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 New York
A chimney sweep in New York typically costs between $229 and $399 for a standard fireplace with one flue, and most sweeps in the five boroughs are completed in two to three hours. That price includes the full interior cleaning, the inspection, and a written report of what we found. If you live in Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Queens and you haven’t had your flue looked at in years, call (315) 644-2982 and we’ll give you a written price before anyone sets foot on your roof.
New York is not like the suburbs. Your chimney almost certainly shares a wall with someone else’s, your roof access is tighter than you’d like, and the building was probably standing before your grandparents were born. That changes the job. Our team knows how to work around overhead wires on a Chelsea side street, how to set up a ladder on a Park Slope brownstone without blocking the sidewalk, and how to check whether the flue next door is pushing combustion gases into yours. That local knowledge isn’t optional here. It’s the whole job.
Why Ashby Chimney New York Is New York’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
Ashby Chimney Sweep has been cleaning chimneys since 2002, and our New York location works under the Kingswell Guarantee: a written price before we start, a written guarantee on every repair, and a free second visit if a covered repair fails within the guarantee period. Everyone who shows up at your door is background-checked and in uniform. You’ll know exactly who’s walking in.
We answer our phones with a live person, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No voicemail loops, no “someone will call you back on Monday.” When a New York homeowner calls us about a chimney that hasn’t been swept since the building switched to gas heat, they reach a person who can schedule the visit right then. That matters when you’re a co-op board member trying to get a carbon monoxide concern resolved before the next meeting.
Nathan Corliss runs our Chimney Sweep in New York operation, and he’s built the team around a simple habit: show the work. If we recommend a liner, you’ll see the camera footage that shows why. If we say the chimney can wait another year, we’ll tell you that too. Ashby carries ash right in the name, which is fitting for the people whose job is to clean it out.
Styles & brands we work with
Gas Fireplace Cleaning in New York
Gas fireplace cleaning in New York usually runs between $189 and $289, and it’s a job we recommend before every heating season. A gas fireplace still produces soot, and in this city the soot builds faster because of the ambient air pollution. The bigger issue is what you can’t see: many pre-war co-ops converted their coal-burning fireplaces to decorative gas logs without relining the flues, and those old terra cotta liners weren’t built for the moisture and acidity that gas combustion produces. Our Chimney Sweep team removes the soot, checks the log set for proper placement, and verifies that the flue is actually venting. If it isn’t, you have a carbon monoxide risk you can’t smell or see.
Soot and Log Set Cleaning
We remove soot from the firebox, the damper assembly, and the flue walls using brushes sized to your chimney. The log set gets cleaned and inspected for hairline cracks that can cause uneven burning. In New York, we also check the gas shut-off valve behind the firebox because in older buildings that valve is often corroded from decades of damp basement air rising through the walls, and we can handle any needed Fireplace Repair - New York while we’re there.
Venting Check on Converted Flues
This is the step most generic sweeps skip. We verify the flue is drafting upward and that combustion gases are exiting above the roofline, not seeping into a neighboring unit through a shared party wall. In high-rises with converted coal flues, a backdraft test is standard for us. If you’ve noticed soot staining around the mantle or a burned smell when the logs are on, get the venting checked before you use it again.
Chimney Maintenance in New York
Chimney maintenance in New York is not a once-a-decade event. The city’s freeze-thaw cycles work on brick and mortar all winter: water gets into hairline cracks, freezes, expands, and widens the crack. After a few years, that’s spalling brick and a loose flue liner. A maintenance visit runs $179 to $329 depending on scope, and it’s the cheapest way to avoid a four-figure repair later. We check the crown, the flashing, the damper, and the flue liner on every maintenance call.
Pre-Season Inspection and Sweep
Book this in September or early October, before the heating season starts. We sweep the flue, check for creosote and soot buildup, and look at the mortar joints you can’t see from the ground. New York’s air pollution means even a chimney used only a few times a year can accumulate deposits that turn into a fire hazard faster than you’d think.
Moisture and Freeze-Thaw Repairs
If we find cracked crown mortar or deteriorating flashing, we’ll show you photos and give you a written price for the repair before any work begins. Materials come from trade suppliers we trust: DuraFlex for liners, HeatShield for flue resurfacing, and Gelco for crown repair. These aren’t whatever happened to be in the van. They’re the right products for a century-old brick chimney in a damp northeastern climate.
