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.
Chimney Company in North Hills, CA
Chimney repair in North Hills usually comes down to one of two problems: cracked clay flue tiles in 1950s and 60s ranch homes, or rusted-out flashing that lets water into the wall cavity every time it rains. We inspect, diagnose, and fix both without tearing apart your roofline unnecessarily. If you own a mid-century home in the 91343 or 91393 zip codes, your chimney was built before modern liner standards existed, which means what’s hiding behind the brick is often the real issue. Call (866) 253-3809 when you suspect something’s wrong; we’ll come out and tell you what we found, with photos.
Why North Hills Homes Are Different
North Hills sits in the San Fernando Valley’s heat island, where summer temperatures routinely break 100 degrees and winter nights dip into the 30s and 40s. That swing matters for masonry. The 1950s-70s single-story ranches and dingbat-style homes along streets off Sepulveda and Roscoe were built with narrow clay tile flues and no factory-built liner, which means creosote doesn’t just build up; it builds up in a passageway that was already undersized before the first fire was lit.
Santa Ana winds make it worse. When they push down from the mountains, they drive embers and smoke back into flues that were never designed for that kind of pressure differential. We’ve walked up to doors in North Hills after a Santa Ana event and found soot staining gray on living-room walls around the fireplace surround. That’s not a dirty chimney. That’s a draft failure. The fall inspection window, roughly October through the first cold snap, is when we catch most of what becomes an urgent February repair.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Main North Hills Services
The two calls we get most from North Hills homeowners are for regular chimney sweeping and for dryer vent cleaning, both tied directly to the Valley’s fire seasons and older housing stock.
Chimney Sweep in North Hills
Most North Hills homes need a sweep at least once a year if the fireplace is used regularly. The narrow clay flues in this neighborhood’s mid-century homes accumulate creosote faster than wider modern flues, and the Santa Ana winds complicate everything about how the chimney draws. Our sweep is also the moment we inspect the liner condition, crown, and flashing, so you leave with more than a clean flue. We tell you what we found and show you the photos. For a deeper look at how the chimney sweep works in North Hills, read the Chimney Sweep in North Hills page.
Dryer Vent Cleaning in North Hills
Your dryer vent is a chimney for hot air and lint. In North Hills, where many laundry rooms are in hall closets of older ranches, vent runs can be long, snaking under the floor or through a wall before they hit the outside. That length means lint accumulates faster, and the dry Valley climate turns it into a quick fuel source. We run rotary brushes through the full vent and let you see the result. This is the same kind of fire-prevention thinking we bring to chimneys. Learn more about the Dryer Vent Cleaning in North Hills service and how it addresses a leading household fire cause.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees — you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Chimney Repair in North Hills
Chimney repair in North Hills differs from neighboring areas because the homes are older, the flues are narrower, and the original builders never installed liners that meet today’s clearances. Water damage is also persistent in this part of the Valley, especially where roof flashing was installed with basic caulk decades ago and then left alone. We work on repairs that keep fire where it belongs and water where it belongs, using professional-grade materials most residential sweeps don’t stock. That includes DuraFlex liner systems and HeatShield resurfacing for flues that would otherwise need a full rebuild. For more on how our repair department operates, see the Chimney Repair page.
Chimney Cap Installation
Signs you need it
You hear birds or see nests at the flue opening, or rain water drips into the firebox during storms.
What it costs in North Hills
A standard cap installation in North Hills runs $220 – $520 depending on flue size and existing chase condition.
How we do it
We measure the flue, mount the cap with mechanical fasteners, and seal the base so wind-driven rain and downdrafts don’t get through.
Chimney Cap Replacement
Signs you need it
The existing cap is rusted through, warped from Santa Ana winds, or missing entirely.
What it costs in North Hills
Replacement typically runs $240 – $540 here, including removal of the old cap and new cap installation.
How we do it
We remove the old unit, clean the flue crown surface, and install a replacement cap sized to the original flue dimensions.
Chimney Liner Installation
Signs you need it
The flue has cracked clay tiles, gaps between tile sections, or the home has a gas appliance venting into an unlined masonry chimney.
What it costs in North Hills
Liner installation here spans $2,200 – $7,500 based on length, diameter, and whether we’re relining an existing masonry flue or adding a liner where none existed.
How we do it
We drop a DuraFlex stainless liner through the existing flue, insulate where required, and connect it to the appliance or fireplace with proper termination at the top.
