Fourth-Generation Chimney Work
CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep and Repair Across the Twin Cities
CSIA certified chimney sweeping, inspection, relining and masonry repair across the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Written reports, photographs, permits pulled.
- 44 yearsYears in business
- 61,000Jobs completed
- Workmanship warrantyTwo-year workmanship warranty on every liner installation and crown rebuild
What we do
Our services in Minneapolis-St. Paul
Chimney sweeping, inspection, relining and masonry repair for wood-burning and gas-vented homes across Minnesota. Demand is sharply seasonal: a September-to-December rush before the first burn, an emergency winter tail, and a May-to-September masonry window when mortar can actually cure.
Chimney Sweep
$189 to $349
Full brush-and-vacuum cleaning of the flue, smoke chamber and firebox, with a written report on what came out.
Published pricing
What the work typically costs
Ranges come from each service’s own recorded price band. The basis and billing unit for every one of them are published on that service’s page.
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Chimney Sweep | $189 to $349 |
Sweeping and Inspection
Two distinct seasons for two distinct jobs. Sweeps and inspections spike from September as households book before the first burn, and again in January when something goes wrong. We run Level 1 and Level 2 inspections depending on what you need: a routine pre-season check or a camera exam after a property transfer, appliance change, or suspected damage.
Each sweep starts at the firebox and works up. We brush the flue, vacuum the smoke chamber, check the damper, and photograph the liner with a camera mounted on the brush rod. You see exactly what we see: cracks, offsets, creosote thickness, and any gaps in the mortar. The report lists findings by severity, and we explain which repairs are urgent and which can wait a season.
Relining and Permits
Minnesota adopts the International Mechanical Code through the Minnesota Mechanical Code, Minnesota Rules chapter 1346. Liner installations and structural chimney rebuilds are permitted work almost everywhere in the metro; sweeps and inspections are not. We submit the application, pay the configured typical permit fee of $110, and schedule the inspection once the liner is in place.
The configured permit turnaround is 5 days. We install stainless-steel liners sized to the appliance BTU rating and vent geometry, insulate where the code or the draft requires it, and anchor the top plate to the crown. The configured permit process requires an inspection. The inspector checks clearances, verifies the liner diameter, and confirms the cap is secured.
Masonry Repair and Climate
Masonry runs the other way: mortar will not cure below roughly 40 degrees, so crown rebuilds and tuckpointing are May-to-September work and the book fills by March. A continental climate with long, dry, very cold winters and warm humid summers. The local climate profile records 45 freeze-thaw cycles. Water seeps into a crack, freezes, expands, and pops the face off the brick. The local climate profile lists freeze-thaw spalling as a hazard.
We grind out failed joints to a depth of three-quarters of an inch, mix Type N mortar to match the original, and pack it tight. Crowns are poured with a minimum two-inch thickness, sloped away from the flue, and allowed to cure for seven days before we light anything. The local climate profile lists ice dams at the flashing as a hazard. We reflash chimneys with step and counter pieces, seal the reglet into a cut joint, and install cricket pans behind stacks wider than thirty inches.
Draft and Envelope Issues
The local climate profile lists negative pressure in tightened envelopes as a hazard. Newer homes seal the envelope to hold heat, but a fireplace needs makeup air or it pulls exhaust back down the flue. We test draft with a manometer before and during a burn, measure the flue temperature, and calculate whether an outside air kit or a taller chimney will fix the problem.
The climate profile records 7,800 heating degree days. Homes burn wood from October into April, and a chimney that drafts poorly in September may reverse entirely in January once the furnace, dryer, and bath fans compete for the same air. We walk through the mechanical systems, identify conflicts, and recommend solutions that actually work rather than guessing and hoping.
Service Area
We cover Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Bloomington, and Brooklyn Park. Scheduling runs tighter in the fall, so book your sweep in August if you want a September appointment. Emergency calls get same-week service when the calendar allows, but a chimney fire in December competes with everyone else who waited until December.
Heating season runs from early October into late April, and the first hard freeze usually lands in the second week of October. Plan your masonry work for summer and your inspection for early fall. That way the chimney is ready before you need it, and we are not trying to tuckpoint in freezing rain.
Service areas
Where Smoke Test works
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How often should I have my chimney swept?
NFPA 211 recommends annual inspection and cleaning as needed. Burn a cord of wood each winter and you will accumulate enough creosote to warrant a sweep every year. Burn less and the interval stretches, but the inspection still happens annually because animals nest, crowns crack, and liners shift regardless of how much you burn. We measure creosote depth with a gauge and sweep when it reaches one-eighth inch.
Do I need a permit to reline my chimney in Minneapolis?
Yes. Liner installations require a mechanical permit in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and most surrounding cities. We handle the application, pay the fee, and coordinate the inspection. The city wants to verify that the liner diameter matches the appliance, clearances are maintained, and the installation meets Minnesota Mechanical Code. Sweeps and routine inspections do not require permits, but any structural work or appliance venting change does.
Why does my fireplace smoke into the room?
Three common causes: a cold flue that has not established draft, a flue that is too short to overcome house pressure, or a blockage. We start by checking the damper, then light a test fire and measure draft with a manometer. If the house is tightly sealed, exhaust fans or a running furnace can overpower the chimney and reverse the flow. An outside air kit or a taller chimney usually fixes it.
What is a Level 2 inspection?
A Level 2 inspection includes everything in a Level 1 plus a camera examination of the flue interior and accessible portions of the chimney exterior and structure. NFPA 211 requires Level 2 when you sell the house, change fuel type, experience an external event like a chimney fire or earthquake, or add a new appliance. The camera reveals cracks, gaps, and obstructions that a flashlight from below cannot show.
When is the best time to schedule masonry repairs?
May through September. Mortar needs temperatures above 40 degrees to cure properly, and the Twin Cities climate does not reliably provide that outside the summer months. We book crown rebuilds and tuckpointing projects starting in March for work beginning in May. Waiting until you see the leak in October means the repair waits until next spring, so plan ahead and get on the calendar early.
Local office and service area
RankLocall Live Smoke
Mobile service across the Twin Cities metro. We work from a shop in Northeast Minneapolis and come to you; there is no showroom to visit.
twincities@heritagechimneymn.com
| Monday | 07:30-17:00 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 07:30-17:00 |
| Wednesday | 07:30-17:00 |
| Thursday | 07:30-17:00 |
| Friday | 07:30-16:00 |
| Saturday | 08:00-13:00 |
| Sunday | Closed |
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