Free Chimney and Fireplace Inspection in Denver

The metro has two very different kinds of chimney. Denver itself has about 61,000 homes built in 1939 or earlier, by the Census Bureau's count, most of them brick, with clay-tile or unlined flues that are now close to a century old. In Parker, Lone Tree and Broomfield the median home was built after 2000, and the fireplace is usually a factory-built box with a metal flue inside a framed chase, topped by a sheet-metal cover. Each one fails in its own way, and we check for both.

The visit is visual, top to bottom. We look into the firebox and up the flue, go on the roof when it is safe, and check the crown or chase cover, the cap, the flashing and the brick. If you burn gas we look at the logs, the flame and the vent. You get photos and a written price for any work. If we suspect a hidden problem, such as a cracked tile around a bend, we explain why a camera scan is worth doing and price it at the inspection.

Signs you need this

• You are buying or selling a home with a fireplace
• Hail went through the neighborhood this year
• The fireplace has not been used in years
• A smell, a stain or smoke that you can't explain
• You want to add gas logs, an insert or a stove

How we do it

1. Pick a windowChoose a 3-hour window, Sunday through Friday. We call before we come so you know we are on the way.
2. Inside the houseFirebox, damper, flue, gas valve and logs, and the walls and ceiling around the chimney for water marks.
3. On the roofCap, crown or chase cover, flashing and brick, when the weather and the roof pitch make it safe.
4. Photos and a priceWe go through the pictures with you and leave a written price for each item. You owe nothing and decide later.

Do I need a chimney inspection to sell a house in Colorado?

We have not found any Colorado or Denver law that requires one. What the law does require, under C.R.S. 38-45-102, is that a seller of a home with a fireplace, a fuel-fired appliance or an attached garage make sure a working carbon monoxide alarm is installed within 15 feet of the entrance to each bedroom.

Buyers often ask for a chimney inspection anyway, and lenders and inspectors sometimes flag the fireplace. A free inspection with dated photos answers those questions early, before they become a last-minute repair request at closing.

Is a gas fireplace part of the inspection?

Yes, and in this metro it is often the main event. We check the vent or flue, the cap, the glass and gasket on sealed units, the log placement and the flame. At about 5,280 feet a gas appliance generally needs to be set up for the thinner air, and a fireplace that never was can soot up or burn unevenly.

We also tell you what you have. Many buyers cannot tell whether a fireplace is a sealed direct-vent unit, a set of gas logs in an old wood fireplace, or a wood fireplace with a gas starter. That answer decides what maintenance it needs and how it is treated on no-burn days.

What happens if you find a problem?

You get the photo and a written price. That is all. You can book the repair with us, get other quotes, or wait, and we will tell you honestly whether waiting is reasonable or whether the fireplace should not be used until the problem is fixed.