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 San Antonio
A standard chimney inspection in San Antonio runs $189 – $459 for Level 1 and Level 2 inspections, with Level 3 inspections starting around $1,100 when structural access is required. Most inspections take 45 to 90 minutes, and you’ll get a written report with photos the same day. If you’re inside Loop 410, in King William, Monte Vista, Alamo Heights, or out toward Stone Oak, we know what your chimney is up against because we’ve inspected thousands of them. Call (903) 515-5079 and a live person answers, day or night.
Why Alcott Chimney San Antonio Is San Antonio’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
Two things set Alcott apart in San Antonio, and neither is a gimmick. The first: you’ll know exactly who is coming before the truck pulls up. Every technician is background-checked and identity-verified under what we call the Threshold Standard, and you receive their name and photo ahead of the visit. They show a photo ID badge at your door, every time, no exceptions. That matters if you’re home alone, if your kids are there, or if you simply don’t like opening the door to strangers.
The second: we don’t recommend repairs without camera evidence. In older San Antonio homes, especially in historic districts like San Antonio neighborhoods with 1920s bungalows, chimney companies sometimes push $4,000 liner jobs based on a flashlight look. We don’t. Ruben Castellano built Alcott Chimney Sweep on a simple rule: if we can’t show you footage of the problem, we don’t ask you to pay for a fix. That’s why every Chimney Inspection we perform includes camera documentation you can see with your own eyes.
We’ve served San Antonio homeowners since 2002 as part of the Threshold Group family of home-service companies. Our San Antonio crews coordinate dispatch locally, so response times to Converse, Schertz, Cibolo, and Boerne are measured in hours, not days. When a chimney smells like smoke at 11 p.m., you call (903) 515-5079 and a person picks up. No voicemail, no callback queue.
Styles & brands we work with
Chimney Inspection Services in San Antonio
Chimney Inspection Services in San Antonio cover three levels of depth, and the right one depends on what’s changed since your last inspection. Homeowners inside Loop 410 with original masonry chimneys need a different approach than someone in a post-war tract home with a prefabricated metal fireplace. Here’s what each level actually involves and what it costs here.
Level 1 Inspection
A Level 1 inspection is the annual checkup. It runs $189 – $249 in San Antonio and covers the readily accessible parts of your chimney: the firebox, damper, cap, and visible flue interior. If you use your fireplace the same way every year and nothing has changed, this is usually all you need.
Level 2 Camera Inspection
A Level 2 inspection in San Antonio runs $349 – $459 and adds full camera scanning of the flue interior. You need this when you buy or sell a home, after a chimney fire, after a major hailstorm, or when converting a wood-burning fireplace to gas. In older San Antonio homes with clay tile liners, this is the inspection that actually shows spalling and hidden cracks.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Chimney Flue Inspection in San Antonio
A Chimney Flue Inspection is the part of the job where we put a camera up the flue and look at what’s really there. In San Antonio, that’s usually one of three things: original clay tile, stainless steel, or nothing at all if the chimney is unlined. A flue inspection runs $349 – $459 as part of a Level 2 inspection, and you’ll see the footage before we recommend anything.
Unlined chimneys are common in houses built before 1940, especially in King William and Monte Vista. They were built for wood smoke at lower temperatures, not for modern gas appliances that vent cooler exhaust and produce more condensation. That condensation soaks into old mortar and accelerates spalling. A camera flue inspection shows you exactly what condition the interior is in, and whether it’s safe to keep using.
What We Look For
During a flue inspection in San Antonio, we look for cracked clay tiles, gaps between tile sections, creosote buildup, water stains, and any separation in the mortar joints. We also flag anything that shouldn’t be there: chimney swift nests, squirrel debris, or abandoned gas appliance flues that were never properly capped.
What You See
Every flue inspection ends with you looking at the footage. Not a summary, not a verbal description. The actual video. If we’re recommending a repair, you’ll see the crack, the gap, or the water damage on the screen before we quote a single dollar.
Trusted Brands We Service in San Antonio
We work with professional-grade materials that chimney professionals actually specify: DuraFlex liner systems, HeatShield resurfacing, Gelco sealants, and Olympia Chimney caps. When your San Antonio inspection turns up a problem, we don’t improvise with box-store substitutes. We stock the common replacement parts locally, which keeps turnaround fast for homes across San Antonio. And because we install what we inspect, the transition from diagnosis to repair is one conversation, not three phone calls.
See the difference
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After
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AfterCommon Chimney Inspection Problems We See in San Antonio Homes
- Cracked clay tile liners in historic district chimneys. King William and Monte Vista homes built in the 1910s and 1920s often have original clay tiles. San Antonio’s brief winter freezes and intense summer heat cause thermal expansion and contraction, and those old tiles crack. This is the single most common reason a Level 2 camera inspection finds a problem.
