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 Cibolo
A chimney inspection in Cibolo typically runs $189 – $389 for a Level 1 visual check, $249 – $549 for a Level 2 camera inspection, and $1,000+ for a Level 3 when structural access is required. Most inspections take 45 – 90 minutes, and you’ll get a written report with photos before we leave the driveway. We schedule Cibolo appointments within 2 – 5 business days, and every inspection includes the same non-negotiable inclusions: a written price before we start, a background-checked technician announced by name and photo, and a live person answering the phone at (903) 515-5079 if you call with questions.
Why Alcott Chimney San Antonio Is Cibolo’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
Cibolo homeowners keep calling us because we show our work. Every inspection comes with camera evidence you can actually see, not a vague verbal summary. When our tech finds a cracked flue tile or a rusted chase cap, you’ll have the photos in your report before anyone asks you to spend a dollar on repairs.
Ruben Castellano runs this team with one rule: no recommendation without proof. If a chimney doesn’t need work, we say so plainly and tell you when to check again. If it does, you’ll see exactly why. That’s the reason homeowners in Deer Creek, Buffalo Crossing, and the newer subdivisions along FM 1103 keep our number on the fridge.
Our scheduling is coordinated from the brand’s San Antonio office, but the tech who arrives at your Cibolo door is the same person whose name and photo we sent you before the visit. They’ll show a photo ID badge at the door. Every time, no exceptions. That’s the Threshold Standard, and it’s not optional.
One more thing: our 365-Day Done Right Promise covers every inspection finding and repair we recommend. If a repair fails within a year, the second visit is free. Written guarantee. No fine print buried in a contract.
Styles & brands we work with





Fireplace Inspection in Cibolo
Fireplace Inspection in Cibolo covers the firebox, refractory panels, damper operation, and the visible portions of the chimney system from inside your living space. A Level 1 inspection is the starting point for any Cibolo home where the fireplace has been used regularly and nothing has changed since the last check. The cost in Cibolo runs $189 – $389 depending on fireplace type and accessibility. For homes with gas logs, we also verify burner condition, gas valve operation, and proper venting clearances, since gas fireplaces produce carbon monoxide when burners are clogged or vents are obstructed.
What We Check in the Firebox
The firebox is the brick or metal chamber where the fire actually burns. In drier periods, heat cycling causes refractory panel seams to open. In humid stretches, moisture wicks into porous brick and causes spalling: the surface flakes away. We document both, and in most cases they can wait, but we’ll tell you when they can’t.
Damper and Draft Checks
We test the damper on every visit. A damper that won’t seal lets conditioned air escape all summer and lets humid air push up the flue. In Cibolo’s mild winters with occasional burn nights, a sticky damper is often the first thing a homeowner notices: smoke rolling back into the room on startup.
Chimney Inspection Services in Cibolo
Chimney Inspection Services in Cibolo go beyond the firebox to the flue liner, smoke chamber, chimney crown, flashing, and the exterior masonry or metal chase. A Level 2 inspection adds a camera run through the full flue length and is what we recommend after any storm, after a chimney fire, before buying or selling a home, or if you haven’t had the flue looked at in five years or more. In Cibolo, a Level 2 camera inspection runs $249 – $549 and includes still photos from the camera feed in your report.
Flue and Liner Evaluation
The flue liner is the barrier between hot exhaust and the combustible framing around your chimney. We see two failure patterns in Cibolo. In older masonry homes, clay tile liners crack from decades of heating and cooling, and the cracks open a path to the framing. In newer factory-built fireplaces, the metal flue corrodes from the inside when humid off-season air sits in the pipe. Neither is visible from the hearth, which is exactly why a Chimney Inspection with a camera matters.

Real Estate and Pre-Listing Inspections
Cibolo’s growth means homes change hands constantly. We do Level 2 real estate inspections for buyers and sellers, with a written report and photo documentation that both agents can actually use in negotiations. If the chimney is sound, the report says so in language a lender can accept. If it isn’t, the report tells you exactly what to ask for.

