Chimney Liner Installation
A new pipe inside the old flue for stoves, inserts and furnaces.
Chimney inspection and sweeping
Chimney Inspection in Ottawa, ON
For a chimney inspection in Ottawa, ON, Ottawa Precision Chimney Sweep climbs up, looks at every part you can't see from the lawn and sends you what we found in writing. We check the cap, the crown, the brick, the flashing and the inside of the flue, and a camera scan goes down the flue when a buyer or an insurer wants one.
Last updated
Looking Is Cheaper Than Guessing
An inspection is a written look at the whole chimney, from the cap on top to the firebox at the bottom. It tells you what is fine, what is wearing out and what is dangerous. We have inspected chimneys that looked perfect from the street and had a cracked flue tile you could fit a finger into.
Ottawa Precision Chimney Sweep also provides inspections for home sales, new wood stoves and inserts, and insurance renewals to Ottawa and nearby towns, including Orleans, Kanata, Nepean, Barrhaven and Stittsville. Most visits take about an hour, and you get photos the same week. Not bad. Last year we ran about 140 camera scans, and about one in four found a cracked flue tile. We've seen reports go the other way too, with a clean flue and a note that said nothing needed doing.
Contact UsTypes of Chimney Inspection We Do
Pick the level that matches why you are asking. If you are not sure, tell us the reason and we will say which one fits.
Visual Inspection
The basic yearly look. We check everything we can reach from the roof and the fireplace, from the cap down to the first stretch of flue. Good for a chimney that works fine and burns the same fuel as always.
Camera Scan of the Flue
A small camera goes down the flue so you can watch the screen with us. It shows cracked tiles, gaps and creosote you can't see from the top. This is the one buyers' inspectors and insurers usually ask for.
Home Sale and Insurance Inspection
A written report with photos you can hand to a buyer, a seller or an insurance company. It lists what is fine, what needs work and what is urgent, in plain words and in order of priority.
WETT Report Through a Partner
Some insurers and buyers want a WETT report on a wood stove, insert or fireplace. We arrange it through a partner inspector, then we do any sweeping or repairs the report asks for.
What a Chimney Inspection Costs in Ottawa
- Visual inspection: $120 to $275
- Camera scan of the flue: $250 to $450
- Inspection with a sweep, same visit: $250 to $525
- Written report with photos: included
- WETT report (partner inspector): quoted separately
Prices are before HST. The partner inspector quotes the WETT report on its own.
What Every Inspection Includes
- Cap and spark screen checked
- Crown checked for cracks and drip edge
- Brick and mortar checked for gaps and flaking
- Flashing checked where the chimney meets the roof
- Damper and firebox checked from inside
- Photos and a written report you can keep
How Much Does a Chimney Inspection Cost in Ottawa?
A visual chimney inspection in Ottawa costs $120 to $275 in 2026, and a camera scan of the flue runs $250 to $450. Price depends on how tall the house is and how hard the roof is to climb. A combined sweep and inspection saves a roof trip, so most customers book them together.
| Inspection | Typical price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Visual, fireplace or stove | $120 to $275 | Notes and photos of the cap, crown, brick and flashing |
| Camera scan | $250 to $450 | Everything above plus a recorded look inside the flue |
| Sweep and camera scan together | $250 to $525 | A clean flue and the scan, one roof trip |
| WETT report | Quoted by the partner | The report your insurer or buyer asks for |
If we find something that needs fixing, the repair price comes separately and in writing, and you get to say yes or no.
How Often Should a Chimney Be Inspected?
Once a year for any chimney that sees regular fires, and after any chimney fire, big storm or change of fuel. The Ontario Fire Code expects chimneys to be kept clean and in good repair, which in practice means an annual look. An unused chimney still needs a check every few years for loose brick and a missing cap. People forget.
What Do Level 1, 2 and 3 Inspections Mean?
A Level 1 inspection covers the parts that can be reached without tools, and it suits a chimney that burns the same fuel as before. A Level 2 adds a camera scan of the whole flue and is the usual choice when a house sells or a stove goes in. A Level 3 opens up masonry, and we rarely need it. Before any of them, the first thing we check is the cap, because a missing one explains half the problems below it.
Do I Need a WETT Inspection in Ottawa?
You usually need one when you install a wood stove or insert, buy a house that has one, or renew insurance on a house with wood heat. WETT stands for Wood Energy Technology Transfer, the Canadian body that trains people to inspect wood-burning systems. Your insurer will tell you if it wants the report. Ask them first.
We are not the WETT inspector. We arrange the report through a partner inspector, which means one phone call for you, and we handle the sweeping and any repairs the report calls for. If your insurer needs a particular name on the report, tell us when you book and we will plan around it.
What Does a WETT Report Check?
The inspector checks the clearances between the stove and anything that can burn, the stovepipe, the chimney and the floor protection under the stove. The report lists what meets the installation code and what doesn't. Most stoves pass with small fixes, like a heat shield or a few centimetres of extra clearance. Rarely more.
What Does the Camera Scan Show That Eyes Can't?
Tile liners crack from the inside out, and from the top they look whole. The camera shows the cracks, any gaps at the joints, a bird nest wedged in a bend and how thick the creosote really is. When we find damage, you see it on the screen and don't have to take our word for it, and you decide what to do about it. Simple as that.
When Is a Camera Scan Worth the Money?
When you are buying or selling, when you are putting in a stove or insert, after a chimney fire, and whenever you don't know the age of the liner. For a chimney we have swept and checked for years, a visual look is usually enough. We will tell you which one you need before you book.
What Happens After an Inspection?
You get a short written report with photos, sorted into three piles: fine, fix this year and fix now. If the chimney is fine, that is the end of it. Done. If it needs a repair, you get a written price and a plain explanation of what happens if you wait a season.
A Written Price First
We climb up, look, and send you the price in writing. If a chimney needs nothing but a sweep, that is all you pay for.
Contact UsWETT Reports, Arranged for You
Insurers and buyers sometimes ask for one on a wood stove or insert. We arrange it with a partner inspector.
Contact UsQuestions we hear
Chimney Inspection FAQs
Do you inspect chimneys on gas fireplaces?
Yes. The flue behind a gas fireplace still needs a look, mostly for blockage, a loose cap or water damage. Gas leaves little creosote but it still makes moisture, and that moisture is what eats a flue from the inside. We don't service the gas appliance itself.
Will you give me a report my insurer accepts?
Most insurers accept a written inspection report with photos. A few ask for a WETT report specifically, and for that we arrange a partner inspector. Check with your insurer first and tell us what they asked for, so we send the right paperwork the first time.
Can you inspect a chimney I am about to buy a house with?
Yes, and that is one of the best times to do it. Ask your realtor to book us before your conditions are removed, and we will send a written report with photos you can use in negotiation. A lined, capped chimney in good shape can be a selling point.
Our Other Chimney Services
Chimney Cap Installation
Caps, rain caps and chase covers that keep water and animals out.
Chimney Crown Repair
The concrete lid on top of the brick, sealed or rebuilt.
Chimney Repointing
Crumbling mortar chiselled out and replaced before the brick fails.
Chimney Rebuild
Partial and full rebuilds, and chimney removal when it's time.
Chimney Leak Repair
Flashing, crown and cap fixed where the water is really getting in.
Free estimate
Tell Us About Your Chimney
Leave your name, number and a line about the chimney. We call back to set up a look, and the written price follows.
- Written price before any work
- Free estimates around Ottawa
- Drop sheets and a tidy finish every visit