How Much Does a Chimney Sweep Cost in Baldwin County, AL? (2026 Prices)

You searched for a price, not a sales pitch. So here it is up front: a chimney sweep with a camera inspection is $229 in Baldwin County. That is the whole visit - the sweep, the video scan of the flue, and a plain-English rundown of what we found.

Here is the part most pricing pages skip: what you actually get for that money, what legitimately raises the bill, and how to spot a company padding it. If you live in Fairhope, Daphne, Foley, Gulf Shores, or Spanish Fort and you have a fireplace you have not touched since you bought the house, this one is for you.

Chimney and fireplace prices in Baldwin County

These are our real, published prices. No coupon games, no bait number that doubles once the truck is in your driveway.

Every job we do carries a 1-year workmanship warranty. If our work fails, we come back.

What a $229 sweep and camera inspection actually includes

• Floor and furniture protection. Drop cloths go down before anything else. A sweep that leaves soot on your rug was not done right.
• Mechanical sweeping of the flue and smoke chamber. Brushes and rods, with a vacuum running the entire time.
• Firebox and damper cleaning. We clear the shelf, check the damper opens and seals, and pull out the debris that collects behind it.
• A camera scan of the liner. This is the part that matters. Cracks, gaps in the mortar joints, and a separated liner do not show up from the roof or from the hearth. They show up on video.
• A written report with photos. You see what we saw. If nothing is wrong, we tell you nothing is wrong.

We are licensed and insured, and we have been doing this since 2009. We are locally owned - not a franchise buying leads and sending whoever is closest.

What actually changes the price

1. How much buildup is in there

A chimney swept every year comes clean fast. One that has burned five seasons of unseasoned oak with nobody looking at it is a different job. Heavy glazed creosote - the hard, shiny kind - does not brush off and needs a separate treatment.

2. Access

A two-story chase on a steep roof takes longer and more gear than a single-story ranch. Same work, more setup.

3. What we find

A sweep is a sweep. A cracked crown, a rusted-through chase cover, or a failed liner is a repair, and it gets quoted separately with photos so you can decide. Nobody should ever repair something on your house that you have not seen a picture of.

4. Add-ons you asked for

Cap install, dryer vent, or a gas log service on the same visit. Bundling saves you a second trip charge.

Level 1, Level 2, Level 3: which inspection do you need?

These are not marketing terms. They come from NFPA 211, the national standard for chimneys and fireplaces.

• Level 1 - the routine annual check. The sweep confirms the structure is sound and the flue is clear of obstructions and creosote. This is what most homes get, and it is what our $229 visit covers.
• Level 2 - everything in Level 1, plus accessible attic, crawl space, and basement portions, clearance to combustibles, and a video scan of the internal flue surfaces and joints. NFPA 211 calls for a Level 2 when a home is sold or transferred, and after any event that could have damaged the chimney - a chimney fire, a house fire, or a serious storm.
• Level 3 - rare. Only when a Level 1 or 2 points to a hidden hazard that cannot be evaluated without opening up concealed parts of the chimney or the building.

Two practical takeaways for Gulf Coast homeowners: if you are buying or selling, you need a Level 2, not a Level 1 - that is what our home sale inspection is built around. And if a named storm went over your house, that qualifies as an event worth a Level 2 look.

Why Baldwin County chimneys age differently

A chimney in Fairhope does not fail the same way a chimney in Ohio does. Down here the damage is water and salt, not freeze-thaw.

• Salt air eats metal. Chase covers, caps, and dampers within a few miles of Mobile Bay or the Gulf rust years faster than the same parts inland.
• Humidity plus soot equals odor. Creosote is hygroscopic - it pulls moisture out of humid air. That is why an unused fireplace can stink all summer long.
• Rain volume. A missing or undersized cap means water straight down the flue, month after month. A chimney cap from $99 is the cheapest repair on this entire page and prevents the most expensive one.
• Low usage hides problems. Fireplaces here burn maybe a dozen nights a year. That does not mean the chimney is fine. It means nobody has looked.

Four red flags when you get a quote

• A $49 or $69 sweep. That is a door-opener. The real number arrives after they are on your roof.
• Repairs recommended with no photos. If they cannot show you the crack, there may not be one.
• Pressure to decide today. Real chimney problems are still real tomorrow.
• No camera. A visual-only inspection cannot see a separated liner. That is the defect most likely to actually hurt you.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a chimney sweep cost in Baldwin County, AL?

A chimney sweep with a camera inspection costs $229 through 1st Choice Residential in Baldwin County. That flat price includes the sweep, the video scan of the flue, and a written report with photos. Repairs, if any are needed, are quoted separately before any work starts.

How often should a chimney be swept?

NFPA 211 states that chimneys, fireplaces, and vents are to be inspected at least once a year and cleaned and repaired if necessary. Inspect annually; sweep when the inspection says it needs it. If you burn wood regularly, expect to sweep every year.

Do I still need a sweep if I only burn gas logs?

You do not need creosote removed, but you do need the system serviced and the vent checked. Gas logs leave carbon deposits, spiders block pilot orifices, and birds nest in vent terminations. A gas fireplace inspection and cleaning runs the same $229 and catches ignition problems before the first cold snap.

Is the camera inspection really worth it?

Yes. The liner is the barrier between the fire and the wood framing of your house, and it is invisible from both ends. A camera is the only way to see a cracked tile or an open mortar joint without tearing something apart. We include it rather than upselling it.

Do I need a Level 2 inspection to sell my house?

NFPA 211 calls for a Level 2 inspection at the sale or transfer of a property. Many Baldwin County buyers request one during the option period. Getting it done before you list keeps a chimney surprise from reopening negotiations.

Book it and be done with it

$229. Flat. Sweep, camera, report, 1-year workmanship warranty. We serve all of Baldwin County including Fairhope, Daphne, Spanish Fort, Foley, and Gulf Shores.

• Book online anytime: Schedule your chimney sweep
• Gulf Coast: (251) 272-1990
• DFW: (817) 791-4606
• Text us: 817-946-8206

Veteran-owned, locally owned, licensed and insured, in business since 2009. See everything included in our chimney sweep service.