Chimney & fireplace
Chimney Inspection Cost Calculator
Prices an inspection, where there are three defined levels and they are not interchangeable.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Hours times crew times rate, plus the call-out. The industry standard defines three inspection levels and the price follows which one applies. A Level 1 covers readily accessible portions and is appropriate for an unchanged appliance in continued service. A Level 2 adds accessible attics, crawl spaces and basements plus a video scan of the flue interior, and is called for on a property transfer, after an operating malfunction or external event, or when the appliance or fuel changes. A Level 3 involves removing components to reach concealed areas and is used where a serious hazard is suspected.
What moves the number
- Which level is required, which is determined by circumstances rather than chosen.
- Whether a video scan is included, which a Level 2 requires.
- Number of flues and appliances in the stack.
- Access to attics, crawl spaces and the roof.
Where this one goes wrong
A sale or transfer calls for a Level 2, and so does a change of appliance or fuel, and a Level 1 performed in those circumstances has not examined what matters. Selling a Level 1 to a buyer who needed a Level 2 leaves them without the information and leaves you having certified less than the situation required. Be explicit about which level was performed and what it did and did not include. The video scan is the part that finds cracked flue tiles and liner failures, which are exactly the defects that are invisible from the firebox and the top, and which cause the carbon monoxide and fire risks the inspection exists to find.
Before you quote
- Determine the required level from the circumstances, not the budget.
- Perform a Level 2 with a video scan on transfers and after any event.
- State in writing which level was performed and what it covered.
Where the rules come from
Questions
About this calculator
What are the levels of chimney inspection?
Level 1 covers readily accessible portions for an unchanged appliance in continued use. Level 2 adds accessible attics, crawl spaces and basements plus a video scan of the flue, and applies on a sale, after a malfunction or event, or when the appliance or fuel changes. Level 3 removes components where a serious hazard is suspected.
Which level do I need when buying a house?
A property transfer calls for a Level 2, which includes the video scan of the flue interior. That scan is what finds cracked tiles and liner failures that are invisible from the firebox or the top, and those are exactly the defects that matter to a buyer.
Is a video scan worth the extra?
It is the part of the inspection that sees inside the flue, where cracked tiles, gaps and liner failures hide. Those are what create carbon monoxide and fire risk, and they cannot be found by looking up from the firebox. On a transfer or after any event it is not optional.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on site (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 2 h.
- People needed. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $125.
- Parts and materials ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $65.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | 2 h |
| People needed | 1 |
| Labour rate charged | $125 |
| Parts and materials | $65 |
| Call-out or diagnostic fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $410 |
| Labour | $250 |
| Before tax | $410 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $410: $250 of labour, $65 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only labour rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Labour rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $63 | $286 |
| $94 | $348 |
| $125 example above | $410 |
| $188 | $536 |
| $250 | $660 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on site (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 2 h.
- People needed
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Labour rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $125.
- Parts and materials ($)
- A money amount, starting at $65.
- Call-out or diagnostic fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.