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 Montclair
A chimney sweep in Montclair typically costs $149 – $249 for a standard cleaning, with Level 2 camera inspections running $199 – $349 when you need to verify liner condition. Most homes in this 91763 market were built between 1955 and 1975, and a lot of those fireplaces have never been properly swept since original construction. We know these tract houses. We know their flues. And we’ll tell you exactly what’s going on inside yours, with camera evidence you can see for yourself. Call (855) 360-4975 to book a sweep or inspection.
Why Chestnut Chimney Sweep Is Montclair’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
Montclair homeowners call us because we treat the job as a diagnostic, not just a brushing. Roland Cifuentes has built Chestnut Chimney Sweep around one principle: you deserve to see the inside of your flue before anyone quotes you a repair. That matters especially here, where original 1960s clay-tile liners and gas log retrofits hide problems a visual-only sweep misses entirely. Our Chimney Sweep team specifies brand-name parts, never hardware-store substitutes, and we walk you through every photo the camera captures.
We serve all of Montclair’s 91763 ZIP, from the blocks north of the 10 Freeway down to the tracts near Montclair Place and the older streets lining Central Avenue. Our techs know the roof profiles here: stucco ranch houses, red Spanish-tile pitches, and narrow side-yard ladders on compact lots. That local familiarity means we can often complete a full sweep and inspection in a single visit without the scheduling back-and-forth homeowners in hillside communities like Upland sometimes face.
The thing Montclair customers mention most is that we don’t upsell. If your flue is clean and your liner is sound, we tell you. If there’s a real problem, we show it to you on screen before we ever write a quote. That’s the reputation we’ve earned here, one camera inspection at a time.
Styles & brands we work with





Chimney Services in Montclair
Chimney Services in Montclair cover everything from routine soot and creosote removal to full Level 1 and Level 2 inspections. Given how many homes here still run original clay-tile flues, a standard sweep is often just the starting point. What begins as “clean the fireplace” frequently turns into “there’s a cracked tile at the 12-foot mark and a bird nest above the damper.” We’re prepared for both, and we never recommend work you can’t verify on camera.
Sweeps and Cleaning
A typical Montclair sweep removes creosote, soot, and nesting debris from the flue, smoke chamber, and firebox. Most single-story ranch homes in the 91763 run $149 – $249 depending on flue height and buildup. If we find third-degree glazed creosote, we’ll show you the photos and explain your options before touching it further.

Inspection and Camera Work
Level 2 inspections are the workhorse in Montclair’s housing stock. $199 – $349 gets you full camera verification of liner condition, which matters when your chimney is 60 years old and you just bought the house. We photograph everything and give you a plain-English report, not jargon.

