Sale of, Township of Bristol, Bucks County
- Code of the Township of New Britain, Chapter 4: Buildings, Township of New Britain, Bucks County
- Code of the Borough of Morrisville, Chapter 129, Article II: Building Code, Borough of Morrisville, Bucks County
- Code of the Township of Upper Makefield, Chapter 5, Part 2: Wood-Burning Stoves, Township of Upper Makefield, Bucks County
- Levittowns (Pennsylvania and New Jersey), Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Narrative Profile: Pennsylvania, U.S. Census Bureau
- Avoiding Carbon Monoxide Hazards, Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)
- Inspect Home Furnace System For Hazards, Carbon Monoxide, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Industry Standard for Inspections Developed to Aid Homeowners, Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)
- Consumer Protection/ Weights & Measures, Bucks County
- Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General