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 Highland
A standard chimney sweep in Highland typically costs between $169 and $289, and most appointments take about an hour from the time our truck pulls up to the moment we hand you a photo of the clean-up. If your fireplace hasn’t been swept in two years or more, you’re likely looking at heavier creosote removal, which can push that range closer to $229 – $349, and may also need Fireplace Repair - Highland service. Call (831) 218-8547 and a live person answers, day or night, no voicemail tree. We schedule sweeps for Highland families within the week, and our crews know the difference between a 1960s masonry fireplace off Baseline and a zero-clearance unit in East Highlands Ranch.
Why Kindling Chimney Riverside Is Highland’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
Kindling Chimney Sweep is part of the Cedarwell family of companies, established in 2003, and this Riverside-San Bernardino location is independently owned and operated under the direction of Danny Cortes. Danny set the standard early: every job gets a written price before any work starts, every crew member is background-checked and uniformed, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise backs every sweep, inspection, and repair. If the work isn’t right, we make it right, no fine print and no runaround. Highland families calling us from Warm Springs, East Highlands Ranch, or the older streets off Greenspot Road get the same three things every time: a live person on the phone, a straight price, and a technician who treats the living room floor like his own.
Our response time to Highland is typically within one to three business days for routine sweeps, and emergency calls for blocked flues or smoke pushback get priority scheduling. We know this city’s chimneys, which is why we stock replacement caps, mortar crowns, and prefabricated chimney parts that match what Highland homes actually have, rather than showing up with generic hardware that doesn’t fit a 40-year-old flue. That’s the local knowledge that keeps us busy out here, and it’s why homeowners recommend us to their neighbors.
Styles & brands we work with
Chimney Services in Highland
Chimney Services in Highland means more than pushing a brush up a flue. This city’s housing stock runs from 1960s ranch homes with original brick masonry chimneys to 1990s and 2000s subdivisions with factory-built metal flues, and each calls for a different set of eyes and tools. Highland’s mix of older wood-burning fireplaces in pre-1980 ranch homes and newer zero-clearance units in subdivisions like East Highlands Ranch means chimney cleaning here is less about routine maintenance and more about correcting decades of deferred care or adapting to modern, tightly-sealed construction. A standard sweep runs $169 – $289, and a full Chimney Sweep with a Level 1 inspection is what we recommend for most Highland homes every year.
Sweep, Caps, and Crowns
In older Highland neighborhoods along Baseline and Victoria, many original brick chimneys have missing or cracked mortar crowns, and local sweeps often find birds or bees nesting in uncapped flues. That’s not something you can fix with a standard sweeping alone. We handle crown repair, cap installation, and full flue cleaning in one visit, and you’ll see a written price for each piece before we touch anything.
Level 2 Inspections and Liner Work
When a house changes hands, or when a chimney hasn’t been opened in years, a Level 2 inspection is the honest starting point. We run a camera through the flue and show you exactly what we see, including any missing mortar joints, cracked tiles, or the tar-like glazing that signals third-degree creosote. If liner work is needed, we use HeatShield, DuraFlex, or Gelco products rather than patching over a problem.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Chimney Sweep Certified in Highland
Chimney Sweep Certified work in Highland means our technicians follow a documented process, not whatever the last crew felt like doing. Before the brush goes up, we lay down shoe covers and drop cloths, confirm the damper is open, and check the smoke chamber for blockages. After the sweep, a photo of the clean-up is taken before the crew leaves. That’s the Cedarwell Care Promise in writing, and it’s included on every job, not sold as an add-on. C.A.R.E. stands for the values our crews work by: Courtesy, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence, spelled out on the work order so you know what to expect at your door near Greenspot Road or Victoria.
Wood Stove and Fireplace Sweeping
Rural properties around Highland, especially those off Mill Creek Road or up toward the foothills, often burn wood as a primary heat source from November through February. Those flues build creosote faster than a fireplace used only on weekends. A wood stove here typically needs sweeping every 30 to 60 burn days, which for many Highland families means two visits per season, and we’ll tell you plainly if your burning practices are making the buildup worse than it needs to be.
Creosote and Soot Removal
First-degree creosote is a dusty coating that brushes away. Third-degree creosote is a hardened glaze that standard brushes can’t touch, and Highland’s damp winter air makes it more common because moisture causes creosote to condense faster inside the flue. We use rotary cleaning tools and, where appropriate, chemical treatment to break down glaze safely, then show you the before-and-after camera shots so you can see what was actually removed. Soot removal runs $90 – $150 as an add-on, while stubborn glaze removal can reach $300 – $450 depending on flue length and severity.
