Chimney Sweep in San Antonio - One Flat Price, You See What We See

Trusted Chimney Sweep for San Antonio Homeowners

A standard Chimney Sweep in San Antonio typically runs $189 to $329, and a full Level 2 inspection with it usually lands between $349 and $499. We’ve served San Antonio homeowners since 2002, and Ruben Castellano leads a team that sends you the technician’s name and photo before the truck ever rolls. If you’re seeing soot around the hearth, smelling old smoke days after a fire, or you simply haven’t had the flue looked at in over a year, call (903) 515-5079 and we’ll get you on the schedule.

Call (903) 515-5079

Chimney Sweep Services

Chimney Sweep Services are the core of what we do at Alcott Chimney San Antonio: removing creosote, soot, and blockages from the flue so your fireplace or stove drafts safely. You need this when there’s visible buildup, when you’ve burned a cord or more of wood, or when an animal has made the chimney home. A standard sweep runs $189 to $329, and every job comes with a written price before we start. We serve the whole San Antonio metro, including Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, and Castle Hills, with the same fixed pricing and the same background-checked tech at your door.

Soot and Creosote Removal

Creosote is the tar-like residue that condenses on flue walls when wood smoke cools. At just 1/8 inch of buildup, the CSIA says it’s time to clean, and chimney fires often start with far less. We remove it with rotary brushes and HEPA-filtered vacuums that keep your home clean while the flue gets cleared.

Smoke Chamber and Damper Cleaning

The smoke chamber above the firebox is a common trouble spot in San Antonio homes built before 1990. We clean it thoroughly, not just the visible flue, and we check the damper while we’re there, since a rusted or stuck damper can undo the benefits of a clean chimney.

Chimney Cleaning

Chimney Cleaning means clearing the entire path smoke travels: firebox, smoke chamber, damper, flue liner, and cap. You need it annually if you burn wood, even occasionally, and you need it sooner if you smell smoke indoors or the fireplace is drafting poorly. In San Antonio, our chimney cleaning runs $189 to $329 for a standard single-flue home. We’ll show you what came out, and we’ll tell you plainly if anything we see can safely wait.

Wood-Burning Fireplace Cleaning

Wood fires in San Antonio’s older neighborhoods, think Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights, and parts of Windcrest, produce more creosote than gas or manufactured logs. Our cleaning removes that buildup before it becomes a fire hazard. We also haul away the soot and debris, so you’re not left with a mess.

Wood Stove Flue Cleaning

A wood stove flue is narrower and runs hotter than a fireplace flue, which means creosote can harden into a glaze that’s difficult to remove without professional rotary tools. We clean stove flues carefully, from the cap down to the stove collar, and we’ll let you know if the stovepipe connectors need attention.

Fireplace Cleaning

Fireplace Cleaning is the cosmetic and functional service that restores the firebox, grate, glass doors, and hearth to a clean, usable state. You need it when ash and soot have built up to the point you can smell them, or when the glass on a gas or wood insert has clouded over. Our fireplace cleaning in San Antonio starts at $189 and includes full debris removal plus a visual check of the firebox masonry.

Firebox and Hearth Restoration

Years of heat and ash can leave a firebox looking worn, with cracked refractory panels or crumbling mortar joints. We clean the firebox thoroughly and can flag the exact repairs needed, using professional trade materials when you schedule the work with us. The goal is a firebox that looks clean and is safe to use.

Glass Door and Grate Cleaning

White, clouded glass on a fireplace door is baked-on soot and mineral film, not something household glass cleaner handles. We remove it carefully, and we don’t use abrasives that would scratch the ceramic glass on your insert. The grate gets cleaned too, so airflow under the fire stays right.

Chimney Services

Chimney Services cover the full scope of chimney care beyond the sweep itself: inspections, cap installation, water sealing, and minor repairs. In a city like San Antonio, where flash floods and golf-ball hail are real, chimneys take weather abuse in ways homeowners often miss. Our chimney services are priced individually and always provided as a written quote before work starts, typically $189 to $329 for the sweep-and-basic-service visit.

Chimney Cap and Crown Work

A missing or rusted chimney cap lets rain, birds, and embers in. A cracked crown lets water into the masonry, and in San Antonio’s freeze-thaw conditions, that can spall brick in a season. We install and repair caps and can reseal crowns with materials meant for the Texas climate.

Water Leak Diagnosis

Water staining around the fireplace or ceiling near the chimney is usually a flashing or crown problem, and sometimes a liner issue. We diagnose it with a camera rather than guesswork, so the fix we recommend is the fix you need. No one wants to pay for masonry work when the real problem is a $40 flashing patch.

Chimney Sweep Certified

Chimney Sweep Certified means the person at your door has been background-checked, identity-verified, and trained in the cleaning and inspection standards that protect your home. You need this when you’re letting a stranger into your house, alone, with your kids asleep upstairs. At Alcott Chimney San Antonio, every technician is vetted to what we call the Threshold Standard, and that’s not an add-on. It’s how we hire.

The Threshold Standard, Explained

Every technician who works under the Alcott name has passed a background check and identity verification before they ever step on a customer’s property. You get their name and photo before the appointment, and they carry a photo ID badge at your door, every time, no exceptions. This is the standard Ruben Castellano has enforced since 2002.

What the Guarantee Covers

Every repair we perform is covered by a written guarantee, included at no extra charge. If a repair fails during the 365 days after we complete it, we come back and make it right, for free. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and it applies to the repair itself, not just the sweep.

