Fast, Reliable Chimney Cleaning & Sweep Across Arlington Heights
A typical chimney cleaning and sweep in Arlington Heights runs $189-$349, and most jobs are completed in a single visit with our Chimney Cleaning & Sweep team. We’re familiar with the specific chimney issues that come with Arlington Heights’s 1950s-1970s housing stock, from dual-flue masonry chimneys along the Metra UP-NW corridor to the heavier freeze-thaw wear that hits northwest Cook County harder than lakeside suburbs. Call (888) 289-6055 - a live person answers, 24 hours a day, every day.
Why Hearthstone Chimney Co. of Chicago Is Arlington Heights’s Preferred Chimney Cleaning & Sweep Company
We’ve been serving Arlington Heights and the northwest suburbs since 2014 - over 42 years - and we’ve swept chimneys in every neighborhood from Scarsdale to Hasbrook to the older subdivisions near downtown. Our technicians know the difference between a 1962 ranch on Belmont Avenue and a 1975 split-level near Recreation Park, and they arrive with the right equipment for both.
Arlington Heights homeowners call us because we document what we find. Every Level 2 inspection ends with photos you can see and a plain-English verdict - no jargon, no scare tactics. If your chimney needs more than a sweep, we tell you exactly why, show you the evidence, and give you upfront pricing before any additional work begins. The number on the estimate is the number on the invoice.
We’re typically on-site in Arlington Heights within 24-48 hours of your call, and most cleanings and inspections are completed in one trip. That’s not an accident. Our trucks carry HeatShield refractory mortar, DuraFlex liners, and the full range of rotary whip kits needed for Arlington Heights’s heavier creosote buildup - so we don’t waste your time with a return visit for parts.
Our 90-Day Done Right Promise applies to every Arlington Heights job: in writing, no arguing. If it’s not right, we come back and make it right. A company that plans to be in town thirty years from now acts accordingly.
Our Chimney Cleaning & Sweep Services in Arlington Heights
Level 1 Inspection
A Level 1 inspection is the standard annual check for Arlington Heights chimneys that haven’t changed hands or experienced any dramatic events - no fires, no earthquakes, no new appliance installations. We examine the readily accessible portions of your chimney’s exterior, interior, and connections, checking for obstructions, creosote buildup, and basic structural soundness. For the thousands of ranch and split-level homes in ZIP codes 60004, 60005, and 60006, this is the baseline that keeps your homeowner’s insurance valid and your fireplace safe for another season.

Level 2 Inspection
Level 2 inspections are where Arlington Heights’s housing stock gets interesting - and where we earn our reputation. Using a high-resolution camera system, we inspect every surface of your flue liner, smoke chamber, and chimney interior. In Arlington Heights’s 1950s-1970s neighborhoods, we regularly find what a basic sweep misses: cracked clay liners, deteriorated mortar joints, and the grandfathered dual-flue configurations that no longer meet Cook County standards. We recently serviced a 1960s split-level on Chestnut Avenue near the Metra station where the homeowner called for a routine sweep, but our Level 2 inspection revealed an unlined fireplace flue sharing a chase with a gas furnace flue - a classic Arlington Heights grandfathered setup. Using our HeatShield system, we installed a stainless steel liner for the furnace flue and sealed the chase, all in one trip, avoiding the need for a second call. Photos you can see, a plain-English verdict. Done right - and we stand behind it.

Creosote Removal
Arlington Heights sits far enough from Lake Michigan that winter hits harder and lasts longer than in lakeside suburbs. That means more nights with the fireplace burning, more creosote accumulation, and more calls in October from homeowners who haven’t swept since the previous administration. We remove all three stages of creosote: the flaky first-degree deposits, the tar-like second-degree buildup, and the hardened, glassy third-degree glaze that requires a rotary whip kit and professional-grade solvents. Self-reliant Arlington Heights homeowners sometimes attempt DIY cleaning with chemical logs, which remove only surface creosote but leave behind glassy third-degree deposits that require mechanical removal by a pro with a rotary whip kit. We’ll tell you honestly what stage you’re at and what it takes to fix it. No surprises on the bill.

Soot Removal
Soot is the lighter, carbon-heavy residue that coats fireboxes, smoke chambers, and damper assemblies - especially in Arlington Heights homes where homeowners burn unseasoned wood or run their fireplaces as primary heat sources during those northwest-suburban cold snaps. We remove soot from the firebox, smoke shelf, and accessible damper areas, checking for proper draft and ventilation while we’re in there. Soot accumulation restricts airflow, reduces efficiency, and can produce odors when humidity rises in spring. A clean system draws better, burns cleaner, and puts less strain on your chimney’s already-aging masonry.

Annual Sweep
For Arlington Heights homeowners with wood-burning fireplaces, an annual sweep isn’t a suggestion - it’s the NFPA 211 standard, and it’s what your insurance company expects to see documented. We schedule annual sweeps with full Level 1 inspection for homeowners across Scarsdale, Hasbrook, and the neighborhoods near Lake Arlington, sending reminder calls before the burning season starts. Our technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and complete most jobs in a single visit. We’ll be there when we say.

Fireplace Cleaning
Fireplace cleaning in Arlington Heights addresses the visible and hidden components: firebox refractory panels, grate assemblies, ash dumps, and the smoke chamber above the damper. In older homes with original construction, we often find deteriorated mortar in the firebox joints - a fire hazard that a simple sweep won’t catch. We clean, inspect, and report. If your firebox needs refractory repair or your smoke chamber needs parging, we tell you upfront and price it honestly.

