Binghamton Master Chimney Sweep: Chimney Sweep, Inspection & Repair in Binghamton, NY
A camera inspection with every chimney cleaning
Chimney cleaning, camera inspections, liners, caps, crowns and brick repair for Binghamton homes, with the price written down before anyone climbs a ladder.
Binghamton Master Chimney Sweep sweeps, inspects and repairs chimneys on Binghamton houses, and we do all three on the same visit when we can. We brush the flue clean, run a camera down it, then tell you plainly what we saw: a cracked flue tile, a crumbling crown, a cap that blew off in the last storm. If it needs fixing, our crew relines it, caps it or repoints the brick so the next winter doesn't finish the job.
Most chimneys around here are 70 to 100 years old and stand out in 133 freezing days a year. That's a hard life for brick and mortar. Here is how we look after yours:
1. Chimney Cleaning With an Inspection on Every Flue
Every chimney cleaning ends with a look down the whole flue with a light and camera. It's part of the $250, not an upsell. We've found cracked tiles in about 1 of every 4 old flues we sweep, so we'd rather you see it on the screen than take our word for it.
2. Flat Chimney Sweep Prices, Written Down
$250 for the first flue, $150 for each extra flue on the same house, $150 for an inspection by itself. Repairs get a written price before we start, and the price doesn't grow if the job takes longer than we thought.
4. Chimney Liners and Caps for Stoves, Inserts and Furnaces
A cracked clay flue gets a stainless steel liner sized to whatever burns below it. A stove, an insert, an oil furnace and a gas water heater each need a different size and grade of steel. The wrong one drafts badly or rusts out early.
5. 30 Years of Chimney Experience in Binghamton
Our sweeps have been on Southern Tier roofs for 30 years, from First Ward two-families to farmhouses past Whitney Point. We sweep about 1,400 flues a year, and in our experience a 1920s Binghamton chimney tells you most of its story before we open the damper.
“Brush first, then the camera.”
It's how every visit goes, from Johnson City to Conklin. For a chimney sweep in Binghamton who writes the price down first, contact Binghamton Master Chimney Sweep.
Brush first.Then the camera.30 years in Broome County
Tom showed me the camera footage of our flue before he said a word about price. Two cracked tiles near the top, plain as day. The liner went in a week later and the stove has never drafted better.
Linda K. · West Side, Binghamton
Drop cloths from the door to the hearth, vacuum running the whole time, and the living room looked better when they left. Sweep and inspection were the $250 they quoted on the phone.
Mike D. · Endwell
We had bricks landing in the gutter every spring. They rebuilt the top of the chimney and poured a new crown, and explained why the old hard mortar was part of the problem.
Carol & Jim P. · Vestal
Squirrels had moved into our chimney. Binghamton Master Chimney cleared the nest, swept both flues and put a stainless cap on. Quiet ever since.
Dave S. · Johnson City
We booked in June like they suggested and had the sweep done in a week. Friends who waited until October were still waiting at Thanksgiving.
When the stove smells smoky, the fireplace drafts backward or a brick shows up in the gutter, you want a chimney sweep who's seen that chimney's twin a hundred times. Around here, we probably have.
Flat chimney sweep prices, a camera on every flue and one crew from the brush to the brick, chimney repair included. Every time we finish a sweep we leave the notes and photos with you, and that's a big part of why Broome County homeowners keep calling us back each fall.
Oil and gas exhaust is wet and acidic. In an old clay flue it eats the mortar from the inside. A sized stainless liner stops that, and furnace techs often ask for one before they sign off.
Glazed Creosote Removal
Shiny, hard creosote won't come off with a brush. We use rotary tools and chemical treatments for creosote removal, and we price that extra work before we start.
Prefab Chimneys for New Wood Stoves
No brick chimney where the stove is going? We run an insulated Class A metal chimney for a wood stove through the ceiling and roof, with the clearances to wood that the code asks for.
Chimney Leak Repair
Water stains on the ceiling beside the chimney usually trace to the crown, the flashing seal or thirsty brick. Last spring we traced 9 of 10 leak calls to one of those three. Our chimney waterproofing uses a breathable sealer so the brick can still dry out.
Level 2 Inspections for Home Sales
Buying an old house? A Level 2 chimney inspection puts a camera through every flue, checks the attic and basement, and gives you a written report for the closing.