Gas Fireplace Cleaning

Gas Fireplace Cleaning removes the white mineral film, soot, and dust that settle on the ceramic glass, logs, and burner ports of a gas fireplace. You need it when the flame looks weak or yellow instead of crisp and blue, or when the glass has gone cloudy. In San Antonio, a gas fireplace cleaning runs $189 to $249 depending on the unit, and we service all major gas log and insert brands, not just one or two.

Burner and Pilot Inspection

A gas fireplace that lights slowly or makes a popping sound often has spider webs or debris in the burner ports. We clean those carefully and check the pilot assembly and thermopile while we’re there. A properly cleaned burner runs quieter and burns cleaner.

Log Set and Media Cleaning

Ceramic logs and glass media collect dust and soot that dulls the flame. We clean them without soaking or damaging the material, and we’ll flag any cracked logs or deteriorated ember wool. For gas fireplaces, a camera inspection of the venting is part of the job when we do a full cleaning.

Chimney Maintenance

Chimney Maintenance is the yearly routine that keeps your fireplace safe and your repair bills small. For a complete guide, see our Chimney Sweep Maintenance Checklist for San Antonio Homeowners. It’s a sweep, a visual check, and a clear report on what’s fine, what’s wearing, and what can wait. We recommend it for every wood-burning home in San Antonio once a year, and for gas fireplaces every two years. A standard maintenance visit costs $189 to $329.

Annual Inspection and Sweep Package

You can bundle the sweep with a standard visual inspection and we’ll document the flue’s condition in writing, with photos where needed. In neighborhoods like Boerne and Kirby, where homes range from 1970s ranches to new builds, the inspection findings vary a lot, and we’ll tell you plainly what your house’s chimney actually needs. A written report means you’re not relying on memory.

Pre-Burn Season Tune-Up

San Antonio’s first cold snap catches a lot of fireplaces off guard. Early fall is the right time to schedule, before the rush, and before that first fire of the year. We check the cap, damper, lintel, and flue in one visit, so you’re ready to burn safely when the thermometer drops.

Brands We Service

We work with professional trade brands like DuraFlex and HeatShield because that’s what it takes to do a repair that lasts. DuraFlex makes stainless steel and aluminum flue liners that we install when an older San Antonio home has a cracked clay tile liner, and HeatShield’s cerfractory resurfacing is a cost-effective alternative to a full liner replacement. We don’t substitute box-store parts when the job calls for something meant to last 20 years or more.

We also service and carry Famco and Copperfield components, including chimney caps, dampers, and flashings. Whether you have a Famco top-sealing damper that needs adjustment or a Copperfield chase cover that’s rusted through, we can source the right part and install it correctly. If you own a different brand entirely, we can still help, and we’ll tell you if the part you have is worth saving.

Signs You Need a Pro Right Now

• Smoke spills into the room instead of going up the flue. This usually means a drafting problem, a blocked flue, or a damper that isn’t open fully, and it can push carbon monoxide into your living space. If this happens while a fire is burning, stop using the fireplace and call us.
• You can smell old smoke when the fireplace is cold. A sour, tarry smell in humid San Antonio weather often means creosote buildup inside the flue is absorbing moisture. Sweeping removes the source, not just the smell.
• You see dark, tar-like streaks on the flue or fireback. That’s glossy, third-degree creosote, the kind that burns hot and hard once it ignites. This is not a homeowner DIY situation; it needs a professional sweep with rotary tools.
• The damper is stuck, rusted, or won’t close fully. A stuck damper wastes cooled air in summer and creates a draft problem in winter. We find this often in older San Antonio homes where original dampers were never replaced.
• Birds, squirrels, or their nests are in the chimney. Live animals and nesting material block the flue and can introduce lice, mites, and odor. We remove the debris safely and install a proper cap to keep them out for good.

Our Process, Step by Step

1. 1
   You call and speak to a live person, day or night. No voicemail tree, no callback queue. We collect basic details about your fireplace or stove, confirm your address, and schedule a time that works for you.
2. 2
   You receive your technician’s name and photo before arrival. Every Alcott technician is background-checked and identity-verified under the Threshold Standard. When they arrive, they’ll show a photo ID badge at the door, every time.
3. 3
   We inspect before we clean. The technician will visually check the accessible flue, firebox, cap, and damper, and use a camera if anything looks off. This step confirms that a sweep is appropriate and identifies any hidden damage.
4. 4
   We perform the sweep and document the work. Creosote, soot, and debris are removed with brushes and a HEPA-filtered vacuum, protecting your floors and air quality. You’ll see the area left cleaner than we found it.
5. 5
   You get a written report and a real recommendation, not a scare pitch. We’ll tell you what we found, what the photos show, and what actually needs to be done. Any repair quote you receive is written and concrete, and no recommendation is made without evidence you can see yourself.

How Much Does Chimney Sweep Cost in San Antonio?

Our Service Area Near San Antonio

We serve San Antonio and the surrounding communities, from Chimney Sweep in Schertz and Chimney Sweep in Cibolo to Boerne, Leon Valley, and Converse. Most appointments are scheduled within three to five business days, and if you’re in Alamo Heights, Windcrest, or Castle Hills, we’re often able to see you even sooner. For a map of our full coverage area, see our home page.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chimney Sweep in San Antonio

Schedule Your Chimney Sweep Service in San Antonio Today

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably overdue for a sweep or you’ve got a real concern you want checked. Call (903) 515-5079 and speak to a live person right now, any hour, any day. We’ll get you on the schedule, send your technician’s name and photo in advance, and provide a no-obligation written estimate before any work starts.

Written by Ruben Castellano, Owner at Alcott Chimney San Antonio, serving San Antonio since 2002.