Sterling Heights, Macomb County
Chimney inspection in Sterling Heights
Sterling Heights has brick chimneys from the 1960s and 1970s and framed metal chimneys from the 1980s and 1990s, and an inspection is the quickest way to find out which one you have and what condition it's in.
The older half of the city
The first subdivisions in Sterling Heights went in during the 1960s, while it was still Sterling Township. The Plumbrook area, near Plumbrook Road and Van Dyke, is mostly ranches, colonials and tri-levels from the 1960s and 1970s. Houses that age usually have a brick chimney with clay flue tiles, and many carry two flues, one for the fireplace and one for the furnace and water heater.
The chimney in the photo is a typical case. The crown has weathered and picked up rust stains, one flue has a mesh cap and the other has a metal vent cap for the gas appliances. From the driveway it looks fine. On top, the crown edges have started to break down.
Why people book one here
Selling and buying is the big one. A Level 2 inspection, $149, covers the chimney in the attic, basement and crawl space and puts a camera through the flue. Our guide to chimney inspection levels explains when that's the right call.
Other calls come from owners whose furnace was replaced and now vents out the side, leaving the water heater alone in the old flue. Or from people with a factory-built fireplace that has never been looked at. Or after a storm takes off a cap. On a house that has had the same owner for decades, the question is often simpler: nobody remembers when the chimney was last looked at. After any chimney fire, start with a Level 2.
What we check and what it costs
A Level 1 inspection is $49 and takes about an hour. We check the firebox and damper, the flue as far as it can be seen, and the outside: crown, cap, brick, flashing, or the chase and its cover on a framed chimney. You hear what we found in plain language, and the $49 is credited toward any repair or service we do after it. A camera through the flue adds $75. If you burn wood and the flue needs cleaning anyway, a chimney sweep in Sterling Heights is $349 with the inspection included. The inspection cost guide compares the options.
Questions
We have a tri-level in Sterling Heights with a fireplace in the lower family room. Is anything different about inspecting it?
The chimney is often taller than it looks, since it starts at the lowest level and runs past two floors and the roof. That gives more flue to check and more places where it passes through framing. A camera is a good add-on for a chimney like that, because most of the flue can't be seen from either end.
Our home inspector said the chimney 'needs further evaluation.' What do we book?
Book a Level 2 inspection. It's $149 and covers the chimney in the attic, basement and crawl space, plus a camera through the flue, which is what 'further evaluation' usually means for a chimney. Call with the address and your inspection deadline so we can fit it in.
Chimney inspection near Sterling Heights
Chimney inspection in Sterling Heights
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.