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 Running Springs, CA
Chimney repair in Running Springs usually means confronting what a long, hard winter left behind: cracked flue tiles, failed crowns, and creosote that has hardened into something a brush won’t remove. The homes here, many built as seasonal cabins between the 1920s and 1970s, carry fireplaces and prefab chimneys that have outlived their rated service life by decades. San Bernardino Chimney Sweep has served Running Springs since 2018, handling the full repair scope so a damaged chimney doesn’t sit ignored through the next snow. Call (877) 516-7159 to get a camera inspection scheduled before the burn season arrives.
Why Running Springs Homes Are Different
At 6,000+ feet, Running Springs sees winters that push fireplaces and wood stoves into daily service from October through April, sometimes earlier. That’s not a decorative fire habit; it’s primary heat. The result is creosote accumulation that moves past the fluffy first-stage deposits into the dense, tar-like glaze that clings to flue walls. Freeze-thaw cycles work on masonry all winter long. Water finds its way into a hairline crack in a chimney crown, freezes, expands, and by spring that crack is a structural problem.
The housing stock compounds it. Many of the homes in the 92382 ZIP are older mountain cabins, A-frames, and mid-century recreational builds. Their chimneys were installed when the standard was clay tile liners and basic mortar crowns, neither of which handles decades of high-altitude burning particularly well. Prefab metal chimneys from the 1970s and 1980s are now well past the lifespan their manufacturers rated them for. Add the vacation-cabin pattern, where a flue sits empty from May through September collecting bird nests and squirrel debris, then gets lit hard in November, and you have the exact profile of the chimney repair calls we run in this town.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Main Running Springs Services
The two calls we get most from Running Springs homeowners are seasonal sweeps before the heavy burn months and dryer vent cleanings for cabins that get shut up for the season. Both are about preventing fires, and both are jobs where waiting until there’s a problem is the wrong strategy.
Chimney Sweep in Running Springs
A proper sweep in Running Springs isn’t a quick once-over with a brush. It’s removing glazed creosote from weeks of burning pine at high altitude, clearing out whatever moved into the flue over the summer, and checking whether the system can actually handle another mountain winter. We see cabins every fall where the sweep turns into a repair call because cracked tiles only show themselves under camera. Our full breakdown of the job, including what we charge, lives on the dedicated page for Chimney Sweep in Running Springs.
Dryer Vent Cleaning in Running Springs
Your dryer vent is a fire risk too. In Running Springs, where second homes sit closed up for stretches, lint dries out, builds up, and the vent becomes a loaded tinder line behind the wall. A full cleaning pulls the accumulated debris out to the exterior termination and gets airflow moving again. We treat this as a core service, not a side job. Read the full scoping on the Dryer Vent Cleaning in Running Springs page.
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 Running Springs
Chimney repair in Running Springs usually starts with one of two discoveries. Either a homeowner lays eyes on a cracked crown or missing cap after the snow recedes, or a routine sweep reveals flue damage that means burning another season is a risk. The mountain’s freeze-thaw cycle and the age of the housing stock mean repairs here lean toward structural and liner work rather than cosmetic fixes. We’re equipped for both, and we use the Chimney Repair camera inspection to show you exactly what needs doing before we quote a dollar figure.
Burning wood in a Running Springs winter puts enormous thermal stress on clay tile liners. When a tile cracks, the flue gases and heat now have a path into the chimney chase or masonry, and that’s where things get dangerous in a way you won’t notice from the living room. The same goes for a crown that’s spalling off in chunks, letting water run into the masonry from the top down. None of this repairs itself, and mountain conditions only accelerate the failure.
Chimney Crown Repair
Signs you need it
You can see cracking, spalling, or missing pieces of the concrete crown from the ground, or you’re finding water stains on the ceiling near the fireplace.
What it costs in Running Springs
Chimney crown repair in Running Springs typically runs $450 – $1,100 depending on whether we’re sealing cracks or rebuilding the crown from scratch.
How we do it
We inspect the crown’s condition, remove loose and deteriorated material, prepare the surface, and install a properly sloped crown that sheds water away from the flue.
Chimney Flashing Repair
Signs you need it
You find water in the fireplace firebox after heavy rain or snowmelt, or the flashing at the roof line is visibly lifted, rusted, or pulling away from the brick.
What it costs in Running Springs
Flashing repair around a Running Springs chimney runs $400 – $900 based on how much of the existing flashing needs to be cut out and replaced.
How we do it
We remove the damaged flashing, install new step and counter flashing integrated with the roof line, and seal the transition so melting snow and rain can’t work behind it.
