Most chimney customers book in the fall, all at once, and most of them want a cleaning and a safety check. The sweep is the door opener. The repairs you find are where the bigger tickets are. Price both from your own time and costs.
- Price sweeps by inspection level and flue count, as flat rates.
- Fixr lists chimney cleaning at $100 to $500, with about $400 for a level 2 inspection and cleaning of a wood stove chimney.
- Chimney repair runs $250 to $1,200 in Fixr's guide, with labor at $50 to $150 an hour.
- Book the shoulder months with reminders to past customers so the fall rush is not the only rush.
Start with your labor rate
Start with the wage. The closest group the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes is brickmasons and blockmasons, the closest published group for masonry repair. In its May 2025 wage survey, that group's national mean wage was $32.83 an hour and the median was $29.87 (BLS OEWS 47-2021).
Add your labor burden on top: payroll taxes, workers' comp and any paid time off. If burden in your state comes to 22% of wages, a $28 an hour tech costs you $34.16 an hour. That loaded number is what goes into the job cost.
Fixr lists chimney repair labor at $50 to $150 per hour (Fixr). Height, roof pitch and access all slow the work, so time your own jobs.
Price sweeps and inspections
The National Fire Protection Association's Standard 211, as Fixr summarizes it, calls for chimneys, fireplaces and vents to be inspected every year (Fixr). That makes the sweep a yearly job, and a good one to sell as a recurring visit.
| Service | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Chimney cleaning, typical | $100 to $500 | Fixr |
| Level 2 inspection and cleaning, wood stove | About $400 | Fixr |
| Level 1 inspection and cleaning, gas fireplace | About $85 | Fixr |
| Level 1 with cleaning, one flue | About $175 | Fixr |
| Level 2, two flues | About $450 | Fixr |
| Level 3 inspection and cleaning | Up to $5,000 | Fixr |
Price repairs from what you find
| Repair | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Chimney repair, typical | $250 to $1,200 | Fixr |
| Fix a cracked flue | About $750 | Fixr |
| Superficial chimney cap damage | About $100 | Fixr |
| Replace an extensively damaged flue | About $7,000 | Fixr |
Photograph what you find on the sweep and send the repair as an estimate the same day, while the customer still has the picture in mind.
A worked example: a sweep and level 2 inspection
Every input is an assumption for the example.
- Crew: two people, 2 hours on site plus 0.5 hours of drive = 2.5 hours each
- Loaded labor: 2 x 2.5 x $34.16 = $170.80
- Camera scan, drop cloths and supplies: $35
- Drive: 24 miles x $0.76 = $18.24
- Direct cost: $170.80 + $35 + $18.24 = $224.04
- Overhead plus profit: 30% + 15% = 45% of the price
- Price: $224.04 / 0.55 = $407
Fixr's examples put a level 2 inspection with cleaning at about $400 for a wood stove chimney and $450 for two flues, so $407 sits in the same place. If your own math lands far below that, look at whether you are giving the inspection away.
Spread the season out
Everyone remembers the chimney the first cold night. Reach them earlier. On Grow, campaigns text and email past customers when the season turns, with one tap to book. On Front Office, a yearly sweep can be sold as a maintenance plan that bills itself and books the visit when it comes due.
Repairs you find go out as estimates with up to three options: patch, rebuild the crown, or rebuild and add a new cap.
Common chimney pricing mistakes
- One price for every chimney. Flue count, height and fuel type change the job.
- Free inspections. The inspection is the skilled part. Price it.
- Repairs quoted days later. Send the estimate while you are still in the driveway.
Questions contractors ask
How much should I charge for a chimney sweep?
Your time, supplies and drive, divided by one minus your margin. Fixr lists chimney cleaning at $100 to $500, with about $400 for a level 2 inspection and cleaning of a wood stove chimney.
How much is a chimney inspection?
Fixr gives about $175 for a level 1 inspection with cleaning on one flue and about $450 for a level 2 on two flues.
What does chimney repair cost?
Fixr puts most chimney repairs at $250 to $1,200, with about $750 to fix a cracked flue.
How often should a chimney be inspected?
Fixr summarizes NFPA Standard 211 as calling for an inspection every year.