- Hail-damaged caps and crowns. San Antonio’s spring thunderstorms bring hail, and a lot of it. We regularly find dented caps and cracked crowns in neighborhoods like Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills after a bad storm. Water gets in, and over a season or two, spalling follows.
- Chimney swift nests. In older neighborhoods inside Loop 410, we find chimney swift nests far more often than in newer suburban developments. These birds are federally protected, so removal has to be done the right way, at the right time, and followed by a proper cap installation to keep them out.
- Appliances venting into unlined chimneys. Many San Antonio homeowners convert old wood-burning fireplaces to gas inserts without realizing the original chimney was never meant for gas exhaust. The condensation eats old mortar, and we see the damage all the time in central San Antonio homes built before 1950.
Pricing for Chimney Inspection in San Antonio, TX
Here are the real numbers for San Antonio. A Level 1 inspection runs $189 – $249. A Level 2 camera inspection runs $349 – $459. A Level 3 inspection, which involves removing part of the chimney structure to access hidden areas, starts around $1,100 and up depending on what we find and where. What affects the price? Height, roof pitch, access, whether the flue is lined, and how recently the chimney was cleaned. If you have creosote buildup from years of wood burning, we may need to sweep before a camera can see clearly, and that adds $150 – $250. Every inspection comes with a written price before work starts. No surprises at the end. Call (903) 515-5079 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near San Antonio
Our San Antonio crews cover the whole metro. That includes Converse, Schertz, Cibolo, and Boerne, with the same background-checked technicians, the same camera-first inspection protocol, and the same written pricing guarantee. If you’re in a nearby town and need a Chimney Inspection in San Antonio metro coverage area, we’ll get to you fast.
Serving San Antonio, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Antonio 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 San Antonio
Yes. Chimneys in King William, Monte Vista, and other pre-1940 San Antonio neighborhoods have original clay tile liners and mortar that’s been through decades of thermal cycling. They require a Level 2 camera inspection to see inside the flue, not just a visual check from the firebox. Newer suburban fireplaces with prefabricated metal chimneys can often be assessed with a Level 1 inspection. Older masonry always deserves the camera. Call (903) 515-5079 and we’ll schedule the right inspection for your home’s age and construction.
No. Hail damage to a chimney cap or crown is visible from the roof, but the damage hail causes inside the flue, like loosened mortar or displaced tiles, requires a camera. A visual-only inspection gives you a guess. A camera inspection gives you footage. In San Antonio’s hail-prone spring months, we always recommend the Level 2 inspection after a significant storm. Call (903) 515-5079 for a free estimate and we’ll tell you honestly whether a Level 1 or Level 2 is the right call for your situation.
Leave it alone. Chimney swifts are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and removing an active nest is illegal. If an inspection finds a nest, we’ll tell you when the birds are gone, then remove the abandoned nest and install a proper chimney cap to prevent re-entry. This is a common issue in older San Antonio neighborhoods inside Loop 410. We’ve handled it hundreds of times and we’ll walk you through the timing and the paperwork. Call (903) 515-5079 and we’ll inspect what’s in your flue.
Once a year, even if you rarely use it. San Antonio’s humidity and spring hail create conditions that damage chimneys whether you burn fires or not. Water intrusion, spalling mortar, and animal entry all happen in unused chimneys. An annual Level 1 inspection catches these before they become expensive repairs. If your chimney hasn’t been inspected in over two years, start with a Level 2 camera inspection. Call (903) 515-5079 to schedule one for your San Antonio home.
Absolutely. Gas appliances vent at lower temperatures and produce condensation that deteriorates old mortar and clay liners faster. If your King William or Monte Vista chimney is unlined or has cracked clay tiles, a gas conversion without a proper inspection can lead to carbon monoxide leaks. We’ll do a Level 2 camera inspection, show you the footage, and tell you plainly whether the chimney is safe for gas venting or needs a liner first. Call (903) 515-5079 for a free estimate.
In a 1920s bungalow in Monte Vista, our tech found a cracked clay flue liner with visible spalling using a Level 2 camera inspection. We showed the homeowner the footage on our tablet before recommending HeatShield repair in San Antonio. We also spotted a damaged chimney crown from recent hail that was letting water into the smoke chamber. That’s what a real inspection looks like: evidence first, recommendations second.
When you’re ready for a straight answer about your San Antonio chimney, call San Antonio Chimney Sweep at (903) 515-5079. A live person answers. You’ll get a real appointment, a technician whose name and photo you know before arrival, and a camera-first inspection that shows you exactly what’s happening inside your flue. Written price before work starts. Written guarantee on every repair. That’s the Alcott way.
Written by Ruben Castellano, Owner at Alcott Chimney San Antonio, serving San Antonio since 2002.