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.
Fast, Reliable Chimney Sweep Across Long Beach
Chimney sweeping in Long Beach costs $189 – $349 for a standard open-masonry fireplace, and the work typically takes 45 – 90 minutes once we’re on the roof. That’s the honest range you’ll find when you call around, and it’s what we charge here. Our crews work the older neighborhoods constantly since that’s where most of Long Beach’s fireplaces actually live. We know the tight alleys off Broadway, the one-way loops through Belmont Shore, and the flag lots in Rose Park where getting a truck and ladder positioned takes more thought than the sweep itself. If you’re in zip codes 90810, 90813, 90814, or 90815, we’re already in your neighborhood on a regular basis. Call (877) 516-7159 for a free estimate and we’ll get you on the schedule.
Why San Bernardino Chimney Sweep Is Long Beach’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
Long Beach is not the same as inland Southern California. The housing stock east and north of downtown is overwhelmingly 1920s to 1940s Spanish Colonial and Craftsman bungalows. These are original masonry chimneys with clay flue tile, soft handmade brick, and decades of salt exposure from marine air. When we send a tech to Chimney Sweep in Long Beach, that tech already knows what to expect before the ladder goes up, because we see the same failure patterns block after block. Our Chimney Sweep team has handled flue delamination in Belmont Shore, spalling crowns in Bluff Park, and second-degree creosote glaze in Rose Park. Same problems, same streets, different house. That repetition means our estimates are accurate and our repair recommendations are grounded in what we’ve actually found next door.
We stock the materials Long Beach jobs need instead of ordering after the first visit. When a shared flue needs a HeatShield resurfacing or a fireplace needs new Copperfield components, the parts are generally not more than a day out. For homeowners who’ve had another company say “we’ll come back with parts” and then waited three weeks, that matters. Allen Prescott started this company to be a specialist, not a generalist, and that means we carry what the trade actually uses on the coast.
Styles & brands we work with
Chimney Sweep Certified in Long Beach
Chimney Sweep Certified in Long Beach means more than running a brush up a flue. It means the sweep includes removing accumulated creosote and soot from the firebox, smoke shelf, flue liner, and crown area, then checking the damper operation and visible masonry. Long Beach homeowners with seasonal fireplaces should expect this level of work every year if they burn wood more than twice a month during the mild winters we get. A standard chimney sweep in Long Beach runs $189 – $349, with the lower end for a clean flue on a one-story bungalow and the upper end for a two-story or heavily glazed flue that needs a rotary whip instead of a basic brush.
Annual Sweep
Most Long Beach homes fall into an annual cadence. Wood burns cooler in our damp coastal air, especially during the odd June cold snap when people fire up a damp-season hearth. That produces creosote faster than a hot inland fire would, so once a year is the right call for a wood-burning fireplace or stove used seasonally.
Creosote Removal
Coastal humidity changes how creosote forms. Instead of flaky first-degree deposits that brush off easily, Long Beach chimneys often develop a sticky, tar-like second-degree glaze that needs mechanical removal with a rotary whip. If you see dark, shiny buildup around your damper or smell a sharp campfire odor inside on humid mornings, the creosote likely went past what a standard brush will handle.
Gas Fireplace Cleaning in Long Beach
Gas Fireplace Cleaning in Long Beach covers the glass panels, burner tube, pilot assembly, log set or fire media, and the vent connection. Plenty of mid-century apartment blocks along Ocean Boulevard and the Peninsula have gas fireplaces that haven’t been opened since installation. Dust, pet hair, salt air residue, and small corrosion spots build up on the burner ports, causing uneven flame, delayed ignition, or sooting on the glass. Cleaning a gas fireplace in Long Beach runs $149 – $289 depending on whether it’s a direct-vent unit, a vent-free log set, or a B-vent gas insert.
Fireplace Cleaning
Even a gas fireplace needs the firebox vacuumed, the media or logs removed and checked, and the glass cleaned with a non-abrasive ceramic cleaner. On ocean-facing units in the 90814 and 90815 zip codes, we also check for salt corrosion on the burner and gas valve that’s common with onshore winds.
Gas Log Service
After cleaning, we inspect the thermocouple, thermopile, and ignition system for salt-air corrosion, and check the burner flame pattern against the manufacturer’s baseline. If a Copperfield or HeatShield gas component is degraded, we quote the replacement on the spot and can usually install within the week.
Trusted Brands We Service in Long Beach
We service and source what the industry actually builds with, and that matters in Long Beach because salt air eats cheap metal. DuraFlex flexible liner systems hold up to the coastal condensation better than unlisted aluminum knockoffs, and we stock the common flex diameters for quick relining jobs when a flue fails inspection. HeatShield is our go-to for resurfacing a delaminated flue in a 1920s bungalow without tearing out the original chimney. Copperfield and Gelco components fill out the accessory and termination cap side of things. For Long Beach customers, the practical upside is that we’re not waiting on a hardware-store special order when your chimney needs a listed part. It’s here, it fits, and we get the job done in one trip instead of three.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Long Beach Homes
- Shared masonry stacks in attached bungalows. In Belmont Shore’s dense rows of 1920s Spanish Colonial homes, many chimneys share a single stack with adjacent units. A neighbor’s gas appliance venting into your flue can push smoke and carbon monoxide back into your firebox. We check cross-contamination before we ever run a brush.
