Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
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Before
AfterLevel 1 Inspection in Arlington Heights, IL
A Level 1 chimney inspection in Arlington Heights covers every accessible portion of your chimney system – the firebox, smoke chamber, damper, flue liner, exterior masonry, cap, and crown – using direct visual examination at close range. It is the baseline inspection defined by NFPA 211, the national standard that governs chimney safety, and it is the right starting point for any homeowner who uses their fireplace regularly and has had no major changes to the system. At Level Two Chimney Co., a Level 1 inspection runs $99-$149 depending on chimney configuration, and you get a written price before anyone touches anything.
We have completed more than 38,000 chimney inspections and cleanings in the Chicago metro area since 2009, every one of them with a written scope, a written price, and a documented photo record when finished. That record is not optional here – it is Clause 4 of the Haven Standard and it applies to every job, including this one. If you want to book or just ask a question, call us at (331) 202-2419. A live person answers, any hour of the day.
A Level 1 inspection sits under our full Chimney Cleaning & Sweep in Arlington Heights service, and in most cases a sweep and an inspection are done together in a single visit. The sections below explain exactly what the inspection covers, what it costs, and what you walk away with.
When You Need a Level 1 Inspection
Not every situation calls for the same inspection. A Level 1 is appropriate when the chimney has been in regular use, no major work has been done, and you are not buying or selling the home. Here are the specific scenarios where it is the right call:
- You burn wood or gas every season and haven’t had the flue checked in over a year. NFPA 211 recommends at minimum an annual inspection for any chimney in use. In Arlington Heights, where heating season runs from mid-October through March, that is six full months of combustion byproduct accumulating on the liner.
- You just bought an existing home and the seller’s disclosures say “fireplace works.” That phrase does not mean the liner is intact or the damper seals properly. A Level 1 gets eyes on the actual condition before your first fire.
- You are switching fuel types – for example, from wood to gas logs. Gas burns cleaner but produces different condensates, and a liner that was acceptable for wood may not vent a gas appliance correctly. A Level 1 documents what you are starting with.
- Your smoke smell has gotten noticeably worse indoors. Smoke rollout into the living space is often a damper or smoke-chamber problem. In older Arlington Heights bungalows and two-flats – particularly those built between 1940 and 1965 – we regularly find smoke chambers with deteriorated parging that causes exactly this. A Level 1 finds it; a Level 2 with camera is ordered if the source is unclear.
- You had the chimney swept but no inspection was included. A sweep removes creosote; it does not evaluate liner integrity, crown condition, or flashing. If the company that cleaned your chimney handed you no written report, you do not have an inspection – you have a clean flue of unknown condition.
- Your insurance carrier asked for documentation of annual service. Several carriers writing policies in Cook County now ask for evidence of chimney inspection before covering a fireplace-related loss. A photo record and written report from Level Two satisfies that requirement because it documents condition, not just service.
Our Level 1 Inspection Process in Arlington Heights
Here is exactly what happens from the moment our technician arrives. No surprises, no upsells mid-job, no price that changes after we are already in your home.
- Written price, scope, and warranty before work starts. Haven Standard Clause 1 – Have It in Writing – requires that you receive a written price and written scope before any work begins. Our technician presents that before opening a single drop cloth. If you do not want to proceed, you owe nothing.
- Exterior survey: cap, crown, masonry, and flashing. We inspect the chimney cap for corrosion or displacement, the crown for cracking or spalling (spalling means the surface layer is flaking away from freeze-thaw cycles – a common finding in Arlington Heights after hard winters), and the flashing at the roofline for separation from the masonry. Any gaps in flashing are a water intrusion path, full stop.
- Interior firebox and smoke chamber examination. Inside the firebox we check the firebrick and refractory panels for cracks or joint deterioration, and we look at the damper plate for warping, corrosion, or debris blockage. The smoke chamber – the funnel-shaped space above the firebox that transitions into the flue – is examined for intact parging and structural integrity. Deteriorated parging is the single most common finding we document in Arlington Heights homes built before 1975.
- Flue liner visual inspection. Using high-output lighting, we examine the accessible length of the flue liner for cracks, joint separation, or creosote class. We classify creosote deposits as Class I (light, dusty), Class II (crunchy or tar-like), or Class III (glazed, hardened). Class III requires specialized removal and we will tell you that in plain language on the written report – not buried in fine print.
- Documented photo record. Every finding is photographed. You receive that photo record as part of the written report. This is not an add-on – it is standard under Haven Standard Clause 4. The archive exists so that next year’s technician, your insurance carrier, or a future buyer can see what the chimney looked like on this date.
- Written findings and next-step options, if any. If we find something that needs attention – a cracked liner, a failing crown, a damper that will not seat – we describe it in plain terms, explain what it means operationally (can you still use the fireplace safely?), and quote any repair in writing before you leave. You are never handed a verbal estimate and told to call back for a price.
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A Level 1 inspection from Level Two Chimney Co. in Arlington Heights runs $99-$149 for a standard single-flue chimney. Here is what moves the number within that range:
- Single flue, accessible roofline, standard firebox: $99-$119
- Two-story or steep-pitch roof requiring additional safety setup: $119-$149
- Double-flue chimney (two fireplaces sharing one chase): $149-$179 – each flue is inspected and documented separately
- Inspection bundled with a chimney sweep: Combined pricing is typically $199-$299 for a single-flue wood-burning fireplace, which is less than booking each separately
A few things worth understanding about these numbers. First, they are the price you are quoted in writing before work starts. If the actual condition of the chimney changes the scope – for example, we open the firebox and find a situation that requires a Level 2 Inspection rather than a Level 1 – we stop, explain what we found, and give you a new written price. We do not proceed and then tell you the bill is higher than quoted.
