Livonia, Wayne County
Chimney inspection in Livonia
Livonia went from about 17,600 people in 1950 to about 66,700 in 1960. Many of the houses built in that decade have changed hands more than once since, and the chimney rarely comes with any record of who last worked on it.
Why Livonia owners book one
In May 1950 the whole of Livonia Township became the City of Livonia, and the next ten years were spent filling it in. If you bought one of those houses, you probably saw the fireplace during the showing and the chimney from the driveway, and not much else.
The other common reason is the furnace. On a ranch from that era, the furnace and water heater often vent into a flue inside the same chimney as the fireplace. When the furnace is swapped for one that vents out the side wall, the water heater can be left alone in that flue. We check what each flue is connected to and whether it's still in use. Our guide on a water heater in an old chimney covers what can go wrong.
Level 1 or Level 2
A Level 1 inspection is $49. We check the fireplace, the damper, the parts of the flue we can see, and the outside of the chimney from the roof. The $49 is credited toward any repair or service we do after it.
A Level 2 is $149. It adds the chimney where it runs through the attic, the basement and any crawl space, plus a camera through the flue. Book it when you're buying or selling, after a chimney fire or a storm, or when you're changing what vents into the chimney. You can also add the camera to a Level 1 for $75. Our page on chimney inspection levels goes through the difference.
A fireplace nobody has lit
Plenty of Livonia families stopped using the fireplace years ago and closed the damper. If you want to start again, have it looked at first. A flue that has sat unused can hold leaves, nests or bits of broken tile, and the crown may have been letting water in the whole time. If the flue needs sweeping, we can do that on a chimney cleaning visit.
What you get
We walk you through what we found in plain language and show you the photos. If something needs work, you get a written quote. If nothing does, we tell you that too.
Questions
I'm buying a ranch in Livonia. Is the home inspector's report enough for the chimney?
A general home inspection usually looks at the fireplace from the room and the chimney from the ground or the edge of the roof. It doesn't put a camera down the flue or follow the chimney through the attic and basement. A Level 2 chimney inspection covers those parts for $149. Call early in your inspection period so there's time to price any repair before you negotiate.
Our furnace vents out the side of the house now. Does the chimney still need an inspection?
If anything else still uses it, yes. On a lot of Livonia ranches the water heater stays in the old furnace flue after the furnace is moved. A flue sized for two appliances can be too big for one, and the exhaust can cool and condense inside it. We check what's connected to each flue and tell you whether it needs work.
Chimney inspection in Livonia
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.