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 Inspection Across Norcross
A chimney inspection in Norcross typically costs $189 – $489 depending on the level, and a Level 2 inspection with camera work runs $299 – $489 in this market. Most inspections take 45 – 90 minutes on site. If you own one of the brick ranches or split-levels that define so much of Norcross housing stock, this is the single most useful service you can schedule before burning season.
We know Norcross chimneys because we work on them every week. The mid-century masonry stacks, the clay-tile flues, the squirrel nests behind missing caps, the hairline cracks from shifting clay soil. When you call (762) 600-1468, you get a live person and a written price before any work starts. That’s how Flint Chimney Co Alpharetta works, and it’s how we’ve operated since 2002 under The Garrison Standard.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner at Flint Chimney Co Alpharetta, serving Norcross and surrounding communities.
Why Flint Chimney Co Alpharetta Is Norcross’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
Norcross homeowners call us after other companies have already burned them. Usually the story is the same: a visual-only sweep quoted a $4,000 liner replacement without showing any camera evidence. We take a different approach. We run the camera, we show you the footage, and we explain what actually needs doing versus what can wait. The Garrison Code says nothing gets recommended without documentation. That rule was written for exactly this kind of market, where Norcross’s older brick homes make easy targets for upsells.
Our crews know the difference between a 1968 ranch off Beaver Ruin Road and a 1985 split-level near Pinckneyville Park. Same trade, different failure modes. We dispatch uniformed, background-checked technicians to every Norcross job, and every inspection includes a written report with photos you keep. If a repair is needed, you get a written price before tools come off the truck. If that repair fails within a year, we come back at no charge under our 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Hank Delano runs this operation on a simple principle: show the homeowner the problem, put the price in writing, and stand behind the work. No pressure. No scare tactics. Just documentation.
Styles & brands we work with
Chimney Fire in Norcross
A Chimney Fire in Norcross is not a minor event. When creosote ignites inside a flue, temperatures can exceed 2,000°F inside a chimney that was built to handle maybe half that. After any chimney fire, the structure needs a Level 2 inspection before it’s used again. That is not optional. The National Fire Protection Association standard is clear, and we follow it because the alternative is a second fire.
In Norcross, most chimney fires happen in 1960s – 1980s brick ranches with original clay-tile flues that were never relined. The humid climate accelerates creosote accumulation, and when that glaze reaches third-degree thickness, it does not take much to ignite. We inspect for exactly this. Camera up the stack, checking for cracks in the tile liner, spalling, and any breach between the flue and the house framing.
What the inspection covers after a fire
A post-fire Level 2 inspection in Norcross runs $299 – $489. We inspect the full flue interior with a camera, check the smoke chamber for glaze, examine the crown and flashing, and look for any structural shifting caused by the heat. You get photos of everything. If the liner survived intact, we tell you that plainly. If it did not, we show you the footage before quoting any repair.
When you can wait and when you cannot
Some post-fire damage is cosmetic. Some is structural. You cannot tell the difference from the ground. That is the entire reason the camera exists. If we find minor spalling only, we say so. If we find breached clay tiles, you need to know before you light another fire. Our job is to give you the evidence, not to talk you into a liner you do not need.
Level 2 Chimney Inspection in Norcross
A Level 2 Chimney Inspection in Norcross is the standard we recommend after any real estate transaction, chimney fire, significant weather event, or change in fuel type. It includes everything in a Level 1 plus a video scan of the entire flue interior, the smoke chamber, and accessible areas of the attic, crawlspace, and roof. In Norcross, this level matters more than in most markets because of the clay soil.
That soil expands when wet and contracts when dry. Over decades, that movement transfers into the foundation and up through brick chimneys. Hairline cracks form. Mortar joints loosen. A Level 2 inspection catches this kind of deterioration before it becomes a $3,000 repair or a chimney fire. The cost runs $299 – $489 in Norcross, and it takes about 90 minutes on site.
Real estate inspections, done right
Buying a 1972 ranch off Jimmy Carter Boulevard? Schedule the Level 2 before closing. Georgia real estate contracts often allow inspection contingencies, and a chimney that looks fine from the curb can have a fractured flue liner you cannot see without a camera. We provide the full report in writing, same week, with photos. If the seller needs the report, we deliver it in PDF.
The camera is the difference
We never recommend a liner replacement without camera footage showing the damage. That is a line in our company policy, not a preference. Too many Norcross homeowners have been quoted full stainless relining after a visual-only sweep, and when we run our camera, the original clay tiles are mostly intact. Some spalling, maybe. Not a failed liner. The camera keeps the industry honest, and it keeps you from paying for work that is not necessary.
Trusted Brands We Service in Norcross
When a Norcross chimney does need materials, we use products we can stand behind and that you can verify independently. HeatShield for resurfacing flues, DuraFlex for stainless relining when it is genuinely required, and Olympia Chimney components for caps, dampers, and chase covers. We stock common replacement parts locally for the brick ranch and split-level chimneys that dominate Norcross, which means fewer return trips and shorter lead times on repairs. If a part is not in our truck, it is usually in our Atlanta warehouse within a day. We do not sell off-brand parts to protect margin. The brand goes on the written quote, and you can look it up before you approve anything.