Chimney Liner Installation
Signs you need it
A camera inspection shows cracked, spalled, or missing flue tile sections, or the existing liner is an old clay system that no longer holds under the heat load.
What it costs in Running Springs
Liner installation here typically lands at $2,200 – $5,500 depending on flue size, access, and whether it’s a full rerun or a partial reline.
How we do it
We spec the correct diameter liner for your appliance, run a DuraFlex flexible stainless system down the flue, and connect it properly at both the appliance and the termination.
Chimney Cap Installation
Signs you need it
You’ve had birds, squirrels, or bats in the flue, or you can see rain and snow falling directly into the chimney opening.
What it costs in Running Springs
A cap install or replacement in Running Springs runs $250 – $650 depending on the flue’s dimensions and the cap style needed.
How we do it
We measure the flue opening, select a cap sized to keep animals and precipitation out while preserving full draft, and mechanically secure it to the crown or liner.
What Chimney Repair Costs in Running Springs
| Item | Typical range in Running Springs |
|---|---|
| Chimney crown repair | $450 – $1,100 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $400 – $900 |
| Chimney liner installation | $2,200 – $5,500 |
| Chimney cap installation or replacement | $250 – $650 |
Does a cracked flue tile really need to be fixed before I burn?
Yes. A cracked tile exposes combustible materials around the flue to heat and gases, and the next season in Running Springs can make it worse fast. Get a camera inspection to confirm the extent before deciding anything.
How long does a chimney repair take at 6,000 feet?
Most crown, cap, and flashing repairs are single-day jobs in Running Springs. Liner work runs one to two days. Snow can shift schedules, so we book mountain work with weather windows in mind. Call (877) 516-7159 for your exact timeline.
Brands We Service in Running Springs
We work with a curated lineup of contractor-grade chimney and venting brands, including DuraFlex, HeatShield, Famco, and Copperfield. These aren’t hardware-store substitutes. We keep common parts and liners on the truck for Running Springs jobs, which means less waiting on a second trip. See the full our brands list.
See the difference
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After
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AfterPricing for Chimney Company in Running Springs, CA
| Service | Typical range in Running Springs |
|---|---|
| Chimney crown repair | $450 – $1,100 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $400 – $900 |
| Chimney liner installation | $2,200 – $5,500 |
| Chimney cap installation or replacement | $250 – $650 |
| Chimney sweep (standard, with inspection) | $189 – $359 |
| Glazed creosote removal / heavy buildup | $325 – $550 |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $89 – $169 |
What pushes a Running Springs price upward is usually the mountain access: steep roof pitches, snow-damaged brick, glazed third-degree creosote that takes longer to clear, and flues with critter nests that turn a simple sweep into a half-day job. We quote upfront before any work starts, and the price we quote is the price you pay, no surprise line items after the fact.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Running Springs
We cover all of Running Springs and the surrounding mountain pockets within the 92382 ZIP. The terrain here doesn’t make excuses for itself; steep driveways and second-story roof access are just part of running calls up the hill.
- Upper Rowco
- Lower Rowco
- Glenview
- Running Springs proper
- Arrowbear Lake
Give or take through the mountain roads, most Running Springs calls fall inside a normal business-day response window once we’re on a scheduled route for the area.
Service Area – Cities Near Running Springs
San Bernardino Chimney Sweep works throughout the San Bernardino Mountains and down into the valley floor. If you’re in Lake Arrowhead, CA or Crestline, CA, we run the same mountain-specific sweeps and repairs up there. Down the pass, we cover Highland, CA and Mentone, CA for chimney and dryer vent work alike.
Serving Running Springs, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Running Springs 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 Running Springs
We schedule Running Springs routes on a regular basis rather than making one-off treks. Most jobs get booked within a few days to a couple of weeks during the busy fall rush, so call before the burn season starts to get a slot. Reach us at (877) 516-7159 and we’ll give you the next available date for the hill.
Most crown, cap, flashing, and liner work we do does not require a building permit. If a full rebuild or major structural repair is ever needed, we’ll tell you before any work starts and guide you through the county process. No surprises.
Yes, and that’s the point of hiring us. We inspect with a camera, show you what we found, and if repair is needed, the same crew that found it can fix it. No second company, no handoff. We find it and we fix it.
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 Running Springs Customers Say
"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"Level two inspection before we bought the house. The report was detailed enough to use as a negotiating point and he explained every photo in it."
— Ebony Nash"Creosote buildup was worse than I realized. He measured it, showed me the glazing on the flue with the camera, and was honest that we were closer to a chimney fire than I wanted to hear."
— Eric Rhodes