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Buying, selling or moving inLevel 2 chimney inspection for buying or selling
A Level 2 chimney inspection sends a camera through the flue, which is why agents, lenders and home inspectors often ask for one when a house changes hands. Sterling books Level 2 inspections across the east metro, talks you through what the camera showed, and works around your closing date.
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- Open 7 days, 8am-8pm
- 10+ years
- Licensed, bonded & insured
- Same-week, evenings & weekends
What is a Level 2 chimney inspection?
It is the deeper of our two inspections. We look over everything a Level 1 covers: the firebox, the damper, the smoke shelf and the parts of the chimney we can see without tools. Then we add what a Level 1 cannot reach, which is the inside of the flue, scanned with a camera, and the attic or crawl space where the chimney passes through the house.
A Level 2 always uses the camera. That is the point of it. A flue can look clean from the hearth and still hide a cracked tile higher up.
Ask for a Level 2 if
- You are buying a house with a fireplace you plan to use.
- You are selling and want to know what a buyer's inspector may ask about.
- The home inspector noted the chimney and suggested a closer look.
- A different fuel or appliance will connect to the same flue.
- There has been a chimney fire, a storm or a hit to the stack.
Two levels side by side
| Level 1 | Level 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| What we look at | The parts we can see and reach | Those parts, plus the flue interior and the attic or crawl space |
| Camera | Only if the job calls for one | Always |
| Usual moment | Yearly check on a chimney you already know | A sale, a purchase, a change of fuel, or after an event |
Our main chimney inspection service covers both levels and the yearly habit.
Is a chimney look part of a normal home inspection?
That depends on the sale. Home inspectors, agents and lenders each set their own scope, and it changes from one deal to the next. Ask your agent or lender what yours calls for. If the home inspection notes mention the chimney or recommend a closer look, a Level 2 is the usual next step.
Buying: what the camera tells you before you commit
A fireplace is easy to love in a showing and hard to judge. The camera shows the flue walls, the joints between tiles and any buildup, so you learn what you would be paying to fix before the keys change hands. Seeing it first also gives you something concrete to talk through with your agent.
Selling: why look before the buyer does
A chimney problem found late can slow a closing. Finding it early gives you time to repair it on your schedule, or to go into negotiations knowing exactly what is there.
Your Level 2 visit
Set the date
You tell us the closing or inspection date, and we look for an appointment that fits it, evenings and weekends included.
Check the access
We need the fireplace and the attic or crawl space where the chimney runs. In a sale, the agent usually arranges that.
Run the camera
We scan the flue from bottom to top and photograph anything that matters.
Talk it through
We go over what we saw, show you the photos of any trouble and lay out your options before any repair.
Level 2 questions
Short answers first.
Can you work to a closing date?
We aim to. Give us the date on the call and we look for an appointment that fits it, with evenings and weekends available. We confirm by phone before we come.
What will I be told afterwards?
We walk you through what we found, in person or by phone, and show you the camera photos of anything that needs attention. Then we explain your options, so you can decide before any repair starts.
What does the camera show?
The inside of the flue, wall by wall and joint by joint, which a look from the hearth cannot do. Where the chimney runs behind walls, we check from the attic and crawl space and tell you if something needs a closer look.
Who needs to be home?
Someone has to open the house and give us access to the fireplace and the space where the chimney passes. Buyers and sellers often arrange this through their agents.
What if the camera finds a problem?
You see it first, then decide. We describe what the repair involves and recommend only what the chimney needs. No work begins until you say yes.
Is a Level 2 worth it before I switch fuels?
Yes. A different appliance on an old flue can ask more of it than the original did. A camera look tells you whether the flue is ready or needs relining first.
Level 2 inspections near these towns
We book them across the east metro, including these towns.
- 01
Newport
Along the Mississippi, southeast of St. Paul.
- 02
Mendota Heights
Reached by I-35E, I-494 and Highways 55 and 62.
- 03
Arden Hills
Off I-35W and I-694, along Snelling Avenue.
- 04
Roseville
Home to Central Park and the 45th parallel marker.
What does a Level 2 cost?
The starting price for a Level 2 is on our services page, and a call gets you the figure for your chimney. Height, access and the type of flue move it.
What goes with it?
Some sales end with a sweep or a repair from the chimney repair list. Buyers with an old flue often ask about a liner. Access, height and what the camera finds all affect how long a chimney inspection takes.
Got a closing date? Start there.
Call and give us the date, or send the form with your address and we will ring you back to plan the visit.