Provo · Utah County
Chimney Inspections for Provo Buyers, Sellers and Landlords
Three situations put a Provo chimney under inspection: a sale, a rental turnover, or something alarming that happened during a cold snap. Each one needs a different scope of work.
Three reasons a chimney gets inspected in this city
Almost every inspection we book in Provo traces back to one of three events. A house is changing hands and somebody in the transaction wants the fireplace signed off before closing. A landlord is turning over a property and needs to know whether the next tenants can safely light it. Or there was a roar and a smell of hot metal one evening, and nobody wants to burn again until a professional has looked. Those three ask for genuinely different work, and it is worth knowing which one you are paying for.
Level 1 and Level 2, in plain terms
A Level 1 is a visual examination of everything reachable without dismantling anything: the firebox, the damper, the smoke shelf, the accessible portion of the flue, and the crown, cap and flashing from the roof. It is the correct scope for a fireplace that has been used the same way, by the same household, with nothing unusual happening.
A Level 2 adds a camera run down the entire length of the liner, plus a look at the chimney where it passes through the attic and any crawl space. It is the right scope at a sale, after any change of fuel or appliance, and after a chimney fire or a significant earthquake. If someone quotes you a Level 2 that does not involve a camera going into the flue, it is not one.
What the age of the house tells us before we arrive
Provo's building record runs from pioneer masonry through pre-war brick, a long stretch of post-war ranch construction, and then bench and foothill building that has never really stopped. The older grid streets give us unlined stacks or original clay tile, usually cut into at some point to serve a furnace, and those cuts are where we spend our time. Post-war ranches tend to have intact tile and tired dampers. Newer builds east of the valley floor are factory-built metal systems, where the real questions are clearance to framing, the condition of the chase top, and whether the assembly is still the one its listing describes after somebody swapped a part.
What lands in your inbox afterwards
A written report, photographs of every defect we call out, and the reasoning behind each one in language you can read. If we find nothing wrong, the report says that. We would far rather tell you a chimney is sound than invent a repair. And if we find something serious enough that you should not light the fireplace, we will put that in writing plainly, because you may need to use it in a negotiation.
Questions
Inspection in Provo — common questions
The home inspector already flagged our chimney. Is that the same thing?
No. A general home inspector looks at a chimney from the ground and from inside the room, and their reports usually say the chimney needs further evaluation for exactly that reason. We put a camera in the flue and get on the roof. In a Provo sale, the further evaluation they are recommending is the inspection we do.
We rent out a house near campus. Does the fireplace need its own inspection?
If the tenants are permitted to use it, yes, and we would suggest doing it at every turnover rather than annually. Fireplaces get used by people who did not install them, and the damage we find in rentals is usually from the previous occupants rather than from age.
Do you inspect a chimney that has been closed off and is not in use?
Yes, and it is worth doing before you re-open one. An unused flue in Provo often has a nest in it, a rusted-through damper, or water damage nobody noticed because nothing was burning. Knowing what is up there is the difference between a cheap repair and a room full of smoke.
How long does the inspection take?
A Level 1 on a straightforward fireplace is quick. A Level 2 with a full camera run takes considerably longer because the footage has to be watched properly rather than skimmed. We would rather book enough time than rush the part of the job you are actually paying for.
Also in Provo
Our other services here
Chimney Sweep Chimney Repair Fireplace Repair Installation Gas Fireplace Caps & Dampers Dryer Vents All Provo services
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