Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 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.
Fast, Reliable Chimney Inspection Across Castle Hills
A chimney inspection in Castle Hills typically runs $189 – $349 for a Level 1 visual check, and $349 – $649 for a Level 2 camera inspection, which is what most older Castle Hills homes actually need. We serve Castle Hills directly, with local crews who know the 1960s – 1980s custom ranch homes along West Avenue and Northwest Military Highway. If you’re noticing ceiling stains near your fireplace or you just bought a home near Castle Hills Forest, call (903) 515-5079 and we’ll give you a straight answer and a written price before any work starts.
Why Alcott Chimney San Antonio Is Castle Hills’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
Homeowners in Castle Hills call us because we don’t just sweep and go. We document what we find. Every inspection includes a written report with photos, and if we scope a flue with a camera, you see the footage yourself. Ruben Castellano built this company on a simple rule: nothing gets recommended unless the homeowner can see the evidence with their own eyes.
We’ve worked on masonry chimneys throughout Castle Hills, from the mid-century ranch homes south of Loop 410 to the newer custom builds closer to Jackson-Keller Road. Those older homes are the ones that keep us busy. Original clay flue liners from the 1960s and 1970s are hitting the end of their service life, and a visual check from the top won’t catch spalling or hidden cracks. We bring the camera.
Response time to Castle Hills is typically 24 – 48 hours for a scheduled inspection. If you smell smoke at 11 p.m. or see water coming through the ceiling after a storm, a live person answers our phone around the clock. No voicemail, no callback queue. You’ll know the technician’s name and see their photo before we arrive, and they’ll show a photo ID badge at the door. That’s the Threshold Standard, and it’s not optional.
Styles & brands we work with
Chimney Fire in Castle Hills
A chimney fire in Castle Hills is almost always caused by creosote, the tar-like buildup that lines flues over years of wood burning, and the older the chimney, the more likely the problem. When a firebox serves a wood-burning fireplace in a 1970s ranch near the Castle Hills Forest neighborhood, the flue has had decades to accumulate deposits. Our Chimney Inspection team checks for creosote stage and thickness, flue liner condition, and clearance to combustibles, and we tell you plainly what needs attention now and what can safely wait.
What We Check
We measure creosote buildup at every level of the flue, check for glazed creosote (the hardened, shiny kind that burns at very high temperatures), and inspect the smoke chamber and damper for signs of heat stress. If a chimney has already survived a fire, we look for flue liner cracks and warped metal components before anything else.
What It Costs
In Castle Hills, a chimney fire inspection runs $189 – $349, depending on flue count and whether we bring in a camera. If repairs come up, you get a written price before any work begins. If the repair is covered and fails within 365 days, the second visit is free.
Level 2 Chimney Inspection in Castle Hills
A Level 2 Chimney Inspection in Castle Hills uses a camera to scope the full flue system, and it’s the only inspection that reliably catches the cracked clay liners our technicians find throughout 1960s – 1980s custom ranch homes. If you’ve bought or sold a home in Castle Hills, changed fuels (wood to gas, for example), or had a chimney fire, this is the inspection that gives you actual evidence, not a guess. Most older Castle Hills homes with original clay flue liners need this level.
When We Recommend It
We recommend a Level 2 inspection for every real estate transaction, after any chimney fire, when a liner looks suspect from the top, or when water stains appear on ceilings near the fireplace. It’s also the right call before converting a wood-burning fireplace to gas, because the existing flue may not be sized or rated correctly for gas exhaust.
Camera Inspection in Castle Hills
A camera inspection in Castle Hills typically costs $349 – $649 for a single flue, with multi-flue masonry chimneys priced higher. On a multi-flue masonry chimney serving a two-story custom home near the Castle Hills Forest neighborhood, our techs found a cracked clay flue liner and missing cricket flashing behind the chimney after a homeowner reported ceiling water stains. We scoped all three flues with a Level 2 inspection, confirmed spalling in the original clay liner, and recommended a HeatShield resurfacing rather than a full rebuild, saving the homeowner from replacing the entire masonry stack.
Trusted Brands We Service in Castle Hills
We work with professional-grade trade materials, not box-store substitutes. For Castle Hills homes with aging masonry flues, that means HeatShield resurfacing for cracked clay liners, DuraFlex liner systems when a full reline is the right fix, and Copperfield and Famco components for caps, dampers, and chase covers. Because these brands are specified by chimney professionals, we can often repair rather than replace, and we keep common sizes on hand for faster turnaround on Castle Hills jobs. Your written quote names the exact product we’ll use.
