Chimney inspection in Sunnyvale

A Level 1 is a visual check of everything reachable without tools, appropriate for a chimney under continued, ordinary use with no reason to suspect hidden damage. It is the inspection bundled into a standard sweep. A Level 2 adds a video camera run down the full interior of the flue and is specifically called for at a change of ownership, after an appliance swap, or after any event that might have caused damage a visual check cannot see (an earthquake, a chimney fire, a lightning strike). A Level 3 goes further still, removing concealed building components when a Level 2 finds something that needs a closer look, and it is uncommon outside of a real structural concern.

The instinct is often to book a sweep right away, but a sweep answers only whether the flue is clear. It does not answer whether the crown has a hairline crack, whether the flashing is failing, or whether an older masonry chimney has the seismic bracing current code expects. An inspection first means any subsequent sweep, cleaning or repair is scoped against a real picture of the chimney’s condition, not a guess based on the house’s age.

That footage becomes part of the written report, so a finding is something you can see for yourself, not a technician’s verbal description after the fact.

We check for adequate bracing on any older masonry chimney as a standard part of a full inspection, and we say so plainly whether or not it needs anything.

We will confirm the right inspection level before scheduling anything.