The short version
A standard sweep of one wood-burning fireplace flue in Toronto costs $200 with Northmark this winter. That is the whole job: the flue, the smoke chamber and the firebox brushed and vacuumed, the floor covered, photos of the inside of the chimney, and the 19-point inspection — which is free whether or not you book the sweep.
If you have been quoted much less than that, read the section on cheap quotes below before you book. If you have been quoted much more, ask what is included: a sweep and a repair are different jobs, and should be priced separately.
What changes the price of a chimney cleaning
- How many flues. A house with a fireplace and a separate furnace or boiler flue has two flues in one chimney. Each one is swept separately.
- How much creosote, and what kind. Light, flaky soot brushes out. Glazed, tar-like creosote — the result of years of slow, smoky fires — has to be removed with different tools and takes longer. We tell you which you have from the photos.
- Access. A chimney that can only be swept from the roof, a very tall chimney, or a flue with offsets takes more time than a straight flue swept from the fireplace.
- Blockages. Nests, leaves and the remains of animals have to be removed before the sweep can happen. That is extra work, and we show you the photos before we do it.
- Inserts and stoves. A wood-burning insert or stove usually has to be partly disconnected to reach the flue properly. It is still a sweep, but it is not a ten-minute one.
What a proper sweep should include
Whatever you pay, these should be part of it. If a quote does not include them, it is not the same job:
- The flue, the smoke chamber and the firebox — not just the flue.
- A vacuum running while the brushing happens, so the soot does not end up in your living room.
- Drop cloths on the floor and the hearth.
- A look at the whole system: the damper, the cap, the crown, the liner — and photos of what the technician finds.
- A clear answer to the question that matters: is this chimney safe to use this winter?
Why some quotes are so cheap
A very low sweep price is usually one of two things. Either it is a quick brush of the flue only, with no inspection and no photos, or it is a door-opener: the sweep is cheap and the visit ends with an urgent, expensive repair you cannot see for yourself.
Our rule is the opposite. The inspection is free, the sweep is $200, and if we find something that needs fixing you get the photos and the price in writing before any work starts. You can take those photos to anyone else for a second opinion.
When a cleaning is not enough
A sweep removes soot and creosote. It does not fix a cracked flue tile, a crumbling crown, open mortar joints or a missing cap — and those are what the inspection is for. The common findings in Toronto homes, in rough order of how often we see them:
- No cap, or a rusted one, letting rain and animals into the flue.
- A cracked or crumbling crown at the top of the chimney.
- Mortar joints above the roofline that have weathered open.
- Flashing that has pulled away from the brick, showing up as a stain on the ceiling near the chimney.
- Cracked clay flue tiles, which only a camera inspection shows.
None of these change the price of the sweep. They are separate decisions, made with photos in hand. See how we price repairs.
How often should a chimney be cleaned?
Once a year if you use the fireplace regularly, and in any case before the first fire of the season. A chimney that has not been used for a year or more should be inspected before it is lit again — nests and moisture damage happen while it sits idle.