Common Chimney Inspection Problems We See in Castle Hills Homes
- Cracked original clay flue liners. The 1960s – 1980s custom ranch homes throughout Castle Hills often still have their original clay tile liners, and the humid subtropical climate plus winter freezes have done their work. Spalling and hairline cracks let carbon monoxide seep into living spaces, and a visual Level 1 check from the roof won’t see them.
- Missing or deteriorated cricket flashing. Wide masonry chimneys on Castle Hills homes need proper cricket flashing behind the stack to divert water. When it’s missing or rusted out, rain runs down the flue, and homeowners mistake the resulting ceiling stains for roof leaks when the real problem is the chimney.
- Draft interference in multi-flue masonry chimneys. Castle Hills custom homes often have multiple fireplaces or gas inserts sharing a single oversized masonry stack. That creates back-puffing and draft problems that only show up when you check each appliance’s smoke chamber and damper operation individually.
- Rusted caps and stuck dampers. Castle Hills’s humid climate and occasional freezes accelerate rust on metal components. A rusted chimney cap lets rain and animals in, and a damper stuck open dumps heated air out of the house all winter. Both are inexpensive to fix when caught early.
See the difference
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After
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AfterPricing for Chimney Inspection in Castle Hills, TX
A Level 1 visual inspection in Castle Hills runs $189 – $349. A Level 2 camera inspection, which we recommend for most older Castle Hills homes, runs $349 – $649 for a single flue. Homes with multiple fireplaces or gas inserts sharing a masonry stack will be quoted per flue, and we give you the total in writing before any work starts. What affects cost: number of flues, chimney height and roof pitch (several Castle Hills custom homes have steep rooflines), and whether access requires specialty ladders or a lift. Free estimates include a written report with photos, and you’ll get the exact price before we touch anything. Call (903) 515-5079 to schedule.
We Also Serve Cities Near Castle Hills
Alcott Chimney San Antonio serves Castle Hills and the surrounding communities of San Antonio, Schertz, Cibolo, and Boerne. If you live near the Castle Hills border or just outside the city limits, we likely cover your neighborhood too. See our Chimney Inspection in Castle Hills page for service area details, or call to confirm coverage for your street.
Serving Castle Hills, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Castle Hills area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Chimney Inspection in Castle Hills
Every 12 months, without exception. Wood-burning fireplaces produce creosote, and gas inserts produce water vapor and acidic condensate that corrodes flue liners over time. When both share a masonry stack, problems compound. Annual inspection keeps each appliance safe and your flue intact. Call (903) 515-5079 to book your next inspection.
Yes. The top of the flue is the last place spalling and cracking appear. Clay liners in Castle Hills homes fail from thermal stress and moisture exposure, and the damage starts in the middle and lower flue sections, where a camera is the only way to see it. We recommend a Level 2 camera inspection for every Castle Hills home with original 1960s – 1980s liners. Schedule one at (903) 515-5079.
Usually, yes. Water stains near the fireplace in Castle Hills homes are commonly caused by missing or deteriorated cricket flashing behind a wide masonry chimney, cracks in the chimney crown, or a rusted-out cap. Rain runs down the flue and shows up on ceilings before you see any chimney damage. We’ll inspect the flashing, crown, cap, and flue liner and tell you exactly what’s leaking. Call (903) 515-5079.
Yes. Multi-flue masonry chimneys are common in Castle Hills custom homes, and we scope each flue individually. We also check damper operation, smoke chamber condition, and draft for every appliance, because multiple fireplaces sharing one stack can interfere with each other. The price is per flue, and you’ll see the full written quote before work begins. Call (903) 515-5079 for an exact price.
Yes. We check caps, dampers, chase covers, and flashing on every inspection. A rusted cap lets rain, birds, and debris into the flue, and a damper stuck open dumps conditioned air out of your Castle Hills home all year. Both are caught during a Level 1 inspection and fixed with written pricing before any work. Call (903) 515-5079 to book.
Call Alcott Chimney San Antonio for Chimney Inspection in Castle Hills
You’ll get a straight answer, a camera view of your flue, and a written price before any work begins. Ruben Castellano and our Castle Hills inspection team are ready when you are. Call (903) 515-5079 for a free estimate.
Written by Ruben Castellano, Owner at Alcott Chimney San Antonio.