Frequently Asked Questions

We seal off your fireplace opening, run brushes and rods up the flue to remove creosote and soot, and vacuum the firebox and smoke chamber. Every sweep in New York City includes a basic visual inspection of accessible components, because a clean chimney you can't trust is no good to anyone. We lay drop cloths, wear shoe covers, and leave your living room as we found it. The whole visit usually takes 60 to 90 minutes for a standard fireplace.

The National Fire Protection Association recommends annual inspection, with cleaning as needed based on use and fuel type. In New York City's climate, where heating systems run hard from November through March, most wood-burning fireplaces need sweeping every cord of wood or at least once per season. Gas fireplaces burn cleaner but still require annual checks for debris, animal nests, or deteriorating connections. We'll tell you honestly if yours can wait; we're not in the business of selling sweeps you don't need.

Yes. We've cleaned chimneys in high-rises across the Financial District, Hell's Kitchen, and Long Island City, working with building management on access, insurance certificates, and scheduling that respects your neighbors. The flue itself works the same way on the 30th floor as it does in a Park Slope brownstone, but the logistics require experience with New York City's building protocols. We've been doing this since 2014, so we've seen the paperwork before.

A level-2 inspection uses a video camera to examine the full interior of your flue, the smoke chamber, and accessible portions of the chimney structure. You need one before buying or selling a home, after a chimney fire or earthquake, or if you're changing your heating appliance. In New York City's competitive real estate market, we perform level-2 inspections weekly for buyers in Brooklyn Heights and sellers in Gramercy Park who want documentation they can trust. Every inspection ends with photos you can see and a plain-English verdict.

A standard cleaning takes 60 to 90 minutes from arrival to departure. Level-2 camera inspections add 30 to 45 minutes because we're documenting every inch of the flue and reviewing the footage with you. Masonry repairs or liner work are scheduled separately after we've agreed on scope and price. We show up when we say we will, and we don't rush the work. Your home gets the care we'd give our mother's.

We install DuraFlex stainless steel liners for their flexibility in New York City's tight, offset flues, and we use Copperfield components for caps, dampers, and repair parts where they fit the application. Every pro working under our name is required to install materials to manufacturer spec, because a liner that isn't sized and connected correctly is a hazard, not an upgrade. We don't chase the cheapest bid; we install what we'd put in our own homes.

HeatShield is a cerfractory flue resurfacing system that restores cracked or eroded clay tile liners without tearing them out. It's ideal for many New York City chimneys built before 1960, where the original clay is sound but the surface has deteriorated. We assess candidacy with a level-2 camera inspection; if the liner is missing sections or structurally compromised, we recommend DuraFlex relining instead. We'll show you the footage and explain which path makes sense for your situation.

We use Famco chimney caps and termination accessories where their specifications match the job, particularly on custom installations in historic districts like Brooklyn Heights and Gramercy Park. The right cap keeps rain, squirrels, and wind-driven debris out of your flue, which matters more in New York City's dense tree canopy and coastal weather than most homeowners realize. We size and install for your specific chimney, not whatever's in the truck.

Every pro working under our name is required to hold the license and insurance New York State requires, and we train to the standards Hearthstone Chimney Co. has maintained since 2014. Certification matters, but so does the judgment that comes from decades of working in New York City's unique building stock. We document every inspection with photos and a written report, because a certificate on the wall doesn't keep your house safe; the work does.

We carry the general liability and workers' compensation coverage required for residential work in New York City, and we provide certificates of insurance to building management when needed. High-rise buildings in the Financial District and co-ops in Gramercy Park routinely request this documentation, and we've been providing it since long before it became standard practice. If your building has specific requirements, let us know when you call and we'll coordinate directly with your manager.

Most chimney cleaning and minor repairs don't require permits, but structural work, liner replacement, or exterior masonry above the roofline may need Department of Buildings approval depending on your borough and building type. We know the permit landscape in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens from decades of working here, and we'll tell you upfront if your job requires filing. When permits are needed, we handle the paperwork as part of the project.

If you suspect an active chimney fire, call the fire department first, then call us. Once the immediate danger has passed, we're available during our regular hours to inspect for damage and determine whether the flue is safe to use: Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM. We don't promise around-the-clock response, but we do prioritize emergency inspections within our operating schedule and we'll be honest about when we can arrive.

Don't light a fire, and don't try to smoke them out. Many species nesting in New York City chimneys are protected, and improper removal can violate wildlife laws. Call us during our regular hours and we'll assess whether humane eviction, a waiting period, or immediate removal is appropriate, then install a proper cap to prevent recurrence. We've handled squirrel invasions in Williamsburg and raccoon lodgings in Park Slope; the solution depends on the animal and the season.

Call (855) 950-3861 and a live coordinator will connect you with our local team. We schedule across all five boroughs, Hoboken, and nearby areas, with routing that groups appointments by neighborhood to keep our arrival times reliable. Same-week appointments are usually available, and we'll confirm your window by phone the day before. We'll be there when we say.

We back our work with The Keystone Standard: 90 days, in writing, no arguing. If something we cleaned, repaired, or installed isn't right, we come back and fix it without paperwork or debate. This applies to every job we do in New York City, from a routine sweep in Greenpoint to a full relining in Long Island City. We've stood behind it since 2014 because it's the only way to run a business that plans to be in town in thirty years.

Krafted right means trained journeymen, proper materials, and no shortcuts. In our New York City branch, that translates to brushes that actually fit your flue diameter, liners that are sized to your appliance's BTU output, and mortar mixes matched to your chimney's original construction. Every time means the 400th job gets the care of the first. Your home first means we work in your house the way we'd work in our mother's. Standing behind it means if it's not right, we come back. The Keystone Standard puts that promise in writing.

We don't hide behind fine print. If you're not satisfied with our work in New York City, call us within 90 days and we'll make it right. We document every job with photos precisely so there's no dispute about what was done and what condition we found. A square deal means you know what you're paying for, and you get what you paid for. That's how we've operated since 2014, and it's not changing.

Written by the team at Hearthstone Chimney Co. of New York City, serving New York City since 2014.