Chimney & fireplace
Chimney Sweep Cost Calculator
Prices a sweep, where what comes out tells you whether the appliance is being run properly.
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 materials and the call-out. A sweep is a reasonably predictable visit: setting up containment and a vacuum, brushing the flue from the appropriate end, clearing the smoke chamber and firebox, and inspecting as you go. What varies is the deposit. Light soot brushes out quickly. Heavy stage two creosote takes considerably longer, and hardened glazed creosote may not brush out at all and needs chemical treatment or rotary removal, which is a different job.
What moves the number
- Deposit type and quantity, which is the main labour variable.
- Flue height and access, including whether roof access is needed.
- Number of flues, since many chimneys serve more than one appliance.
- Whether the appliance is a fireplace, a stove or an insert, which changes access.
Where this one goes wrong
Glazed creosote is the finding that changes the conversation. It is a hard tar-like deposit that forms when flue gases condense, it is highly combustible, and it does not brush off, so it needs chemical treatment over time or mechanical removal rather than a normal sweep. Finding it also means the appliance is being run in a way that produces it, usually unseasoned wood, smouldering fires or an oversized flue, and saying so is more useful than just quoting the removal. On frequency, the usual guidance is an annual inspection with sweeping as needed based on deposit, rather than sweeping on a fixed schedule regardless.
Before you quote
- Identify the creosote stage and quote glazed deposit removal separately.
- Explain what the deposit says about how the appliance is being run.
- Check for more than one flue in the stack.
- Inspect as you sweep rather than treating them as separate visits.
Where the rules come from
Questions
About this calculator
How often should a chimney be swept?
The usual guidance is an annual inspection, with sweeping when the deposit warrants it rather than on a fixed schedule. A chimney used heavily with unseasoned wood may need sweeping more than once a season, while a lightly used one may not need it annually even though the inspection still should happen.
What is glazed creosote and why does it matter?
A hard, tar-like deposit formed when flue gases condense rather than exhausting. It is highly combustible and it does not brush off, so it needs chemical treatment or mechanical removal. Finding it also means the appliance is being run in a way that creates it, which is worth addressing.
Why does my chimney produce so much creosote?
Usually unseasoned wood, fires that smoulder rather than burn hot, or a flue that is oversized or too cool for the appliance. All three let flue gases condense instead of exhausting. Burning dry seasoned wood hot enough is the single biggest change an owner can make.
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.