Level 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.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterChimney Cleaning Before & After in Huntington Beach, CA
Photos don’t lie. We’ve cleaned more than 38,000 chimneys since 2009, and the camera tells the story every time. Below you’ll see what we walked into, what we found with our NFPA 211 Level 2 inspection, and what the flue looked like after we finished. Every set includes the documented photo record required by Clause 4 of the Haven Standard.
Recent Transformations
Class III Glazed Creosote Removal, Huntington Harbour
The homeowner in Huntington Harbour burned pine and eucalyptus from a backyard tree that came down in the 2023 Santa Ana winds. That resin-heavy wood cooked down into Class III glazed creosote, a hard, shiny, tar-like layer that standard brushes won’t touch. We applied a creosote modifier, ran mechanical whips and poly chains, then finished with a stainless brush pass. The flue liner went from 3/8-inch glazed buildup to bare metal. Written price before we started: $340. Photos archived under Clause 4.
Smoke Chamber Parging and Firebox Rebuild, Downtown Huntington Beach
This 1926 bungalow near Main and Orange had a corbeled brick smoke chamber, the angled walls that funnel smoke from the firebox into the flue. The mortar was falling out in chunks, and the rough surface was trapping creosote and slowing draft. We swept the flue, then parged the smoke chamber with HeatShield, a cerfractory material that smooths the walls and improves draft efficiency. The firebox got spot-tuckpointing with matching refractory mortar. Total job: $1,180, written before we unloaded the truck. The owner now has a photo record showing the parged surface and the draft readings we took before and after.
Chimney Cap and Crown Replacement, Seacliff
Seacliff gets the marine layer hard, and salt air eats galvanized steel. This crown had spalling, cracks running from the flue tile to the edge, and a cap that had rusted through at the mesh. Water was running down the flue liner and staining the firebox. We removed the old crown to the brick, poured a new concrete crown with a proper drip edge, and installed a Gelco stainless steel cap with 5/8-inch spark arrestor mesh. The flue liner got a sweep and camera inspection while we were up there. Written price: $890. No surprises, no upsell.
Fireplace Insert Removal and Flue Relining, Goldenwest
A Goldenwest homeowner bought a 1980s house with a wood-burning insert that had been shoved into a factory-built fireplace with a flex pipe jammed up the flue. The insert wasn’t listed for that application, and the flex was pulling apart at the seams. We removed the insert, swept the flue, and ran a DuraFlex 316Ti stainless steel liner from the smoke chamber to the top, with a proper top plate and rain cap. The owner wanted the open hearth back, so we left it ready for decorative gas logs or open wood burning. Job total: $2,650, including the Level 2 inspection and photo documentation. Clause 4 of the Haven Standard means those photos are on file if they ever sell the house.
Annual Sweep and Inspection, Bolsa Chica
This is the bread and butter. A Bolsa Chica homeowner burns maybe two cords of seasoned almond a year, gets swept every September before the first fire. The flue had Class II flaky creosote, maybe 1/16-inch, and a light soot layer. Standard poly brush and vacuum, camera scan of every flue tile joint, and a written condition report. We found one hairline crack at the third flue tile from the top, documented it, and told them it can wait, no liner needed yet. Written price: $220. Took 90 minutes. They’ll call next year, and we’ll compare the photos.
Chimney Swift Nest Removal and Cap Installation, South Huntington Beach
Chimney swifts are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so timing matters. This South Huntington Beach call came in October, after the swifts had migrated. The nest was abandoned, but the twigs and guano were blocking the flue and the acidic droppings were eating the mortar. We removed the nest material, swept the flue, and installed a Famco stainless steel cap with 3/4-inch mesh, small enough to keep swifts and swallows out but large enough for proper draft. Written price before we started: $380 for sweep and cap. The alternative was doing nothing and running a blocked flue, which in Huntington Beach’s mild winters still gets used enough to matter.
Want Results Like These?
Every job above started with a written price, included a camera inspection and photo record under Clause 4 of the Haven Standard, and carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise. We’re independently owned and operated in Huntington Beach, and we’ve been at this since 2009. Call (657) 427-5872 to book your sweep or request a free second opinion on any written estimate you’ve already received. Corrine Halstead answers the phone, or a live person does, 24 hours a day.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Emberly Chimney Cleaners Huntington Beach, serving Huntington Beach since 2009.