An inspection is where every safe chimney project starts. Before anyone recommends a repair, a liner, or a rebuild, someone needs to actually look — at the firebox, the smoke chamber, the full length of the flue, the crown, the cap, and the flashing where the chimney meets your roof. Peters Chimney Masters performs thorough, camera-assisted inspections and gives you the images so you can see exactly what we saw.
We do not use inspections as a sales tool. Roughly a third of the chimneys we inspect need nothing at all, and we are happy to say so in writing.
The three levels of chimney inspection
A Level 1 inspection is the annual baseline. It covers the readily accessible portions of the chimney and appliance: the firebox, damper, smoke chamber, visible flue, exterior masonry, crown, cap, and flashing. It is appropriate when your system has not changed and you are using it the same way you always have.
A Level 2 inspection adds a video scan of the entire flue interior plus evaluation of accessible attic, crawlspace, and basement chimney sections. It is required when a property changes hands, when you change fuel types or install a new appliance, and after any event that could have damaged the chimney — a chimney fire, an earthquake, or a severe storm. This is the inspection real estate transactions call for, and it is the one we recommend if you have never had the flue scanned.
A Level 3 inspection involves opening concealed areas — removing a section of chimney crown or interior wall — when a Level 2 reveals a serious hazard that cannot be evaluated any other way. It is uncommon, invasive, and we only recommend it when the evidence genuinely demands it.
What our camera scan actually reveals
A high-resolution flue camera reveals conditions that are simply invisible from below: hairline cracks in clay tiles, gaps where mortar joints between tiles have washed out, spalled or missing tile faces, corrosion in metal liners, offset joints, and blockages from nests or fallen debris.
Cracked flue tiles are the finding homeowners most need to know about. A cracked liner lets combustion gases — including carbon monoxide — pass into the masonry and potentially into wall cavities and living space. It also exposes the surrounding brick to heat it was never designed to absorb. This is not visible from the firebox and cannot be diagnosed by looking up with a flashlight.
We record the scan and share the relevant stills with your report. When we recommend a repair, you see the exact tile, the exact joint, and the exact depth in the flue where the problem is.
Inspections for home sales and insurance
If you are buying or selling a home with a fireplace, a Level 2 chimney inspection is a smart contingency. General home inspectors are not chimney specialists — most will note the chimney exists, confirm the damper opens, and move on. Serious defects routinely pass unnoticed and land on the new owner.
Our transaction reports are written to be shared: clearly organized, photo-supported, with repair recommendations separated into safety-critical, recommended, and cosmetic categories. That structure gives both sides of a negotiation something objective to work from.
Insurance claims after a chimney fire, storm, or seismic event also require documentation. We provide dated, photographed condition reports that adjusters can work with directly.
Serving homeowners across the region
We inspect chimneys throughout Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, Altadena, Glendale, Sierra Madre, San Marino, Temple City, Duarte, South Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley, in everything from 1920s bungalows with original unlined masonry to modern homes with prefabricated metal fireplaces.
Older masonry chimneys in this area were often built before flue liners were standard, and many were repaired over the decades with materials that were never appropriate for the job. Prefabricated systems have the opposite issue: they are engineered assemblies with manufacturer-specified parts and finite service lives, and mixing in generic components voids the listing.
Whichever you have, an inspection tells you where you stand — and turns your chimney decisions into informed ones instead of guesses.
Warning signs to watch for
You just bought the home
Never rely on a general home inspection for a chimney; get a Level 2 scan before your first fire.
It has been over a year
Annual inspection is the standard even if you rarely burn — damage happens regardless of use.
After a chimney fire or quake
Heat and seismic movement crack liners in ways that are invisible without a camera.
White staining or damp walls
Efflorescence and interior moisture near the chimney signal water intrusion that needs diagnosis.
Schedule your chimney inspection today
Free written estimates, same-day appointments, and licensed technicians seven days a week. Call now and speak with someone who actually works on chimneys.
Call (866) 752-4313