Chimney and fireplace service in Evanston
Four in ten Evanston homes were built before 1940, right on the lake. We inspect the chimney for free and give you a written price before any work.
Evanston was incorporated in 1863 around Northwestern University, which was founded in 1851 on a wooded bluff by the lake, and much of the city's housing is nearly as old. The Census Bureau's 2020–2024 survey counts 40.3 percent of Evanston's 34,095 housing units as built before 1940, about 13,700 of them, and the median home dates to 1953. The mix is unusual for the North Shore: 7.2 percent of units are in two-unit buildings, 5.8 percent in three- and four-unit buildings and 31.7 percent in buildings of 20 or more.
Gas heats 75.3 percent of homes, so in an older Evanston house the chimney normally vents the furnace or boiler and the water heater next to the fireplace. We check every flue at the free inspection, from the roof and from inside, and write down a price before anything is touched.
Lake-effect snow on the bluff
On November 9 and 10, 2025, the National Weather Service measured 5.2 inches of lake-effect snow just east of Evanston, while O'Hare, inland, recorded 1.7. Bands like that don't come every winter, but when they do they load lakefront roofs with heavy, wet snow that melts against the chimney for days.
That is how a dry chimney becomes a ceiling stain. Water gets in at failed flashing, at a cracked crown or through a missing cap, and then the roughly 78 days a year when O'Hare swings across the freezing line (derived from NOAA's 1991–2020 normals) pry the cracks wider. Leak sealing typically runs $150 to $500, flashing $300 to $1,800 and a chimney cap $200 to $850.
Old brick, two-flats and apartment stacks
Evanston's prewar houses and flats carry the same kind of brick chimney as the city just south of Howard Street, often with old lime mortar and clay tiles that have cracked over a century of heating seasons. We repoint with mortar softer than the brick, following the National Park Service's guidance, and where a face has spalled we replace it with salvaged brick. Chimney tuckpointing typically runs $500 to $2,500.
In a two-flat or small apartment building, one chimney may carry several boilers and water heaters. Illinois law requires a CO alarm within 15 feet of every sleeping room in each unit of a building that burns fossil fuel, and the owner installs them. A stainless liner typically runs $900 to $3,800.
Where we work in Evanston
Southeast Evanston · Lakeshore Historic District · Ridge Avenue · Northwest Evanston · Central Street · Downtown Evanston · Dempster Street · South Boulevard · Main Street · West Evanston
FAQ
Evanston chimney questions
Why does my Evanston chimney leak after heavy snow?
Usually because snow piled against the chimney melts into a gap in the flashing or a crack in the crown. Lakefront neighborhoods get more of that wet snow in lake-effect events. At the free inspection we find where the water enters and price the fix before we start.
Does my historic Evanston house need city approval for chimney work?
It can, depending on whether the house is a landmark or in a historic district and what the work involves. We check what the city requires for your address before work starts and help you prepare photos and a scope if a review is needed.
How much does a chimney sweep cost in Evanston?
We price the cleaning at the free inspection, once we have seen the flue, and you have the price in writing before any work. Booking is Sunday to Friday in 3-hour windows, and we call to confirm.
Who do I call if I smell gas in Evanston?
Leave the house and call Nicor Gas at 888-642-6748 and 911 from outside, without using switches on the way out. Once it is safe, we can look at the fireplace, vent and chimney.
Book online
Book in Evanston. The inspection is free.
Free inspection in a 3-hour window: 8 to 11, 11 to 2, or 2 to 5. We call to confirm before we arrive.