Chimney Flashing Repair
Signs you need it
Water stains appear on the ceiling near the fireplace, or the flashing is lifted, cracked, or missing along the chimney roofline.
What it costs in North Hills
Flashing repair runs $350 – $900 in North Hills depending on whether we’re resealing an apron or cutting in new step and counter flashing.
How we do it
We remove the old flashing, install new metal where needed, and seal all transitions so water sheds off instead of pooling against the brick.
Chimney Crown Repair
Signs you need it
The concrete crown on top of the chimney is cracked, spalled, or has standing water pooling after rain.
What it costs in North Hills
Expect $500 – $1,200 in this area if we’re resurfacing the crown; full crown replacement lands at the higher end.
How we do it
We resurface damaged crowns with a reinforced cement product or rebuild the crown entirely, then seal it to stop water from entering the chimney system.
What Chimney Repair Costs in North Hills
| Item | Typical range in North Hills |
|---|---|
| Chimney cap installation | $220 – $520 |
| Chimney liner installation | $2,200 – $7,500 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $350 – $900 |
How quickly can you repair a chimney that’s pulling water into the house?
We schedule a site visit first to identify the entry point, then do most flashing and cap work in a single day. Liner work takes longer and depends on flue access.
Will my North Hills chimney actually need a new liner, or can it wait?
Unless we can show you cracked tiles or missing mortar with our camera, we won’t recommend a liner. When the flue is separating, it cannot safely wait another burn season.
Brands We Service in North Hills
We install and repair equipment from the same manufacturers restoration contractors and fire-safety inspectors use: Gelco caps, Olympia Chimney supply components, Famco venting parts, and Copperfield chimney products. These are the parts we keep stocked for the Valley’s typical ranch and dingbat chimneys. Visit our brands to see the full lineup.
See the difference
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After
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AfterPricing for Chimney Company in North Hills, CA
| Service | Typical range in North Hills |
|---|---|
| Chimney cap installation | $220 – $520 |
| Chimney cap replacement | $240 – $540 |
| Chimney liner installation | $2,200 – $7,500 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $350 – $900 |
| Chimney crown repair | $500 – $1,200 |
| Chimney sweep (routine) | $180 – $340 |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $125 – $250 |
In North Hills, two things push repair costs up: flue access from a steep or multi-story roofline, and water damage that’s gone unseen long enough to affect internal masonry. Every job gets an upfront price in writing before we begin, and the number is the number if nothing changes after we open up the work.
Neighborhoods We Serve in North Hills
We cover all of North Hills, including the pockets that feel like their own little towns. That includes the areas around Sepulveda Basin to the south, the residential blocks flanking Roscoe Boulevard, the hillside streets toward the 405 corridor, and the older ranch tracts near Rayen Street. We know these neighborhoods by their chimneys.
- Devonshire corridor
- Sepulveda corridor
- Roscoe Boulevard area
- Woodley Avenue district
- North Hills West
We group our North Hills visits by area when possible, which keeps response time in a reasonable window and means we’re not driving across the Valley between each call.
Service Area – Cities Near North Hills
Imperial Chimney serves North Hills and the surrounding San Fernando Valley. We cover the communities adjacent to North Hills, including parts of Van Nuys, CA, Valley Glen, CA, Encino, CA, and Sherman Oaks, CA. If you’re in one of these neighboring cities, call and we’ll let you know the next available visit.
Serving North Hills, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the North Hills 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 Company in North Hills
We respond to most North Hills calls within one to two business days. The Valley is a contained service area for us, and we schedule by geography so a visit to North Hills doesn’t mean waiting for a crew to cross from the other side of Los Angeles.
Most cap, flashing, and crown repairs don’t require a permit in North Hills. Liner work occasionally triggers a mechanical permit depending on scope. We’ll tell you clearly at the estimate stage whether one is needed and who pulls it.
We do stand-alone inspections for North Hills homeowners and for buyers in escrow. The fee is credited back toward any repair work we do from the report. You get photos and a written summary of what we found.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees — talk to a local chimney cleaning pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you — the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What North Hills Customers Say
"Drop cloths everywhere, HEPA vac, and not a speck of soot on the carpet. I'd been dreading the mess for nothing."
— Adriana Garcia"Fireplace had never drawn properly since we moved in. He found the damper was only opening halfway due to a bent linkage and fixed it in ten minutes."
— Salma Haddad"Good work. The written inspection report took about a week to arrive after I asked for it, which was slower than I expected."
— Christine Lin