Chimney Inspections in Greater Burlington, Vermont
A chimney inspection establishes whether the system is sound enough to keep using, and it comes in three defined levels. A Level 1 covers the readily accessible parts and suits a system in continued service with no known problems. A Level 2 adds the parts you cannot see from a stool, the full flue interior by camera, plus accessible attic, crawl space and basement runs, and it is the level called for when a property changes hands, when the appliance or fuel changes, and after any event that could have damaged the chimney, including a chimney fire. A Level 3 goes further and involves opening up concealed construction, so it is reserved for cases where a serious hazard is suspected and cannot be confirmed any other way. Choosing the level is the first decision. Choosing it wrongly is what makes an inspection worthless.
What a chimney inspection visit can cover
- Confirming which inspection level the situation calls for
- Exterior assessment of crown, cap, flashing, brickwork and mortar
- Interior assessment of firebox, damper, smoke chamber and connector
- Camera scan of the full flue interior at Level 2 and above
- Accessible attic, crawl space and basement chimney runs at Level 2
- Clearance-to-combustibles review where construction is visible
- A written report with photographs and camera stills
- A plain statement of what is a defect, what is wear and what is fine
- Exterior condition: crown, cap, flashing, brick and mortar; interior condition: firebox, damper, smoke chamber, connector and clearances.
- At Level 2, a full flue camera scan and accessible attic, basement and crawl-space runs; findings should identify location and show photographs or camera stills.
- A report that separates defects requiring correction before use from wear and maintenance items.
Reasons people book chimney inspection
- You are buying a house with a fireplace, a stove or an unused chimney
- You are selling and the buyer's inspector flagged the chimney
- An insurer or underwriter has asked for a current inspection
- You had a chimney fire, or heard the roaring noise and are not sure
- You are switching from oil to gas, or adding a wood or pellet appliance
- A carbon monoxide alarm sounded and the appliance is suspected
- Water is getting in and you need to know how far the damage goes
- A storm, a lightning strike or roof work may have disturbed the stack
What happens in chimney inspection, in order
- Tell us why the inspection is needed: sale, insurance, fuel change, an event, or routine annual service.
- We identify the correct level from that reason, because the reason is what defines the level, and confirm access.
- The inspection is carried out and documented, with camera footage where the level requires it.
- You receive the report and a conversation about what has to be addressed before the system is used again.
What changes the quote for chimney inspection?
Prices come from the independent company that visits your property, because the work is quoted and carried out by that company. These are the variables that move the number, so you can read a quote correctly and compare two of them.
How chimney quotes are built, and what makes two comparable →If chimney inspection turns out not to be what you need, the full list of chimney and stove services sets out what separates each one, and the chimney problem pages work back to it from the symptom you can see.
- Which level the situation requires: the three are very different scopes
- Number of flues and appliances in the system
- Whether camera access is straightforward or the flue has tight offsets
- Roof access, pitch and height, and the season
- Whether an appliance or insert must be moved to reach the connection
- Whether concealed construction has to be opened at Level 3
- Report format required by the requesting party
- Travel beyond the core service area
The three inspection levels compared
The level is decided by the situation, not by preference. Requesting the wrong one produces a report that cannot answer the question being asked.
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Readily accessible parts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Camera scan of the full flue | No | Yes | Yes |
| Accessible attic, crawl space, basement runs | No | Yes | Yes |
| Removal of building or chimney components | No | No | Yes |
| Routine annual service, nothing changed | Appropriate | More than needed | No |
| Property sale or transfer | Not sufficient | Appropriate | No |
| Change of appliance or fuel | Not sufficient | Appropriate | No |
| After a chimney fire or damaging event | Not sufficient | Appropriate | If a hazard is suspected but unconfirmed |
| Suspected serious hazard a scan cannot confirm | No | Not sufficient | Appropriate |
When chimney inspection is ordinarily booked
Year round; before closing on a property sale
What can be done in which season in Vermont →Specifying the work: choosing a chimney liner: material, size, insulation and termination sets out the five things a quote has to state before two of them are comparable.
Common questions about questions about chimney inspection
What is the difference between a Level 1 and a Level 2 inspection?+
A Level 1 examines the readily accessible portions of the chimney and appliance. A Level 2 adds the concealed ones: a camera scan of the entire flue interior and any accessible attic, crawl space or basement sections. A Level 2 is the level tied to specific triggers, not to preference.
When is a Level 2 inspection required instead of optional?+
The recognised triggers are a change of appliance or fuel, a property sale or transfer, and any event that could have damaged the chimney: a chimney fire, a serious weather event, a lightning strike or an operating malfunction. Any of those, and Level 1 is not enough.
What happens in a Level 3 inspection?+
It involves removing parts of the building or the chimney, a section of wall, a chase cover, part of the crown, to reach concealed areas. Because it is destructive, it is only used when a Level 2 has found evidence of a serious hazard that cannot be confirmed any other way.
Do I need an inspection when buying a house in Vermont?+
There is no state rule forcing one, but a general home inspection is not a chimney inspection, and it is common for a home inspector to look at the outside of a stack and note that a specialist review is needed. A Level 2 is the standard for a transfer.
Does a home inspector's report cover the chimney?+
Only to a limited degree. A home inspector will commonly report visible exterior condition and obvious interior problems, but will not camera-scan the flue, will not examine concealed runs, and will ordinarily recommend a specialist inspection if the house has a working solid-fuel appliance.
How long does an inspection take?+
A Level 1 alongside a sweep adds a quite short block to the visit. A Level 2 with a full camera scan on a multi-flue stack takes substantially longer, and a house with an old chimney and an added stove can take longer still because there are two systems to document.
Will I get a written report?+
Yes, with photographs, and with camera stills where the level involved a scan. The point of the report is that a third party, an insurer, a buyer, an attorney, the next technician, can read it without you translating it.
I had a chimney fire but the house is fine. Do I still need this?+
Yes, and this is the case where it matters most. A chimney fire can crack flue tiles, break the seal between them and damage the structure without any visible sign from the room. Using the system again before a Level 2 inspection is how a second, worse fire starts.
I am not sure whether I had a chimney fire.+
Common signs after the fact are a loud roaring or aircraft noise during a burn, dense smoke or sparks from the top, puffy or honeycombed creosote, warped metal, cracked tiles, and pieces of creosote in the base. If any of that is familiar, treat it as a fire until an inspection says otherwise.
Can the flue be inspected without a camera?+
Parts of it, from the top and the bottom. But the sections in the middle, the tile joints and the back side of an offset are exactly where damage hides, and they cannot be judged by eye from either end. A Level 2 without a camera scan is not a Level 2.
I am converting from oil to gas. Why does that need an inspection?+
Because the flue was sized and lined for a different appliance. Gas appliances vent cooler and wetter, and a masonry flue built for an oil burner is often too large for them, which lets acidic condensate form inside the chimney and attack the tile and mortar.
The chimney has never been used. Is it safe to start?+
Not until it has been inspected. Unused chimneys accumulate nests, debris and animal remains, and an old one may have deteriorated tiles or no liner at all. First fire in an unexamined chimney is one of the more avoidable ways to end up with a house fire.
Does an inspection tell me the chimney is safe?+
It tells you what the technician found on that date, at that level, in the parts that level reaches. Genuinely useful and it is not a guarantee. A report that promises safety, not describing findings is telling you something it cannot know.
Who decides the level: me or the technician?+
The reason for the inspection decides it, and a technician should tell you when what you asked for does not match your situation. Requesting a Level 1 before a sale, or after a fire, produces a document that does not answer the question being asked.