Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Fast, Reliable Chimney Sweep Across Running Springs
Chimney sweeping in Running Springs runs $180 – $340 for a standard fireplace or wood stove, and we typically book within a few days, not weeks. If you live off Highway 18, around Live Oak Drive, or up toward the Keller Peak side of town, you know how fast creosote builds when the stove runs from October through April. Call (855) 382-6159 and we’ll get a camera into your flue before we recommend a single repair.
You don’t need a sales pitch when you’re burning wood at 6,000 feet. You need to know what’s inside the stack. We’re Chimney Sweep technicians who work with older mountain chimneys every week, and we make a point of showing you what we see, on camera, line by line. No guesswork, no scare tactics.
Why Corona Chimney Sweep Is Running Springs’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
Running Springs is full of cabins and chalets built between the 1940s and the 1970s, and a lot of the chimneys on those homes were crude when they went in. We’re not surprised anymore when we find an unlined flue with crumbling clay tile, or a wood stove venting into a stack that was sized for a fireplace grate. That’s the job. We’ve swept hundreds of them.
Homeowners here tell us the same thing over and over. They got a sweep from a company that brushed the flue and left, then later found out the liner was cracked and now needs a $4,000 replacement. We don’t leave people in that position. If we find a problem during the sweep, you see it on the camera footage before we quote the repair. Nolan Ferris built the company around that transparency, and it’s why people in Running Springs call us back.
We stock HeatShield, Gelco, and Olympia Chimney materials, so when a Running Springs chimney has hairline cracks in a clay-tile flue, we don’t have to tell you to wait for parts or pay for a full liner replacement if you don’t need one. The repair option is on the table because we’re equipped to do the work, not refer it out.
Styles & brands we work with
Gas Fireplace Cleaning in Running Springs
Gas Fireplace Cleaning in Running Springs is something people often skip because they assume gas means clean. It doesn’t. The glass fogs, the burner ports clog with dust and soot, and the logs break down over time. We pull the glass, clean the media and burner, check the venting, and verify the unit still drafts properly. A standard gas fireplace cleaning in Running Springs runs $150 – $250, and it should be done annually if you run the unit regularly during the winter.
What We Check on a Gas Unit
We check the thermocouple, the pilot assembly, and the vent termination. On a lot of Running Springs cabins, the vent cap has taken snow load damage or a squirrel has nested in the termination. That’s a carbon monoxide risk, and it’s often found before the cleaning even starts.
When to Schedule
Right before the first freeze. October is our busiest month for gas fireplace cleaning in Running Springs because people turn the heat on for the first time and smell dust burning off. If you’re already smelling something, let’s get it looked at now.
Chimney Maintenance in Running Springs
Chimney Maintenance in Running Springs means more than an annual sweep, especially when a home has a wood stove or insert that sees daily use from November through March. We talk about maintenance as a cycle: inspect, sweep, repair as needed, and keep records so you’re covered if an insurance carrier asks about wildfire readiness or fireplace safety. Annual maintenance on a wood-burning chimney in Running Springs typically runs $180 – $340, with additional costs if repairs are required.
What a Maintenance Visit Includes
At minimum, we clean the flue, check the draft, inspect the cap and flashing from the roof, and camera the interior. If we find hairline cracks in a clay-tile liner, we’ll talk about HeatShield resurfacing. If the cap is crushed from a snow-loaded pine branch, we’ll replace it with one that won’t trap embers.
Why Mountain Chimneys Need More
Altitude changes draft. Older Running Springs cabins with unlined flues and short chimneys often struggle to pull enough air, leading to smoke rollout and heavy creosote formation. Maintenance here is about keeping the system working in conditions it wasn’t originally designed for. We check for that specifically.