Trusted Brands We Service in Highland
We stock parts from manufacturers that Highland homes actually use, including Copperfield caps and dampers, DuraFlex and HeatShield liner systems, and Gelco sealants. That means when we find a rusted-out cap on a chimney near Baseline, we don’t have to order a part and hope it arrives before the next Santa Ana. Fast turnaround matters to Highland homeowners, and keeping common components on the truck is how we deliver it. No mystery parts from a supply house we don’t trust, and every repair component comes with a manufacturer-backed warranty in addition to our 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Common Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Highland Homes
- Third-degree creosote glaze inside uncapped flues. Relying on visual-only checks misses this, and it’s common in older Highland homes where damp winters and infrequent burning create hardened tar deposits that restrict draft and raise chimney fire risk.
- Bird and bee nests blocking draft. In older tracts along Baseline and Victoria, uncapped flues frequently harbor starling nests or bee colonies that push smoke back into the living room. A cap solves it permanently.
- Zero-clearance fireplaces swept with the wrong tools. Treating a zero-clearance chimney in East Highlands Ranch like a masonry fireplace leads to wrong brush sizes and missed inspection points at the factory-built joints, where gaps and warping hide.
- Spalling brick and cracked crowns. Highland’s cool, damp winters soak into old brick and mortar, and when moisture freezes and thaws, brick faces flake off. We see this constantly on pre-1980 chimneys, and catching it early beats repointing an entire stack later.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterPricing for Chimney Sweep in Highland, CA
Here are honest numbers for Highland, not a range that covers half of Southern California. A standard sweep and Level 1 inspection runs $169 – $289 for most single-story masonry fireplaces. Two-story homes or steeper roofs add $40 – $75. Creosote glaze removal starts at $300 and depends on how many feet of flue are affected. A stainless steel chimney cap, installed, runs $180 – $320 including materials. Liner resurfacing with HeatShield or a new DuraFlex liner ranges from $1,800 to $4,200 depending on flue diameter and length. Every quote is written and in your hand before any work begins, and estimates are free. Call (831) 218-8547 and we’ll give you a real number over the phone based on what your home actually has.
We Also Serve Cities Near Highland
Our crews serve Highland and the surrounding communities, including San Bernardino, Redlands, Colton, and Rialto. If you’re just outside Highland proper, call us and we’ll confirm coverage. We know these neighborhoods, their housing stock, and what their chimneys need.
Serving Highland, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Highland 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 Highland
Because many of those pre-1980 homes have uncapped flues and cracked mortar crowns that have been ignored for years, so the first visit often involves removing a bird nest, repairing the crown, and installing a cap in addition to the sweep itself. A standard sweep assumes the flue is in working order; in these neighborhoods, it frequently isn’t yet. Call (831) 218-8547 and we’ll tell you what your specific chimney needs based on what we can see from the roof and a camera check.
Every 30 to 60 burn days, which for a stove used as primary heat from November through February works out to twice per heating season. Creosote Loading builds faster in a wood stove than in an open fireplace because the burn is slower and cooler. If you’re buying a cord of wood every month, book two sweeps a year and save yourself a chimney fire. Our flat-price sweep makes that a predictable expense, not a surprise.
Yes, but a properly fitted cap with a screened spark arrestor keeps out most of it. The bigger issue in Highland is downdrafts that push soot and fine debris already in the flue back down toward the damper. A cap doesn’t eliminate the need for an annual sweep, especially if you burn regularly. We check cap fit and screen condition on every visit.
Factory-built metal chimneys require specific brush materials and sizes that won’t scratch or warp the flue walls, and the inspection points are at the factory-built joints rather than in a continuous masonry run. A chimney sweep in Chimney Sweep in Highland who mostly works on old brick chimneys can miss warped liners or separation at those joints. We check both, and we’ll show you the camera footage from the joint that concerns us.
No. That hardened glaze is third-degree creosote, and standard brushes skip right over it. It needs rotary cleaning tools with a chain or whip attachment, and in severe cases chemical treatment to break down the tar bond. This isn’t a DIY job and it isn’t optional. We’ll give you a firm price for glaze removal before we start and show you the clean flue afterward on camera, as part of the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Protect Your Highland Home the Way It Deserves
We drove out to a ranch home off Baseline where the original brick chimney had a cracked crown and no cap. Inside the flue, our tech found first-degree creosote and a starling nest blocking the draft. After removing the nest, we installed a stainless cap and HeatShield resurfacing on the flue liner, then verified a clean smoke chamber and steady draft with a Level 2 inspection. The family had been smelling smoke for two winters and assumed it was normal. It wasn’t, and the fix cost less than they’d feared. That’s the work we do all over Highland, from the foothills to East Highlands Ranch.
If your fireplace hasn’t been swept this season, or you’ve never had someone actually look inside the flue with a camera, call (831) 218-8547. A live person answers, you’ll get a written price before any work begins, and Danny Cortes stands behind every job with the 365-Day Done Right Promise. We’ll protect your floors, your air, and your family. That’s the whole point.
Written by Danny Cortes, Owner at Kindling Chimney Riverside, serving Highland since the Cedarwell family of companies was established in 2003.