Chimney sweep and cleaning in West Bloomfield

Woods along the preserve and the trail

The West Bloomfield Woods Nature Preserve is 162 heavily wooded acres, and the houses around it sit under the same kind of trees. The West Bloomfield Trail follows the old Grand Trunk Western rail line, which carried trains from 1896 to 1985, for 6.8 miles through the township and its neighbors.

Trees close to a house drop leaves and twigs on the roof all fall, and an uncapped flue catches them. Branches over the roof give squirrels and raccoons a way up. In summer, chimney swifts nest in chimneys from about May to August. They're federally protected, so a nest stays until the birds leave. Our guide to chimney swifts has more.

What people burn here

Many larger houses here have more than one fireplace, often a wood fireplace in the family room and gas ones elsewhere. Some owners have put a wood-burning insert into an old masonry fireplace, which vents through a liner run up the chimney. Wood fires coat the flue or liner with soot and creosote. Wet wood and slow, smoky fires make more of it. Gas fireplaces burn clean but still need their flues checked.

If you have an insert or a wood stove, call before you book so we can tell you what to expect.

When to book

Get on the schedule before the first cold weekend. In a house with several flues, the visit takes longer, so an early booking makes it easier to find a day that works. Our guide on how often to clean a chimney will help you plan the next one.

What the visit includes

The cleaning is $349 for one flue and includes an inspection on the same visit. We put drop cloths down, sweep the flue, inspect the chimney inside and out, and clean up before we leave. A camera through the flue is $75 extra. Plan on about two hours for one flue. An insert or a stove can take a little longer, depending on how it connects to the liner. If something at the top needs work, you'll see photos first, and our chimney repair page for West Bloomfield lists starting prices.