Trusted Brands We Service in Running Springs
We install and service materials from a small set of manufacturers we trust in mountain conditions: HeatShield for flue resurfacing, Gelco for caps and chase covers, and Olympia Chimney for liners and components. These are the same brands stocked in contractor supply houses, not big-box substitutes. For Running Springs customers, that means when we find a deteriorated flue, we can often move to repair quickly, without waiting two weeks for parts. We keep the most common liner and cap sizes on our trucks because we know the housing stock here.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Running Springs Homes
- Third-degree creosote glaze on clay tile. A brush won’t remove it. We see this on wood stoves that ran hot and cold through a freeze-thaw season, and it takes chemical treatment or mechanical removal after the camera tells us it’s there.
- Undersized liners on wood stove installs. A 1970s chalet in Running Springs often had a fireplace, then someone added a wood stove and kept the same flue. The draft suffers, creosote builds, and the system drafts poorly. We check liner sizing during every sweep.
- Snow-crushed caps and animal nests. Steep roofs here shed snow, and caps take hits. Squirrels and birds find their way into uncapped or damaged flues, especially on vacation cabins that sit empty for months.
- Spalling mortar in the smoke chamber. Freeze-thaw cycles in Running Springs break down masonry joints, and the mortar ends up falling onto the smoke shelf. We find it on camera and fix it before the flue gets worse.
Pricing for Chimney Sweep in Running Springs, CA
A standard chimney sweep in Running Springs costs $180 – $340, depending on the level of creosote and the chimney’s condition. Gas fireplace cleaning runs $150 – $250. A Level 2 camera inspection, often needed for real estate sales or after a chimney fire, starts around $250. If we find a clay-tile flue that qualifies for HeatShield resurfacing, that runs $2,500 – $4,500, which is far less than a full liner replacement. You’ll get a flat quote before we start anything beyond the sweep, and a free estimate is always available by phone at (855) 382-6159.
We Also Serve Cities Near Running Springs
We take calls across the San Bernardino Mountains. If you’re in Running Springs, you’re already covered, and we regularly work in Lake Arrowhead, Highland, Mentone, and Crestline. Same crew, same camera-first approach, same pricing structure. Call (855) 382-6159 and tell us what you’re burning.
Serving Running Springs, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Running Springs area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Chimney Sweep in Running Springs
Because a brush cannot reveal cracked clay tiles, spalling mortar, or third-degree creosote glaze, all of which are common in 1940s – 1970s mountain cabins. We run a camera up the flue before we sweep, and we show you the footage. That way, the sweep addresses what’s actually there, not what a technician guesses from the roof. Call (855) 382-6159 to book a sweep with camera inspection in Running Springs.
Get the flue sized and inspected before the insert goes in. Many older Running Springs chimneys have clay liners sized for an open fireplace, not a modern wood stove. An undersized liner means poor draft, heavy creosote, and a fire risk. We’ll camera the flue, measure it, and tell you whether a DuraFlex stainless liner or a HeatShield resurfacing is the right route. Estimates are free at (855) 382-6159.
Once a year, before burning season, is the answer for most Running Springs homes. If you burn wood daily from October through April, sweep annually without exception. If you burn occasionally or only on weekends, every other year may work, but get a camera inspection the first year to establish a baseline. Call (855) 382-6159 and we’ll check the calendar.
Yes. Unused chimneys collect moisture, animal nests, and creosote residue that hardens and corrodes the liner over time. We find squirrel nests and bird debris in Running Springs vacation homes regularly, usually because a cap was never installed or got knocked off by snow. Before you light the first fire of the season, have the flue swept and camera-inspected. Booking is available at (855) 382-6159.
Third-degree creosote looks like a shiny, tar-like glaze coating the flue walls, and it often smells sharp or acrid even when the stove is cold. You might notice sluggish fires, smoke backing into the room, or a dull roar from the chimney during a burn. This is a serious fire hazard and cannot be brushed away. We treat it chemically, then mechanically remove it after the camera confirms what we’re dealing with. If you suspect it, call (855) 382-6159 before you light another fire.
Written by Nolan Ferris, Owner at Corona Chimney Sweep, serving Running Springs and the San Bernardino Mountains.