What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Cibolo
We work on every major chimney and fireplace brand you’re likely to find in a Cibolo home, including HeatShield for flue resurfacing, DuraFlex for liner systems, and Olympia Chimney and Copperfield for factory-built fireplace components. When we stock parts, we stock the same professional trade materials a manufacturer specifies, not box-store substitutes. That matters most with factory-built fireplaces in newer Cibolo construction, where a mismatched part can void the manufacturer’s warranty. If we identify a specific part that needs replacing, you’ll know the brand, the part number, and the price before any work begins.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Chimney Inspection Problems We See in Cibolo Homes
- Prefabricated metal chases rusting from humidity. Cibolo’s hot, humid summers push moisture into an unvented metal chase, and the galvanized panels rust from the inside out. By the time a homeowner sees a stain on the ceiling, the chase cap is already compromised and water has been following the flue downward for months.
- Missing or failed dampers in older Deer Creek and Buffalo Crossing homes. Many original fireplaces in those subdivisions were built without dampers at all, or with throat dampers that warped from heat. The result is a flue that acts as an open vent all summer and a smoky startup on the first cold night.
- Hardened creosote from seasonal use. Mild winters mean short burn seasons. Creosote that forms as a soft, brushable first-degree layer hardens over a damp off-season into a shiny, hardened glaze. A brush won’t remove it, and a Level 1 visual check will miss it. A camera inspection won’t.
- Shallow, corbeled smoke chambers. In Cibolo’s older masonry construction, smoke chambers were often built too shallow with stepped corbeling that traps exhaust against the walls. Smoke pushes back into the room on startup, and homeowners learn to crack a window before every fire. The real fix is chamber parging and often a properly sized damper.
Pricing for Chimney Inspection in Cibolo, TX
A standard Level 1 chimney sweep and inspection in Cibolo typically runs $189 – $389 before any repairs. A Level 2 camera inspection runs $249 – $549, including the camera run, still photos, and a written report. A Level 3 inspection, which requires opening access to concealed areas, starts around $1,000 and up, depending on what has to be dismantled. What changes the price here is accessibility and fireplace type: a single-story prefab on a flat roof is faster than a two-story masonry chimney with a steep pitch. You’ll get a written price before any work starts, always. Call (903) 515-5079 for an exact quote. Estimates are free, and no one will pressure you into a repair you don’t need.
We Also Serve Cities Near Cibolo
We handle Chimney Inspection in Cibolo every week, and our crews also cover Schertz, Converse, San Antonio, and Boerne from the same scheduling line. If you’re in a nearby community and need a written inspection report with camera evidence and a plain-English explanation of what’s needed now versus what can wait, call us at (903) 515-5079.
Serving Cibolo, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Cibolo 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 Cibolo
Yes. A factory-built fireplace is not maintenance-free. The prefabricated metal chase and cap corrode faster in Cibolo’s humid climate than they would in a drier region, and water intrusion through a rusted chase cap is a slow leak that rots framing long before you see ceiling damage. We recommend a Level 2 camera inspection on any new-to-you home, regardless of age, because the previous owner’s maintenance history is almost never knowable. Call (903) 515-5079 and we’ll walk you through what a camera reveal actually shows.
The most common finding is a missing or failed damper combined with a poorly designed smoke chamber. Homes in Deer Creek and Buffalo Crossing that were built in the 1980s and 1990s often shipped without dampers, and the smoke chambers were built too shallow with corbeled steps that trap exhaust. Homeowners describe the same symptom: smoke blows back into the room on startup. The fix is usually a properly sized top-sealing damper plus smoke chamber parging, and it’s repairable without rebuilding the whole chimney. Call (903) 515-5079 for an inspection if you’ve been opening a window every time you light a fire.
Yes, and that’s exactly why Cibolo’s climate matters for inspection timing. Humidity does three things to an unused chimney: it accelerates rust on metal components like dampers and flue liners, it causes efflorescence and spalling on masonry, and it hardens whatever creosote is left from last winter’s fires into a glaze that a standard brush can’t remove. An annual visual check catches most of this early. A camera inspection catches what a visual check can’t. Call (903) 515-5079 for an exact quote. Estimates are free.
You need a Level 2 inspection if any of these apply: you’re buying or selling the home, the fireplace has been through a chimney fire or a major storm, you’ve never had the flue inspected and the home is older than ten years, or you’ve noticed smoke blowback, water stains, or a rust-colored stain on the ceiling near the chase. A Level 1 visual check covers what’s visible from the hearth and the roof. A Level 2 adds a camera run through the full flue length, and that’s the only way to see a cracked clay tile or a corroded metal liner from the inside. If you’re not sure which level you need, call (903) 515-5079 and we’ll help you decide without selling you an inspection you don’t need.
Yes. Every inspection we do includes a check of the chimney crown, the wash, and the flashing where the chimney meets the roofline. In Cibolo’s humidity, crown cracks and failed flashing joints are the two most common entry points for water, and they’re often the hidden cause of a ceiling stain that looks like a roof leak. If we find damage, you’ll see a photo of it in your report, along with a written price to fix it if you want it fixed. Call (903) 515-5079 for an inspection and you’ll get the full detail before anyone picks up a tool.
Written by Ruben Castellano, Owner at Alcott Chimney San Antonio, serving Cibolo and surrounding communities since 2002.