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 Sweep Certified in Montclair
A Chimney Sweep Certified job in Montclair means the work is performed with inspection-grade thoroughness, not just a brush on a wire. We hold our sweeps to the standard the old tract homes here actually require. A fireplace that was built decorative in 1963 doesn’t become safe just because someone ran a spinner brush up it in 2004. Certification matters when the house’s construction history works against you.
Certified Sweep Standards
Our crew follows a complete sweep protocol: drop cloths, HEPA-filtered vacuum, brush-through of the full flue run, smoke chamber cleaning, and a visual report. For Montclair’s original clay-tile liners, we flag any spalling, mortar joints, or hairline cracks the moment we see them, with photos. A standard certified sweep here runs $149 – $249.
Annual Sweep and Maintenance
If you burn only occasionally, once a year is still the right cadence for Montclair. Wind-blown debris, nesting, and the dry Inland Empire heat can create buildup even in unused flues. Annual sweeps for 91763 homes run $149 – $229 for a standard single-flue chimney, and we note any changes from the previous year’s inspection.
Trusted Brands We Service in Montclair
We carry and install products we’d put in our own homes. That’s why our Montclair repair work relies on DuraFlex stainless liners, HeatShield restoration coatings, and Copperfield and Olympia Chimney caps and components. When a 1960s flue needs a liner repair rather than a full teardown, HeatShield gives us a restoration path that most sweep-only companies never even offer. We keep core parts on the truck for common Montclair chimney configurations, which means fewer second visits for most jobs. And if your crown or cap is cracked, we’ll specify the correct brand for the exposure and wind conditions of your roof, not just whatever fits.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Montclair Homes
- Cracked clay-tile liners on gas log retrofits. Montclair homes built in the 1950s and 60s often had fireplaces as decorative features, then owners added gas log sets years later. The original unlined or clay-tile flue was never upgraded, creating a draft and carbon monoxide mismatch that only a camera catches.
- Third-degree creosote in rarely used fireplaces. The dry Inland Empire heat bakes creosote into a hard glaze over months of disuse. A brush alone won’t remove it, and many Montclair homeowners don’t realize the risk until we show them the camera feed.
- Animal nests and storm debris behind uncapped crowns. Spanish-tile roofs make rooftop access awkward, so some older Montclair homes never had proper cap or crown work done. We find bird nests, squirrel debris, and broken tile fragments lodged in the flue on a regular basis.
- Corroded dampers from decades of disuse. In mild winters, dampers sit closed for months. Moisture and combustion residue corrode them. We see Montclair dampers rusted so badly they won’t seal, which pushes drafts and ash into the living room on windy days.
Pricing for Chimney Sweep in Montclair, CA
A standard chimney sweep in Montclair runs $149 – $249. A Level 1 inspection, usually paired with the sweep, adds $99 – $149. A Level 2 camera inspection runs $199 – $349, and we recommend it for any home purchase, any gas log retrofit, or any chimney that hasn’t been inspected in five years. Roof access for Spanish-tile homes occasionally adds $50 – $100 depending on pitch and ladder setup, but we’ll quote it before we arrive. What drives cost up in Montclair specifically is liner condition: if the camera reveals spalling clay tile or a missing crown, repair work adds $400 – $1,800 depending on scope. You’ll see the evidence before you’re asked to pay for any of it. Call (855) 360-4975 for a free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Montclair
Chestnut Chimney Sweep covers the surrounding Inland Empire communities, including Claremont, Ontario, Upland, and La Verne. If you’re in one of those cities and looking for a Chimney Sweep in Montclair, keep in mind that our routes often pair Montclair appointments with same-day stops in neighboring areas. One call covers it: (855) 360-4975.
Serving Montclair, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Montclair 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 Montclair
Because most Montclair chimneys are original to homes built between 1955 and 1975, and the only reliable way to assess a 60-year-old clay-tile flue is to see inside it. A camera catches cracked liners, missing mortar joints, hidden nests, and improper gas log venting that a visual check from the roof or firebox misses. Without it, you’re paying someone to guess. Call (855) 360-4975 to schedule a Level 2 inspection with full photo documentation.
Probably not as-is. Most of these older tract homes were built with decorative fireplaces never intended for a gas appliance. The flue is often unlined or original clay tile, and when a gas log set goes in, the combustion byproducts and moisture behave differently than wood smoke. The result is a code mismatch you can’t see from the living room. We’ll run a camera up the flue and show you exactly what’s there. If a liner repair is needed, HeatShield restoration can often fix it without a full replacement. Call (855) 360-4975 for a camera inspection quote.
Once a year, even if you never light a fire. Montclair’s dry heat, Santa Ana winds, and long idle periods invite debris, nesting, and creosote hardening in flues that sit unused. A fireplace that looks fine from the hearth can be hiding a third-degree creosote deposit or an animal nest that only becomes dangerous when you finally do light that gas log. Annual inspection costs $99 – $149 in Montclair and catches problems before they escalate. Call (855) 360-4975 to book your annual sweep.
First-degree creosote is a light, dusty soot that brushes off easily. Third-degree is a hard, shiny glaze that bonds to the flue walls and cannot be removed by brush alone. In Montclair, the hot dry summers and long periods between burns push creosote toward second- and third-degree faster than in coastal communities. A third-degree glaze on an already cracked clay-tile liner is a chimney fire waiting for a spark. We’ll tell you which degree you have, show you the camera image, and recommend the removal method that’s actually appropriate. Call (855) 360-4975 to have your flue assessed.
Yes. We do Spanish-tile roof access in Montclair regularly, and we’ll assess the pitch, ladder placement, and walkable surface before quoting. The issue we see most often here is that previous providers skipped the cap and crown inspection entirely because the roof was intimidating. We don’t skip it. A missing or cracked crown on a 1960s tract home lets water into the flue and masonry, and the damage compounds fast. We’ll inspect the crown, cap, and flue exit on every visit, and we’ll photograph what we find. Call (855) 360-4975 for a full roof-to-firebox inspection.
Written by Roland Cifuentes, Owner at Chestnut Chimney Sweep, serving Montclair and the Inland Empire.