Level 2 chimney inspection in San Pedro with a full video scan

A house that smells like a campfire the morning after a fire, or a gas fireplace that leaves a headache in the room, often has a flue problem nobody can see from the damper. A Level 2 inspection is how we look. NFPA 211 describes it as the step up from a basic visual check, used when a home changes hands, when the appliance or fuel type changes, or after an event like an earthquake or a chimney fire. In practice it means a camera run from the firebox or the top of the stack through the whole length of the flue, plus the accessible parts of the chimney in the attic, on the roof, and in the crawl space. We record the scan and look for cracked or missing clay tile, open joints between liner sections, offsets that trap creosote, and gaps where flue gas can slip into the framing. Those defects let smoke and carbon monoxide leak sideways instead of going up and out, and they weaken draft because the flue stops acting like a sealed tube.

Pricing for this inspection is $370. The time it takes varies with the work: a single straight flue with easy roof access takes far less time than a tall stack with a bend, a liner that needs sweeping before the camera can see anything, or an attic chase that has to be checked on hands and knees. The price stays the same. After the scan you get a written report with stills from the video, a plain description of each defect, and what it means for the way the fireplace draws and vents. If repair is needed, that is quoted separately in writing, and you are free to take the report anywhere. Sellers and buyers use it during escrow. Owners use it after a smoky season to learn why the fireplace keeps spilling. Some order it before switching from wood to a gas insert, because a liner that was fine for wood may not suit a gas appliance.

Real estate deals drive a large share of these scans in San Pedro and the South Bay. A buyer touring an older house in Belmont Heights sees a handsome brick fireplace and has no way to know whether the liner behind it cracked long ago. The camera answers that during the contingency period, while a defect can still be negotiated. Earthquakes are the other trigger. Even a moderate shake can open joints between clay tiles without leaving a mark on the outside brick, and this city has a long memory of what happened to masonry chimneys in 1933. If the house has felt a jolt since the last inspection, a video scan is the honest way to check. Coastal air plays a part as well. Salt and moisture work on mortar, steel caps, and dampers year after year, and a flue that stays damp drafts slowly and smells musty through the summer.

Homes in Torrance, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills Estates, and Rancho Palos Verdes get the same procedure and the same report format, so a buyer comparing two houses can read them side by side. We note the flue size against the fireplace opening, since an undersized liner is one of the quiet reasons a fireplace smokes, and we record any signs of a past chimney fire such as glazed creosote or heat-checked tiles. A CO reading is taken in the room during the visit when there is a working appliance to test. If something in the scan is urgent, such as an open liner next to framing, we will tell you not to use the fireplace until it is fixed, and explain why in plain terms. Book through the form or the phone link at the top of the page. Mention whether it is for a sale, after an earthquake, or because of smoke or smell, and we will plan the visit around that.