Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 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.
Chimney Company in Lake Arrowhead, CA
Chimney repair in Lake Arrowhead usually means fixing what mountain weather, pine-burning fires, and empty cabins have done to a flue over the winter. Most chimneys up here sit idle for weeks, then get pushed hard during holiday weekends, and the freeze-thaw cycles take their own toll on exterior stacks. San Bernardino Chimney Sweep handles the full repair side, not just cleaning, so when an inspection turns up a cracked crown or a failing liner, the same crew can fix it. Call (877) 516-7159 if you already know something is wrong, or if a cabin inspection flagged an issue before a sale or rental season.
Why Lake Arrowhead Homes Are Different
Lake Arrowhead sits above 5,000 feet, and the housing stock reflects a mountain resort that boomed between the 1950s and 1990s. Most of what we work on are A-frames, chalets, and cabins built into sloping lots, with masonry fireplaces, prefab metal fireboxes, and exterior chimney stacks that catch snow and ice along the roofline. Those exterior stacks are the big difference from flatland work. Snow loads sit on crowns and caps, melt-water seeps into small cracks, and the freeze-thaw cycle pries those cracks wider every winter. By spring we routinely find spalled brick faces and crowns with chunks missing that simply did not exist the previous fall.
Then there is the firewood. Pine is the dominant fuel up here, and pine burns resinous and hot, which builds creosote quickly. Combine that with cabins that sit empty midweek, then get fired up hard for three or four days straight, and you get flues that load up fast and stay loaded. A second-home owner who burns a winter’s worth of pine and skips the spring sweep often calls us in June or July, sometimes because a renter reported smoke, sometimes because an insurance company or property manager required a documented cleaning before the next lease. The fireside habits in Lake Arrowhead are different, and the flues show it.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Main Lake Arrowhead Services
The two calls we get most often from Lake Arrowhead homeowners are chimney sweeping and dryer vent cleaning, both of which have their own detailed pages on this site.
Chimney Sweep in Lake Arrowhead
A sweep here is seldom a quick dusting. Pine creosote in a mountain flue builds into a hard, shiny glaze that takes the right brushes and some patience to remove, especially in the low-ceilinged fireboxes of older A-frames where the chimney runs are short and tight. We sweep the flue, remove the creosote from the smoke chamber and firebox, check the cap and crown for freeze damage, and give you a straight report on what we found. Full details, including pricing and what a typical Lake Arrowhead sweep covers, are on our Chimney Sweep in Lake Arrowhead page.
Dryer Vent Cleaning in Lake Arrowhead
Dryer vents in mountain cabins rarely get the attention they need because the dryer itself usually works fine right up until it does not. Lint builds in the vent run, airflow drops, drying times creep up, and the lint itself is fuel sitting inside a metal tube. In a second home that is only used on weekends, the buildup can happen over years, unnoticed. We clean the full run from the dryer to the exterior termination. See Dryer Vent Cleaning in Lake Arrowhead for what is included and what it costs.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees — you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Chimney Repair in Lake Arrowhead
Chimney repair in Lake Arrowhead is driven by two things: 1960s-1980s masonry that has spent decades under snow, and flues that get burned hard for short, intense stretches. Freeze-thaw spalls brick faces and cracks crowns, while pine creosote eats at older terra cotta liners. A cracked exterior stack is not cosmetic up here because it lets water into the flue, and water plus creosote starts a corrosion cycle that turns a small repair into a liner replacement if it is ignored. Our repair crew works on the entire system, from cap to firebox, using the same Chimney Repair methods we apply across the San Bernardino Mountains.
Chimney Cap Installation
Signs you need it
A missing or rusted-out cap is the most common repair finding on Lake Arrowhead homes because snow and ice sit on the cap all winter and animals looking for a warm den in the off-season will pry at whatever is left.
What it costs in Lake Arrowhead
A standard galvanized cap with installation typically runs $150 to $300 depending on flue size and roof access; upgrading to a stainless cap runs $200 to $400.
How we do it
We measure the flue opening, select a cap that fits the clay tile or metal flue, mount it to the crown or flue tile with mechanical fasteners, and seal the attachment points against water entry.
Chimney Cap Replacement
Signs you need it
If the existing cap is rusted, dented from falling snow or ice, or the mesh spark arrestor has holes large enough for birds or bats to get through, it needs replacing rather than repair.
What it costs in Lake Arrowhead
Replacement runs $150 to $400 depending on whether the original cap is a simple galvanized model or a stainless cap with a quality spark arrestor.
How we do it
We remove the old cap, inspect the flue tile and crown surface beneath it, and install a new cap rated for the flue size and the snow load the location sees.
Chimney Liner Installation
Signs you need it
Crumbling terra cotta tile pieces in the firebox, a flue that fails a smoke test, or an inspection report that shows gaps between flue tiles all point to a liner that can no longer safely contain the fire.
What it costs in Lake Arrowhead
Expect $2,500 to $5,000 for a complete chimney liner installation, with DuraFlex flexible stainless systems being what we use for most relines in this market.
How we do it
We size the flue, run a flexible or rigid liner down the existing chimney, connect it to the appliance or fireplace at the bottom, insulate where required, and verify the entire run with a camera before we call it done.