- Salt-corroded crowns and flashing. Decades of onshore salt spray and fog in the 90814 and 90815 neighborhoods crack chimney crowns and eat flashing. Water gets inside, spalls the brick, and the flue tile starts delaminating. A routine sweep includes a real look at the crown, not a glance from below.
- Second- and third-degree creosote glaze. Mild winters mean chimneys sit unused for months. Then a June Gloom cold snap starts a fire and the draft is cold, the burn is incomplete, and creosote builds up as a thick glaze. A standard brush won’t remove third-degree glaze. A rotary whip and sometimes a HeatShield resurfacing will.
- Original clay flue tile failures. The 1930s Spanish Colonial and Craftsman homes in Rose Park and Bluff Park still have their original terra cotta flue liners. After 80+ years of thermal cycling and coastal moisture, those tiles crack and separate. A Level 2 inspection catches it before exhaust leaks into the wall cavity.
Pricing for Chimney Sweep in Long Beach, CA
A standard chimney sweep in Long Beach runs $189 – $349. Gas fireplace cleaning is $149 – $289. A Level 1 inspection is included with the sweep; a Level 2 inspection adds $99 – $199 and includes a camera scope of the flue interior. Rotary whip creosote removal for second- or third-degree glaze adds $75 – $150 depending on severity. HeatShield resurfacing is quoted per job, generally $1,200 – $2,800 depending on flue height and access. Shared-flue cross-contamination checks are included with the sweep at no extra charge because we won’t run a brush in a shared stack without confirming the exhaust path first. Call (877) 516-7159 for a line-item quote. Estimates are free.
We Also Serve Cities Near Long Beach
Our crews cover Signal Hill and its hillside homes where older masonry chimneys stand fully exposed to marine wind, along with Lakewood and the postwar tract houses that came with factory-built metal fireboxes. We also work Carson and West Carson, where mid-century chimneys run into the same unlined or under-lined flue issues. If you’re in one of these nearby cities and need a Chimney Sweep who understands coastal masonry, call us at (877) 516-7159.
Serving Long Beach, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Long Beach 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 Sweep in Long Beach
Yes, but only if the sweep starts with a cross-contamination check. In attached Spanish Colonial duplexes where two fireplaces share one masonry stack, a missing or broken flue divider means your neighbor’s gas appliance or wood fire can vent into your flue and push smoke or carbon monoxide back into your living room. Our sweep includes checking the flue separation at the throat and smoke chamber before we brush anything. If we find a breach, we quote the repair that correctly separates the flues. Call (877) 516-7159 to schedule an inspection.
Once a year, every year, before the first fire of the wet season. Your original clay flue tile is 80 to 90 years old and our marine layer produces high-moisture, low-temperature fires that build creosote fast. On a recent job in Belmont Shore, our tech found a cracked chimney crown and delaminated flue tiles on a 1930s Spanish Colonial, with third-degree creosote glazed along the smoke chamber. After removing the glaze with a rotary whip and applying HeatShield to the flue liner, we restored proper draft and explained the South Coast AQMD no-burn rules to the owner. That kind of buildup was not from one bad season. It was a decade of skipped sweeps. Call (877) 516-7159 to get on an annual schedule.
First-degree creosote is a flaky, soot-like powder that brushes off easily with a standard sweep. Third-degree creosote is a hardened, shiny glaze that is flammable at lower temperatures and cannot be removed with a brush alone. Long Beach sees more second- and third-degree creosote than inland cities because our mild, damp coastal air produces incomplete burns during short, sporadic fires. A rotary whip removes it mechanically, which is included in our higher-tier sweep when needed. Call (877) 516-7159 for an assessment if you smell a sharp smoke odor on humid days.
Yes, Long Beach is in the South Coast Air Basin, and depending on the air quality forecast, the South Coast AQMD can declare a no-burn day for wood-burning fireplaces and stoves. If you’re buying or selling a home in a coastal zone of Long Beach, Rule 445 may require a compliance check on the fireplace. We explain the rule during our sweep and can advise whether your fireplace would comply. The sweep itself is unaffected; the rule simply restricts when you can burn. Call (877) 516-7159 if you need a fireplace inspection for a real estate transaction.
Yes. We clean gas fireplaces in mid-century apartments along Ocean Boulevard and the Peninsula, including direct-vent units, B-vent inserts, and vent-free log sets. We service parts from Copperfield, HeatShield, DuraFlex, and Gelco, which covers the majority of gas fireplace components in Long Beach’s mid-century building stock. Salt-air corrosion on burners and valve assemblies is common in oceanfront units, so our cleaning includes a burner port and flame pattern check. Call (877) 516-7159 for a gas fireplace cleaning quote.
Written by Allen Prescott, Owner at San Bernardino Chimney Sweep, serving Long Beach’s coastal neighborhoods and restoration-era homes.