Arlington, Virginia · Northern Virginia
Chimney Cleaning in Arlington, VA
Chimney sweeping and inspection for Arlington's original masonry fireplaces — the brick colonials and Cape Cods of Lyon Village, Cherrydale, Waverly Hills, Westover, and the older streets of South Arlington. Standard sweep $199, Level 2 camera inspection $199, quoted before we start. Our shop is in Ballston and we're licensed by Arlington County.
- Licensed in Arlington County · Insured in Virginia
- Local to Arlington
- Full-lifecycle crew
Arlington · Chimney CleaningChimneys in Arlington
Old brick chimneys in newly tightened houses
Most of North Arlington's fireplaces were built between the 1930s and 1950s, and a good number of them are in chimneys that were never lined — bare brick and mortar the whole way up. Others have the clay tile liners of the era, which crack and shift over decades of heating and cooling. An unlined or damaged flue lets heat and gases reach the framing around the chimney, and it's the single most common finding on a Level 2 inspection in Arlington.
Arlington's renovation cycle creates a second problem that surprises people. When a 1940s house gets new windows, spray-foam insulation, and a powerful range hood, it becomes far tighter than it was built to be. A tight house starves the fireplace of makeup air, and the chimney — often shorter than modern code would allow — loses its draft. The result is smoke rolling back into the living room from a chimney that worked fine before the remodel. It's rarely a dirty chimney; it's a pressure problem, and we'll tell you which one you have.
Arlington also turns over fast. A lot of our chimney work here is a Level 2 inspection at sale — the buyer's inspector flags the fireplace as "not evaluated," and someone needs to put a camera down the flue before closing.
Typical build era
Pre-1960 core
Common quirk
Systems added post-build
Also serving
Metro-corridor condos
What we typically find in Arlington chimneys
- Unlined brick flues in pre-1950 homes, with mortar joints eroded enough to see daylight through the camera
- Cracked or offset clay tile liners in 1950s chimneys
- Draft problems traced to a newly tightened house, not to creosote
- Chimneys unused for years with a missing cap, holding leaves, nesting material, and water damage in the smoke chamber
When your chimney actually needs attention
NFPA 211 — the standard fire departments and insurers reference — calls for a chimney inspection every year, whether or not you burned much. A sweep is needed when creosote has built up to about an eighth of an inch, when there's a blockage, or when smoke is coming back into the room. A Level 2 inspection, which includes a camera scan of the flue, is the right call when you're buying or selling the home, after any chimney fire, or when the fireplace or fuel type has changed. If your fireplace is gas and the problem is that it won't light or stay lit, that's a gas-appliance issue, not a chimney issue — our sister company Capital Gas Fireplace Repair handles those. Commonly owned — both companies operate under Etazon LLC.
What's included
- Inspect the flue and firebox — check the flue, damper, firebox, smoke chamber, and crown for creosote, cracks, and blockages
- Protect the work area — drop cloths and vacuum containment so the room stays clean
- Sweep the flue thoroughly — rods and brushes matched to your flue, top to bottom
- Clear blockages and debris — nests, leaves, loose mortar, and fallen tile removed
- Report what we found — a clear written summary with photos, so you know exactly what condition the chimney is in
- Standard sweep $199. Deep clean for heavy glazed creosote $360. Level 1 inspection $99, Level 2 with camera $199. Quoted before we start. Pair it with a dryer vent cleaning for $349 — $49 off booking them separately.
How the visit goes
Four steps, every Arlington job.
Step 1
Inspect
We scope your chimney cleaning on a camera first, so you see the real condition in your Arlington home before any work begins.
Step 2
Clean
We clear the system under containment — debris is captured, not scattered across your floors and furniture.
Step 3
Flag what we find
Cracked crown, damaged cap, or a seized damper? We show you what we found and tell you plainly whether it's safe to burn.
Step 4
Verify
We confirm the flue draws properly and show you before-and-after proof, so you know the job is genuinely done.
Real results
Chimney Cleaning, done right in Arlington.
On the jobNeighborhoods we serve
Right here in Arlington.
We cover Arlington and the surrounding neighborhoods for chimney cleaning. Don't see yours? Call — chances are we're already nearby.
- Ballston
- Clarendon
- Courthouse
- Lyon Village
- Cherrydale
- Virginia Square
- Rosslyn
- Shirlington
- Westover
More in Arlington
Related services in Arlington.
Because we own the whole lifecycle, we can solve the next problem too — no second company, no runaround.
Arlington FAQ
Chimney Cleaning in Arlington, answered.
It depends on the condition of the brick and mortar, and the only way to know is a camera inspection. Some unlined flues in good condition can be used with care; others have eroded joints that make a wood fire unsafe. We'll show you the footage and give you a straight answer rather than a scare.
Very likely a draft problem caused by the tighter house, not a dirty flue. New windows and insulation reduce the air available to the fire, and a range hood or bath fan running at the same time can pull smoke down the chimney. We check the flue first to rule out a blockage, then help you identify the pressure issue.
A Level 2 inspection, which is the NFPA 211 standard for a property transfer. It includes a camera scan of the full flue and a written report you can use in negotiations. We can usually schedule these within the inspection contingency window.
The flue still needs periodic inspection even with gas logs, and we do that. If the issue is the gas unit itself — won't light, won't stay lit, smells — that's a gas-appliance repair, and we'll point you to Capital Gas Fireplace Repair, our sister company that handles it. Commonly owned — both companies operate under Etazon LLC.
Chimney Cleaning in other Northern Virginia cities:
Also serving Arlington: Air Duct Cleaning in ArlingtonDryer Vent Cleaning in Arlington
60-Day Workmanship Guarantee
If something isn't right with our work, we come back and fix it within 60 days. No hassle, no extra charge.
Let's get your vents working again.
Call for a straight answer, or book an inspection online. We'll tell you what you need — and only what you need.