Chimney sweep questions and answers for Pennsylvania homeowners
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
How often should a chimney be swept?
Have it looked at every year. The U.S. Fire Administration says to maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected each year by a professional, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says to have a chimney checked or cleaned every year. The national chimney standard, NFPA 211, as CSIA quotes it, calls for a yearly inspection, with cleaning if necessary.
Does a fireplace you rarely use still need a yearly inspection?
CSIA says yes. Its reasoning is that animals may nest in the flue and that a chimney can deteriorate in ways that make it unsafe whether or not it is used.
How does a sweep decide that cleaning is needed?
By the deposit. CSIA recommends sweeping a masonry fireplace when sooty buildup reaches 1/8 inch, and sooner if any glaze is present. A factory-built fireplace should be swept when any appreciable buildup occurs.
How much does a chimney sweep cost?
Angi reports a national average of $254, with most homeowners paying $129 to $381. HomeGuide gives $150 to $375. Neither publishes a Pennsylvania figure. The cost guide compares six surveys and the prices of common repairs.
How long does a visit take?
HomeGuide says 1 to 2 hours on average, less for a well-maintained chimney and perhaps twice as long for one that has not been cleaned in more than a year.
What is creosote?
The residue of wood smoke. The Environmental Protection Agency explains that smoke rising into a cooler chimney can condense and stick to the inside walls as a highly combustible black or brown residue, and that if enough builds up it could cause a chimney fire.
How would you know you were having a chimney fire?
CSIA describes loud cracking and popping, a lot of dense smoke and an intense, hot smell, sometimes with a low rumble. It also says most chimney fires go undetected, because slow-burning ones are not dramatic, and are found only at a later inspection.
What should you do if the chimney catches fire?
The University of Missouri Extension's first step is to call the fire department immediately. It says never to use water on an extremely hot chimney fire, because the sudden cooling can crack a tile liner or warp a metal chimney, and to have the chimney checked for that kind of damage once the fire is out.
Does a gas or oil furnace chimney need attention too?
Yes. CSIA says gas is generally clean-burning but that a flue can still be blocked by nests or debris. The Consumer Product Safety Commission noted in a 1990 release that heating contractors do not normally check chimneys and flues, told homeowners to ask for the venting system to be included, and said a sweep should be called if soot is found on the chimney walls.
What are Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 inspections?
Three scopes of inspection that CSIA says were adopted into the national chimney standard in 2000. In its summary, Level I is the routine check of an accessible chimney whose use has not changed. Level II adds the accessible parts of attics, crawl spaces and basements and applies when an appliance or fuel changes, when a property is sold or after an event likely to have caused damage. Level III opens concealed areas when a hidden hazard is suspected.
Can you sweep a chimney yourself?
The University of Missouri Extension says you can either clean it yourself or hire a professional, and warns that the work is strenuous. CSIA's position is that the optimal method is mechanical brushing combined with a complete evaluation by a qualified professional. An inspection is the part a brush does not replace.
Do creosote-removing logs or powders replace a sweep?
CSIA says no. It does not call the products bad in themselves, but says that on their own they are not an adequate substitute for mechanical cleaning and inspection.
When is the right time of year?
Before the first fire. The National Fire Protection Association says chimneys and heating systems should be inspected and cleaned each year before they are fired up for the season. Angi reports that prices rise in the peak season of late summer and fall, so earlier is easier.
What if birds are nesting in the chimney?
If they are chimney swifts, leave them. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the birds are protected by federal law and that it is illegal to harass, injure or kill them, their eggs or their nests. Its advice is to clean the chimney every year, but outside the nesting season.
Does Pennsylvania license chimney sweeps?
No state source lists a license. The Department of Labor and Industry says most construction trades in the state work without one. Chimney repair is a different matter: repair and installation are named in the state's home improvement law, which requires contractors to register and to put contracts above $500 in writing. What Pennsylvania requires of chimney sweeps has the detail.
What does certified mean, then?
A private credential from one of the trade's own bodies, not a government license. How to choose a chimney sweep explains who issues the main ones and how to confirm a name.
Does state law require carbon monoxide alarms?
In apartments, yes. Pennsylvania's Carbon Monoxide Alarm Standards Act requires an approved alarm in each apartment of a multifamily building that has a fuel-burning heater or appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage. For a house, the act requires the seller to disclose on the property disclosure statement what detectors are installed. The CDC advises a detector near every sleeping area in any home.
What is the best first step?
Find out when the chimney was last inspected. If nobody knows, book an inspection before the next fire. Local businesses are on the chimney sweeps directory page.
Sources
- Heating Fire Safety, U.S. Fire Administration
- Safety with heating equipment, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
- Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning Basics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Frequent Questions about Wood-Burning Appliances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Homeowner Resources, Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)
- Preventing Chimney Fires, Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)
- Industry Standard for Inspections Developed to Aid Homeowners, Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)
- Cleaning Stovepipes and Chimneys, University of Missouri Extension
- Inspect Home Furnace System For Hazards, Carbon Monoxide, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Chimney Swifts, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- How Much Does a Chimney Sweep Cost? [2026 Data], Angi
- How much does a chimney sweep cost?, HomeGuide
- Contractor Licensing, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
- Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
- Carbon Monoxide Alarm Standards Act (Act 121 of 2013), Pennsylvania General Assembly