Trusted Brands We Service in New York
We stock parts and materials for the brands New York homeowners actually have. If your flue liner was sleeved with a DuraFlex product during a past renovation, we carry compatible components for repairs and replacements. When a pre-war terra cotta liner has cracked, we often recommend HeatShield resurfacing because it’s done from inside the flue, which means no demolition in a tight build. For damaged crowns and chase tops, we use Gelco repair in New York with their water repellents and sealants. Because we keep these materials local to our New York operation, turnaround on repairs is faster than waiting for a supplier to ship from out of state.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterCommon Chimney Sweep Problems We See in New York Homes
- Shared flue stacks in attached brownstones. When a neighbor’s gas appliance vents into a shared stack and their flue is partially blocked, combustion gases can push into your chimney. A standard sweep won’t catch this unless the tech knows to check cross-ventilation between party walls.
- Rushed roof access on tight streets. On narrow Manhattan blocks or busy Brooklyn avenues, ladders can’t always be set up safely near overhead wires and parked cars. Some companies skip the roof inspection entirely. We don’t. If roof access is genuinely unsafe, we’ll say so and explain what we checked from below instead.
- Brushing a pre-war masonry chimney like a modern liner. Old brick chimneys have spalling and degraded mortar. An aggressive brush can knock loose brick shards into the smoke chamber or firebox. Our techs inspect first, then choose the right brush and rotation speed for the condition of the liner.
- Seized dampers in converted fireplaces. The old cast-iron dampers in 1890s brownstones frequently rust shut or seize open. A seized-open damper is a heating bill problem and a path for roof water to enter the firebox. We’ll tell you if the damper needs replacement and what it costs before we touch it.
Pricing for Chimney Sweep in New York, NY
A standard chimney sweep in New York runs $229 to $399 for one fireplace with a single flue. That includes the full interior brushing, the Level 1 inspection, and a written report with photos. Gas fireplace cleaning runs $189 to $289. Creosote removal for second- or third-degree buildup adds $50 to $150 depending on how much is in there. A Level 2 inspection, which we recommend when a property changes hands or a flue hasn’t been looked at in five years, runs $399 to $549. If a liner is cracked, a HeatShield resurfacing generally runs $900 to $2,200 depending on flue length and access from the roof. Every price is written down before anyone starts. Call (315) 644-2982 and we’ll quote the job, not a range that becomes a different number at the door.
We Also Serve Cities Near New York
Beyond the five boroughs, our crews regularly work in New York‘s neighboring communities including Manhattan, Maspeth, Jackson Heights, and College Point. If you’re in a brownstone in the West Village, a converted factory building in Maspeth, or a co-op in Jackson Heights, the chimney challenges are similar to what we see across New York: old masonry, shared stacks, and roof access that takes some planning. Call us and we’ll schedule a visit based on where you are.
Serving New York, NY - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the New York 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 New York
Yes, because the flue still accumulates soot from the gas logs, and more importantly, a sweep is the only way to confirm the flue is actually venting combustion gases out of the building. In New York’s converted pre-war co-ops, many flues were never relined for gas use, and a blocked or backdrafting flue is a carbon monoxide risk you cannot detect without testing. Call (315) 644-2982 and we’ll check it.
Your flue almost certainly shares a stack with the building next door, which means a neighbor’s blocked or backdrafting flue can push combustion gases into your chimney. Our techs in New York check for cross-ventilation between party walls on every sweep of an attached home, because a standard cleaning alone won’t catch it.
September through early October, before the heating season begins. New York’s air pollution means soot builds faster than in less polluted areas, and the freeze-thaw cycle starts doing real damage to brick and mortar as soon as overnight temperatures drop into the 30s. Book before November and you avoid the rush and the cold-weather access issues.
In most cases, yes, but it may require coordination with the building super or management company to access the roof, and some high-rises require us to work from a window or balcony if roof access is not safe. We’ll tell you before the visit what access we need, and if a full sweep isn’t possible, we’ll tell you exactly what we can inspect from the firebox level and what that means for your risk.
No. Third-degree creosote is a hardened, tar-like glaze that a standard brush won’t remove from pre-war masonry, and aggressive mechanical brushing can damage already-spalling brick. We use chemical or rotary treatments appropriate to the liner condition, and we’ll inspect the flue afterward. If the liner is cracked, we’ll show you the camera footage and quote a HeatShield resurfacing or DuraFlex liner in writing before we do anything else.
If you live in New York and your chimney hasn’t been checked in years, or you suspect your neighbor’s flue is causing problems in yours, call (315) 644-2982. We’ll give you a written price, an honest assessment, and a guarantee we stand behind.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner at Ashby Chimney New York, serving New York City since 2002.