Chimney Inspections for Home Sales

The Illinois Residential Real Property Disclosure Report asks sellers two questions that land on the chimney. Item 6 covers leaks or material defects in the roof, ceilings or chimney. Item 13 covers material defects in the fireplace or woodburning stove. The seller answers from what they actually know, without having to investigate, and the form itself says it is not a substitute for any inspection.

That leaves a gap. A general home inspector usually looks at the chimney from the ground and the firebox, not from the roof or up the flue. Our home-sale inspection covers the crown, flashing, brick, flue, damper and every appliance connection, with photos and written findings. It is free. If a hidden problem is suspected deeper in a flue, a camera scan is priced at the inspection.

Signs you need this

• You're about to list a house with a fireplace or a chimney that vents a furnace or water heater
• You're under contract and the home inspector flagged the chimney for a closer look
• You're buying a two-flat or older brick house and want to know what the stack costs to keep up
• Water stains near the chimney that you aren't sure how to answer for
• The fireplace hasn't been used in years and nobody knows why

How we do it

1. Book around the dealTell us the listing or inspection deadline and we offer the earliest open window.
2. Full inspectionRoof and stack, every flue, the firebox, damper and smoke chamber, and the basement connections.
3. Written findingsYou get photos and a written list of what we found, with a price beside anything that needs work.
4. Fix or discloseYou decide whether to fix it before listing, negotiate it, or simply know what you are disclosing.

For sellers

A material defect, as the Illinois form defines it, is a condition that would substantially lower the value of the home or significantly impair health or safety, unless the seller reasonably believes it has been fixed. You fill out the form; we don't. What we give you is a clear picture of the chimney so your answers to items 6 and 13 are based on what's really there.

The law also puts a continuing duty on sellers to update the report before closing if they learn something new. Knowing about a cracked crown in March is better than learning about it from the buyer's inspector in May.

For buyers

About 13.1% of Chicago homes are in two-unit buildings and another 14.4% in three- and four-unit buildings, per the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 survey. If you're buying one, the chimney may serve a fireplace in each unit plus a shared boiler and water heater, and the owner carries the city's carbon monoxide alarm duties, with fines of $500 to $2,000 per day for missing alarms.

Our findings help you ask for a repair or a credit with photos in hand, rather than a vague note in an inspection report.

What the report covers

Every report includes the same core items, in plain language.

• Crown, cap, flashing and the condition of the brick and mortar above the roof
• Each flue: fireplace, furnace or boiler, water heater, and any in a second unit
• Firebox, damper, smoke chamber and hearth
• Signs of water entry, past chimney fires or missing flue tile
• A price beside anything that needs repair