Wood Stove & Insert Sweeping
Stoves burn hotter and longer than open fireplaces, so their flues fill faster. We sweep wood stove chimneys from the top or through the stove, and clean the baffle while we're there.
Two flues, one visit
Furnace flue and fireplace flue on the same house? The second one is $150 when our chimney sweep does both on one trip.
A chimney sweep in Binghamton costs $250 with us for the first flue, and that includes a camera inspection. Each extra flue on the same house is $150, and an inspection without a sweep is $150. Heavy glazed creosote and repairs are priced on site. Here is what 2026 jobs usually run:
Job
What it covers
Price
Chimney sweep, first flue
Brush, vacuum, camera inspection
$250
Each extra flue, same visit
Furnace, second fireplace or stove
$150
Inspection only
Light and camera, written notes
$150
Stainless chimney cap
Fitted cap with screen, one or more flues
$200 to $650
Crown repair or rebuild
Crack sealing to a new poured crown
$250 to $2,500
Stainless liner
Gas, oil or wood, insulated where needed
$1,200 to $4,500
Tax extra. Owego, Apalachin, Whitney Point, Lisle, Greene and Deposit add a $20 trip charge.
Nine jobs make up almost everything we do on Binghamton houses. Here's what each one is and when you need it.
Chimney Sweep & Chimney Cleaning
We brush the flue from the top or the bottom, vacuum the smoke shelf and firebox, and lay drop cloths from the hearth to the door. Most sweeps take 60 to 90 minutes. Once a year is the rule for any chimney you burn wood in.
Chimney Inspection
A Level 1 inspection comes with every sweep. A Level 2 adds a full camera scan, the attic and the basement, and it's the one to get when you buy a house, change a stove or after a chimney fire. See chimney inspection.
Fireplace Cleaning
Open fireplaces get the firebox and the area above it cleaned along with the flue. We also check that the damper seals, because a stuck-open damper pulls warm air up the chimney all winter.
Wood Stove Chimney Cleaning
Stoves and inserts run hot for months, so their flues fill faster than a fireplace's. If you burn more than two cords a year, plan on a mid-winter sweep too. Wood stove chimney cleaning.
Creosote Removal
Creosote is the tar wood smoke leaves behind. At 1/8 inch thick it's time to sweep. The shiny, glazed kind needs rotary tools or a chemical treatment, and we price that before we start.
Chimney Cap Installation
A stainless cap with a mesh screen keeps out rain, squirrels and the starlings that nest in Binghamton chimneys every spring. It's the cheapest repair on any chimney, and it saves the flue tiles. See chimney caps.
Chimney Liner Installation
When clay flue tiles crack, smoke and heat can reach the wood framing. A stainless liner fixes that and sizes the flue to your stove, insert, furnace or water heater. Most liners run $1,200 to $4,500 installed.
Chimney Crown Repair
The crown is the concrete cap on top of the brick. Once it cracks, water gets into the chimney and freezes. We seal small cracks with crown coat and pour a new crown with a drip edge when the old one is gone. Crown repair.
Chimney Repointing & Brick Repair
We grind out the worn mortar and pack in new mortar soft enough for old brick. Hard modern mortar on 1920s brick makes the brick crack instead of the joint. Repointing and masonry repair.
Not sure which one you need? Tell us what you're seeing and we'll say so honestly.
A few jobs from this year, with what we found and what it cost.
$2,900
Crumbling Chimney Top on a West Side Colonial
Chimney
1920s brick chimney
Area
West Side
Job
Rebuilt top six courses, new poured crown, flashing resealed
Price
$2,900
Time
2 days
Bricks were falling into the gutter every spring. The top had soaked up water for years under a cracked crown. We took it down to solid brick, relaid it with soft mortar and poured a crown that sheds water off the face.
$780
Cap and Crown After a Squirrel Winter
Chimney
Two-flue chimney
Area
Johnson City
Job
Swept both flues, removed nest, crown coat, stainless two-flue cap
Price
$780
Time
Half a day
The owners heard scratching above the fireplace all winter. A nest had filled the flue to the damper. We cleared it, swept both flues, sealed the crown cracks and fitted one cap over both flues.