Second, if you have a written estimate from another chimney company, bring it. We offer a free second opinion on any written estimate. That is not a sales tactic – it is a straight comparison of scope and price, in writing, at no charge.
Third, materials used in any repair work that follows an inspection are sourced through Haven’s buying network – brands like Gelco and Olympia Chimney – which is how we keep repair pricing honest rather than marking up whatever the local supply house has in stock that week.
What Arlington Heights Homeowners Often Ask About Level 1 Inspections
What is the difference between a Level 1 and a Level 2 inspection?
A Level 1 inspection covers everything accessible without moving panels, opening walls, or inserting a camera – the firebox, smoke chamber, damper, exterior masonry, cap, crown, and a visual check of the flue. A Level 2 inspection adds a camera scan of the full flue length and is required when you are buying or selling a home, after any chimney fire, or after significant changes to the heating system. Level Two Chimney Co. made camera-scan documentation standard in 2009; if a Level 1 visual reveals anything ambiguous inside the flue, we’ll tell you directly that a Level 2 is warranted and give you that written price on the spot. Call (331) 202-2419 if you are not sure which level applies to your situation.
How much does a Level 1 chimney inspection cost in Arlington Heights?
A Level 1 inspection from Level Two Chimney Co. in Arlington Heights is $99-$179 depending on flue count and roof configuration. A single-flue inspection on an accessible roofline starts at $99. Bundling the inspection with a Chimney Cleaning & Sweep runs $199-$299 for most single-flue wood-burning setups and is the more efficient choice if the chimney has not been serviced in the last 12 months. The price you are quoted in writing is the price you pay – no additions after the technician is already on site. Call (331) 202-2419 for a written quote; estimates are free.
Can the technician tell me the same day whether my fireplace is safe to use?
Yes. At the end of every Level 1 inspection, our technician gives you a written summary of findings and a plain-language answer to that exact question. If the fireplace is safe to use as-is, the report says that. If there is a condition – a cracked liner, a failing damper, Class III creosote – that makes use inadvisable until repair, the report says that too, along with a written repair quote. You will not leave the conversation with a vague answer and a stack of brochures. The written report goes with you the same day.
Do I need a chimney inspection every year even if I don’t use the fireplace much?
NFPA 211 recommends an Annual Sweep and inspection for any chimney that is in use, regardless of how often. In Arlington Heights specifically, there is a practical reason to inspect even lightly used chimneys: animals. Chimney swifts are protected migratory birds that nest in open masonry flues, and raccoons routinely enter chimneys with missing or damaged caps in northwest Cook County. An annual inspection catches a nest, a deteriorated cap, or water intrusion early – before the repair is a major liner job rather than a $60 cap replacement. If your fireplace has not been used in several years, a Level 1 before the first fire of the season is still the correct call.
Why Level Two Chimney Co. in Arlington Heights
The name is the standard. Level Two Chimney Co. is built around NFPA 211 Level 2 documentation practice, and that orientation shapes how we run even a Level 1 inspection. Where a lot of companies send a technician with a flashlight and hand you a verbal summary, we send a background-checked, uniformed tech with a written price in hand, photograph every finding, and leave you with a report you can file or forward to your insurance carrier.
We have been doing this since 2009 in the Chicago metro – more than 38,000 chimneys, every one of them with a written price before work started and a documented photo record when it was done. The 365-Day Done Right Promise backs every job: if something we touched is not right within 365 days, we make it right. That is in writing too.
Arlington Heights sits in a stretch of northwest Cook County where chimney conditions are genuinely affected by the local environment. The freeze-thaw cycling here – with temperatures swinging 30 to 40 degrees between day and night during shoulder seasons – accelerates crown cracking and spalling on exposed masonry faster than you see in more temperate suburbs. The mature tree canopy in neighborhoods like Scarsdale and the area around Camelot Park means moisture-laden debris accumulates in gutters and against chimney bases. These are not generic talking points; they are the actual findings we document regularly in this zip code.
You can read more about what the full service includes on our home page, or go directly to the parent service for the complete picture of what a visit covers.
Key Takeaways
- A Level 1 inspection covers all accessible parts of the chimney system – firebox, smoke chamber, damper, flue, cap, crown, and exterior masonry – as defined by NFPA 211.
- Pricing in Arlington Heights runs $99-$179 for most residential chimneys; bundled with a sweep, $199-$299 for a single-flue wood-burning fireplace.
- You receive a written price before work starts, a documented photo record when it is done, and a plain-language written summary of findings – same day, every time.
- The 365-Day Done Right Promise backs every inspection and any repair that follows.
- If the Level 1 visual raises questions about the flue liner, we will tell you that directly and quote a Level 2 camera inspection in writing before proceeding.
- A free second opinion is available on any written estimate from another company.
Book Your Level 1 Inspection in Arlington Heights
If your fireplace has not been inspected in the last 12 months, or you have a nagging question about smoke smell, draft, or what the last company actually found, call (331) 202-2419. A live person answers – not a voicemail, not a web form – and can give you a written quote over the phone or schedule a same-week visit. There is no cost to get the price in writing, and no obligation until you approve the scope. That is how every job at Level Two Chimney Co. starts, and it has been that way since 2009.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney Arlington Heights, serving Arlington Heights.