What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Arlington Heights
We don’t use builder-grade substitutes, and we don’t make you wait for special orders. Our Arlington Heights service trucks stock professional-grade materials from DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Olympia Chimney - the brands we trust for liners, refractory repair, and caps because they’ve proven themselves in Chicago’s freeze-thaw climate. When we find a cracked crown or failed liner during your Arlington Heights cleaning, we can often complete the repair that same day. Fast turnaround, done right. That’s the Keystone Standard.
Common Chimney Cleaning & Sweep Problems We See in Arlington Heights Homes
- Grandfathered dual-flue configurations. Many Arlington Heights homes built between 1950 and 1970 feature original dual-flue chimneys (one for wood fireplace, one for gas furnace) that now share the same chase without proper separation, a code-deficiency common along the Metra UP-NW corridor that forces mandatory remediation under Cook County inspection standards during service. We find this in older neighborhoods from downtown to the UP-NW line, and we fix it with documented, code-compliant relining.
- Freeze-thaw mortar destruction. Arlington Heights experiences more hard freeze-thaw cycles per winter than lakeside suburbs - a pattern that aggressively spalls brick faces and erodes mortar joints on exposed chimney crowns and shoulders. Homeowners assume an annual sweep is enough, but the freeze-thaw cycle in Arlington Heights (more cycles than lakeside suburbs) cracks mortar and crowns, meaning sweep-only visits miss structural issues that require tuckpointing or relining.
- Heavy creosote from extended burning seasons. Arlington Heights homeowners run wood-burning fireplaces heavily from October through March, accelerating creosote accumulation in chimneys that may not have been cleaned since the previous decade. By February, we’re removing third-degree glaze that started as first-degree flakes three seasons ago.
- Failed chimney crowns on 50-70 year old masonry. The dominant housing stock in Arlington Heights is 1950s-1970s brick ranch and split-level construction, where masonry chimneys were routinely built with two or three flues. These same-era chimneys are reaching the end of their original mortar life simultaneously across entire subdivisions, creating high demand for relining and tuckpointing alongside routine sweeping.
Pricing for Chimney Cleaning & Sweep in Arlington Heights, IL
Here’s what Arlington Heights homeowners can expect:
- Annual sweep with Level 1 inspection: $189-$249
- Level 2 camera inspection: $279-$349
- Creosote removal (standard, first- and second-degree): included in sweep pricing
- Third-degree glazed creosote removal with rotary whip: add $150-$280
- Fireplace firebox cleaning and inspection: $149-$199 (when performed separately)
- Chimney cap or crown repair discovered during service: $340-$890, priced before work begins
What affects cost? The age and condition of your chimney, the severity of creosote buildup, accessibility of your roofline, and whether we find structural issues that need addressing. We don’t bait-and-switch. If our Level 2 inspection reveals tuckpointing or relining needs, we show you the photos, explain the code requirements, and give you a written estimate with no pressure. Call (888) 289-6055 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
We Also Serve Cities Near Arlington Heights
Our Chimney Cleaning & Sweep in Arlington Heights crew also responds to calls in Rolling Meadows, Prospect Heights, Mount Prospect, and Palatine - the same northwest Cook County service area we’ve covered for over four decades. Same trucks, same technicians, same 90-Day Done Right Promise.
Serving Arlington Heights, IL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Arlington Heights 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 - Chimney Cleaning & Sweep in Arlington Heights
No - this configuration is no longer code-compliant under current Cook County inspection standards, though many were grandfathered for decades. The unlined fireplace flue and gas furnace flue sharing a single chase can allow exhaust gases to migrate between flues, creating carbon monoxide risks and accelerated deterioration. We address this with a Level 2 inspection to document the condition, then install a proper stainless steel liner for the gas flue and seal the separation. Call (888) 289-6055 to schedule - estimates are free.
Because cleaning removes combustible deposits but does not restore cracked mortar, spalled brick, or failed crowns. Arlington Heights’s northwest-suburban location subjects chimneys to more freeze-thaw cycles than lakeside suburbs, and the 1950s-1970s housing stock is reaching the end of its original mortar life simultaneously. We document structural issues with photos during every Level 2 inspection and explain what requires attention versus what can be monitored. Call (888) 289-6055 for a documented assessment - estimates are free.
We service detached workshop chimneys for Arlington Heights properties with outbuildings, and we carry the equipment to handle them. However, garage door springs are not a chimney service - we recommend a qualified garage door contractor for those. For workshop chimneys, the same inspection and cleaning standards apply, and we often find they haven’t been serviced in decades. Call (888) 289-6055 to discuss your specific setup - estimates are free.
Yes - this is one of our most common Arlington Heights jobs. We install DuraFlex stainless steel liners sized to your furnace’s BTU output and venting requirements, completing most liner installations in a single day. We recently handled exactly this scenario on Chestnut Avenue near the Metra station, combining the liner installation with a full chase seal in one trip. Call (888) 289-6055 to schedule - estimates are free.
The NFPA 211 standard is annually, and for Arlington Heights homeowners who burn regularly from October through March, we recommend adhering to that schedule strictly. The heavier burning season in our climate produces more creosote faster than in milder regions. If you burn more than three times per week during winter, consider a mid-season inspection. Call (888) 289-6055 to set up annual reminders - estimates are free.
Written by the team at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Arlington Heights and Chicago’s northwest suburbs since 2014.