$3,600
Stainless Liner for a New Wood Stove
Chimney
Farmhouse, 30 ft flue
Area
Kirkwood
Job
Insulated 6 inch 316Ti liner, top plate and cap, Level 2 camera check
Price
$3,600
Time
1 day
The new stove's manual called for a 6 inch flue, and the old clay tiles were cracked at two joints. We ran an insulated liner from the stove to the top, so it drafts hard and burns cleaner.
A word from
The Owner
“A chimney is a brick column standing out in the weather all year. Sweep it in June, look at it every year, and it'll outlast the furnace.”
Tom Hudak
Owner and lead sweep, Binghamton Master Chimney Sweep
Tom grew up in Binghamton's First Ward and learned brick from his uncle, a mason. He has been sweeping and repairing Southern Tier chimneys for 30 years and still climbs most of the roofs himself.
Binghamton averages about 133 days below freezing and over 80 inches of snow. Water soaks into brick and mortar, freezes, expands and pops the brick face off. That's why the top few feet of a chimney fail first, and why a cracked crown is worth fixing right away.
River Damp and Cloudy Weeks
Between the Susquehanna, the Chenango and some of the cloudiest weather in the country, chimneys here stay damp. Damp brick plus acidic flue gas is what eats mortar joints from the inside. A cap and a breathable water repellent slow it right down.
Old Clay Flues and New Furnaces
Many homes here still vent a modern furnace or water heater into a clay flue sized for coal. The exhaust is cooler and wetter, so it condenses on the tiles. If your furnace was replaced and the chimney wasn't looked at, ask for an inspection.
When to Book Your Sweep
Book between April and July. Honestly, we'd rather sweep your chimney in June than see it in January. From August to November everyone remembers the fireplace at once, and our schedule fills 3 to 4 weeks out. Masonry needs temperatures above 40°F, so chimney repair on crowns and brick is a spring to fall job.
Questions we hear
Chimney Sweep FAQs From Binghamton Homeowners
How much does a chimney sweep cost in Binghamton?
A chimney sweep in Binghamton costs $250 with us for the first flue, and that price includes a camera inspection. Each extra flue on the same house is $150, and an inspection without a sweep is $150. Glazed creosote removal and repairs are priced on site, in writing, before work starts.
How often should you clean your chimney?
Have a wood-burning chimney swept and inspected once a year, which is what NFPA 211, the national chimney standard, calls for. Sweep sooner if creosote reaches 1/8 inch. Wood stoves burning more than two or three cords a season often need a second sweep in mid-winter.
How long does a chimney sweep take?
Most chimney sweeps take 60 to 90 minutes for one flue, including the camera inspection and cleanup. A second flue adds about half an hour. Heavy or glazed creosote can double that. We lay drop cloths and run a HEPA vacuum the whole time, so the room stays clean.
What are the signs my chimney needs repair?
The common signs are bricks or mortar in the gutter, white salt stains on the brick, water stains on the ceiling beside the chimney, rust on the damper and a smoky smell on humid days. In Binghamton the crown and the top few feet of brick fail first because of freeze and thaw.
Do I need a chimney inspection when buying a house?
Yes, get a Level 2 chimney inspection before you close on a house with a chimney. It puts a camera through every flue and checks the attic and basement. A general home inspector only looks from the outside, and cracked flue tiles can't be seen without a camera.
Do gas and oil furnace chimneys need cleaning?
Yes, but less often. Oil furnace flues collect soot and scale and should be checked every year. Gas appliances burn cleaner, but their exhaust is wet and can damage old clay flues, and birds nest in them. Most need a liner when the furnace or water heater is replaced.
When is the best time to schedule a chimney sweep?
The best time is spring or early summer, from April to July. You avoid the August to November rush, any repairs can be done while the weather is warm enough for masonry, and the chimney is ready before the first cold night. Fall bookings can wait several weeks.
Do you clean wood stoves and fireplace inserts?
Yes. We sweep stove and insert chimneys from the top or through the stove itself. Then we clean the baffle, the pipe and the inside of the stove. If the insert has no liner running to the top of the chimney, we tell you, because that setup fills with creosote fast.
Contact Binghamton Master Chimney Today
Leave your name, number and a line about the chimney. We call back the same business day.
$2,900
$780
$3,600