Chimney Flashing Repair
Signs you need it
Water stains on the ceiling near the chimney, damp attic framing, or visible gaps and lifted metal at the roof line mean the flashing has failed and water is getting behind it.
What it costs in Lake Arrowhead
Flashing repair in Lake Arrowhead typically costs $300 to $700, with the range depending on whether the roofline is a simple single-plane or a steep multi-angle intersection that is hard to reach safely.
How we do it
We remove the old flashing, install new step and counter flashing that overlaps correctly with the existing roof material, and seal all joints against the snow and ice load the roofline sees.
Chimney Crown Repair
Signs you need it
A crown with cracking, crumbling, or missing sections around the flue is the single most common freeze-thaw failure we see on Lake Arrowhead chimneys, and it lets water run straight down into the masonry.
What it costs in Lake Arrowhead
Repairing and resealing a cracked crown runs $400 to $800, while a full crown rebuild falls between $800 and $1,500 depending on the amount of demolition and forming required.
How we do it
We remove the damaged crown surface, form and pour a new crown with a proper slope away from the flue and a drip edge, or seal the existing crown after repairing the damaged sections with the appropriate patching material.
What Chimney Repair Costs in Lake Arrowhead
| Item | Typical range in Lake Arrowhead |
|---|---|
| Chimney cap installation | $150 – $400 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $300 – $700 |
| Chimney crown repair | $800 – $1,500 |
| Chimney liner installation | $2,500 – $5,000 |
Do I need a new chimney liner, or can the old one be repaired?
It depends on what the camera shows. Minor cracks can sometimes be addressed with a HeatShield resurfacing treatment, which seals and reinforces the existing flue from the inside without a full teardown. Larger gaps, missing tile sections, or liner damage from a chimney fire generally mean replacement. We do not recommend a liner repair method we cannot show you on camera before and after. Call (877) 516-7159 for a straight answer.
How do I know if a chimney crown problem is serious?
A few hairline cracks are normal settling and can wait, but a crown with visible gaps, spalled edges, or chunks you can pick out with a finger is letting water into the masonry above the roofline, and every freeze-thaw cycle in Lake Arrowhead makes it worse. The repair is a fraction of what it costs once water reaches the smoke chamber. Call (877) 516-7159 for a look.
Brands We Service in Lake Arrowhead
We use Copperfield caps, DuraFlex liner systems, Gelco flashing and chase materials, and HeatShield resurfacing products depending on the job. Contractor-grade materials, not hardware-store substitutes. See our brands for the full list and why each one earned its place on our truck.
See the difference
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After
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AfterPricing for Chimney Company in Lake Arrowhead, CA
| Service | Typical range in Lake Arrowhead |
|---|---|
| Chimney sweep | $180 – $340 |
| Chimney cap installation | $150 – $400 |
| Chimney cap replacement | $150 – $400 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $300 – $700 |
| Chimney crown repair | $800 – $1,500 |
| Chimney liner installation | $2,500 – $5,000 |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $99 – $250 |
| Masonry tuckpointing | $500 – $1,800 |
Prices in Lake Arrowhead run toward the higher end when the chimney is on a steep pitch or the flue has heavy creosote glazing from pine, because both require more labor and more roof time. We quote a flat price before any work starts, and we do not add surprise fees after the fact.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Lake Arrowhead
We work throughout the 92352 ZIP code and the surrounding communities. Most of our Lake Arrowhead calls come from these areas:
- Lake Arrowhead Village and the lakefront properties
- Blue Jay
- Cedar Glen
- Skyforest
- Twin Peaks
We schedule all Lake Arrowhead work in advance, and we group mountain route days so we can reach every neighborhood in the area without making you wait on a vague eight-hour window.
Service Area – Cities Near Lake Arrowhead
Our service area covers the mountain communities and the lower foothill cities that feed into the San Bernardino range. If you are in Crestline, CA or Running Springs, CA, you are on the same mountain corridor we work every week. Down the hill, we also serve Highland, CA and Muscoy, CA.
Serving Lake Arrowhead, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Lake Arrowhead area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Chimney Company in Lake Arrowhead
We group Lake Arrowhead work into scheduled mountain days, so a sweep or inspection is usually booked within one to two weeks, sometimes sooner in spring when we run extra routes for the post-winter rush. Repairs that are safety-urgent, like a failed liner that has already been flagged on an inspection report, get priority scheduling. Call (877) 516-7159 and we will tell you the next available date for your area.
For most chimney work, including sweeping, cap replacement, flashing repair, and crown work, no county permit is required. If the work involves a full liner replacement or structural masonry changes, the regulations can differ depending on the specific property and whether an HOA or property management company has its own inspection requirements for mountain cabins. We handle the work and can tell you what your situation requires.
Yes, and this is most of our Lake Arrowhead customer base. We coordinate with property managers and can complete the work without you being present, then send the inspection report and photos by email. A documented sweep with a dated report is usually what insurance companies and rental platforms ask for before the season starts.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees — talk to a local chimney cleaning pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you — the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Lake Arrowhead Customers Say
"Crown was cracked and taking water. Repaired it rather than quoting a rebuild, which the previous company had pushed hard for."
— Jason Brooks"Cap keeps the birds out now, which after two springs of scratching noises is worth every penny."
— Rafael Torres"Liner was cracked in two places. He walked me through the repair options honestly, including the one that was cheaper for him and better for me."
— Priya Rao