Detroit, Wayne County
Chimney inspection in Detroit
Warrendale is mostly small 1940s houses where the chimney serves the furnace as much as any fireplace. Brightmoor has lost more than half its people since 1990. In both, a chimney is worth a look before the furnace runs all winter or anyone lights a fire.
The part of Detroit we cover
We inspect chimneys only on Detroit's northwest and west side, roughly west of the Southfield Freeway and north of Joy Road and Warren Avenue, plus the blocks near Redford and Dearborn Heights. We don't cover the rest of the city.
Warrendale's furnace flues
Warrendale runs along Rouge Park and the Dearborn line, and most of its houses went up in the 1940s. A lot of them are small one-story houses and wood-frame bungalows, many under 1,000 square feet. On a house that size, the chimney often serves the furnace and water heater more than a fireplace, and some have no fireplace at all.
When the furnace is replaced with one that vents out the wall, the water heater can be left alone in the old flue. Our guide on a water heater in an old chimney explains why that matters. An inspection checks what each flue is connected to and whether it's still doing its job.
Brightmoor houses that sat empty
B.E. Taylor started Brightmoor in 1921 as a neighborhood of inexpensive houses, mostly for auto workers, and it came into the city in 1926. It had about 23,800 people in 1990 and about 11,100 in 2020. That leaves a lot of houses that sat empty before someone bought them. A flue in an empty house collects nests and debris, and a crown nobody watched may have been letting water in for years.
Level 1 or Level 2
A Level 1 is $49 and covers the firebox, the damper, the flue as far as we can see, and the chimney from the roof. The $49 is credited toward any repair or service we do afterward. A Level 2 is $149 and adds the attic, basement and crawl space sections plus a camera through the flue. It's the one to book for a purchase, a heating change, or after a fire or storm. A camera can be added to a Level 1 for $75. See chimney inspection levels for the difference. If the flue needs sweeping, we can do that on a chimney cleaning visit.
Questions
We bought a Brightmoor house that sat empty for years. What should we check first?
Book a Level 2 inspection before the first fire or the first cold night with the furnace running. A flue in an empty house can fill with nests, leaves and broken tile, and the crown may have been leaking the whole time. The Level 2 is $149 and puts a camera through the flue, so you see what's in there. If it needs sweeping or repair, you get a written quote.
Do you inspect chimneys in other parts of Detroit?
No. We cover the northwest and west side only: Warrendale, Brightmoor, Old Redford, Rosedale Park and North Rosedale Park, plus the blocks near Redford and Dearborn Heights. We don't cover the rest of the city. If you're close to the edge of that area, call and ask before you book.
Chimney inspection in Detroit
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.