Common Chimney Inspection Problems We See in Norcross Homes
- Spalled clay-tile liners. Norcross’s humid subtropical climate means moisture, and moisture means flue tiles degrade faster. Cracks and spalling in original 1960s – 1980s clay liners is the single most common finding on our camera scans, and most Norcross homeowners have never seen it because nobody ever showed them the footage.
- Animal nests behind missing caps. A lot of Norcross chimneys built before the 1990s have no cap at all. Squirrels, birds, and the occasional raccoon turn those flues into nesting sites every fall. The blockage reads as a draft problem to the homeowner, but the camera tells the real story.
- Gas appliances venting into unlined flues. Norcross homes that converted from wood to gas decades ago often vent the gas appliance into the original clay-tile flue with no liner. That tile was never designed for gas exhaust chemistry. The acid byproducts corrode the mortar and the tile. This one fails Level 2 inspections routinely, and we flag it with photo documentation.
- Failed crowns and flashing on older brick. The freeze-thaw cycle hits Norcross a handful of times each winter. Water gets into hairline cracks at the crown, freezes, expands, and widens the crack. By spring, water is running down through the brick. Most homeowners have no idea until we show them the close-up photos from the roof inspection.
See the difference
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AfterPricing for Chimney Inspection in Norcross, GA
Here are the numbers, plainly. A Level 1 chimney inspection in Norcross runs $189 – $249. A Level 2 with full camera work runs $299 – $489, and a Level 3, which involves dismantling portions of the chimney to access hidden areas, runs $800 – $1,200 and is rare outside post-fire or suspected structural failure situations. Real estate inspections fall under Level 2 pricing. What changes the final number is access: roof pitch, chimney height, and whether we need a second technician for safety. You get your exact written price before we touch the chimney. Call (762) 600-1468 for a free estimate, and if a repair is needed, we hand you the quote in writing before any work begins.
We Also Serve Cities Near Norcross
Flint Chimney Co Alpharetta serves homeowners throughout Gwinnett and surrounding counties. Our Chimney Inspection teams regularly work in Lawrenceville, Duluth, Stone Mountain, and Alpharetta, as well as right here in Norcross. Same written pricing, same camera-first inspections, same one-year guarantee on any repair we make.
Serving Norcross, GA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Norcross 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 Inspection in Norcross
Because of the clay soil. Norcross sits on expansive clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry. Over 40 or 50 years, that movement transfers into foundations and up through brick chimneys, creating hairline cracks that a visual-only inspection almost always misses. Add in original clay-tile flues that have never been relined, and the failure rate on 1970s Norcross chimneys is the highest of any housing era in the metro. The camera finds it immediately. Call (762) 600-1468 to schedule yours.
You can, but we do not recommend it. Every chimney sweep we perform includes a basic visual check, and if we see anything concerning, we will tell you and show you. On older Norcross brick chimneys, especially those with unlined flues, a cleaning without a camera check can leave you with a flue that feels clean but is not safe. The sweep and the Level 2 inspection together cost less than most Norcross homeowners expect, and they answer different questions. One removes buildup. The other tells you whether the chimney is structurally sound. You probably need both.
A Level 2 adds a full video scan of the flue interior, the smoke chamber, and accessible areas of the attic, crawlspace, and roof. A Level 1 is visual only: what we can see from the firebox, the damper, and the rooftop. In Norcross, where so many homes have original clay-tile flues that have never been camera-checked, the Level 2 is the one that actually tells you whether the chimney is safe. It runs $299 – $489, and you get the photos. Estimates are free: call (762) 600-1468.
Most likely because your chimney has no cap, or the cap is damaged. A significant number of Norcross chimneys built before the 1990s were never fitted with a proper cap. Squirrels get in through the open flue in fall, build a nest against the damper, and you hear scratching from the living room. We fix this with a proper cap, typically Olympia Chimney or Famco depending on the flue size, and we show you the nest on camera before removing it. The cap install is usually under $400.
Humidity accelerates creosote accumulation. In Norcross, where summer humidity runs high and wood-burning fireplaces sit unused for months, creosote absorbs moisture from the air and thickens faster than it would in a drier climate. By the time burning season starts, many Norcross chimneys have a sticky, glaze-like stage-two or stage-three creosote layer that needs mechanical removal, not just brushing. That is why annual inspections and cleanings matter more here than they do in, say, Denver. Schedule one before the first fire this fall.
Contact Flint Chimney Co Alpharetta for Your Norcross Chimney Inspection
If you own a brick ranch or split-level in Norcross and you have never seen the inside of your flue, that is the inspection. Our camera finds what the naked eye cannot, and we put it all in writing before any tools come off the truck. One call covers everything: scheduling, pricing, and a straight answer from a live person. Call (762) 600-1468 today for a free estimate, or to ask any question about your chimney. We serve all of Norcross, from Beaver Ruin Road to Pinckneyville Park and every neighborhood in between.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner at Flint Chimney Co Alpharetta, serving Norcross since 2002 as part of the Garrison Partners family of independently owned chimney service companies.