Level 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.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterLevel 1 Inspection in Kennesaw, GA
A Level 1 chimney inspection is a visual examination of every accessible part of your chimney system – the firebox, smoke chamber, flue liner, crown, and exterior masonry – conducted without moving appliances or using specialized tools beyond a flashlight and camera. In Kennesaw, most homeowners need one annually, and it’s the baseline inspection NFPA 211 requires before anyone uses a fireplace that hasn’t been checked in the past twelve months. At Level Two Chimney Kennesaw, a Level 1 inspection includes a camera scan of the flue and a documented photo record – not because regulators require it, but because we started doing it that way in 2009 and never stopped.
If you’ve just moved into a home in Kennesaw’s Historic Depot District, or you’re in one of the newer builds out near Barrett Parkway and you’re not sure what kind of liner the builder installed, a Level 1 is the right starting point. It tells you exactly what’s in there before you light the first fire of the season. Call us at (678) 535-2204 – a live person answers around the clock, not a voicemail.
Our Level 1 inspection is part of our full Chimney Cleaning & Sweep in Kennesaw service, and it feeds directly into any cleaning or repair work that follows. Every written quote comes after the inspection, never before we know what we’re looking at.
When You Need a Level 1 Inspection
NFPA 211 is clear on this: if you use your fireplace regularly and nothing about your appliance, fuel type, or flue configuration has changed, a Level 1 inspection once a year is the minimum standard. But the calendar isn’t the only trigger. Here are the situations we see most often in Kennesaw:
- You haven’t used the fireplace in more than twelve months. Kennesaw winters are mild enough that plenty of homeowners skip the fireplace entirely for a year or two, then fire it up on the first cold snap in November. A dormant flue can collect debris, animal nesting material, or moisture damage without anyone noticing. We find bird and squirrel nests in uncapped flues in the Frey neighborhood at least a dozen times every fall season.
- You’re buying or selling a home in Kennesaw. Most lenders and home inspectors flag the chimney as a visual-only item – they’re not sweeps, and they won’t look inside the flue. A Level 1 from a qualified chimney company gives buyers and sellers a documented baseline that a general home inspection simply can’t provide.
- You’ve noticed smoke backing into the room. Backdrafting in Kennesaw homes often traces back to negative pressure created by newer, tighter construction – especially in the townhomes along Cherokee Street and the builds near Bells Ferry Road. A Level 1 inspection identifies whether the problem is a draft issue, a blockage, or a structural condition in the smoke chamber.
- You’re burning wood regularly and it’s been a full season. Creosote accumulates every time you burn. Class I creosote (light, flaky deposits) is routine. Class II and Class III creosote – the glazed, tar-like buildup – is a fire hazard and needs to be addressed before another fire goes in. A Level 1 tells you which class you’re dealing with.
- You’ve had work done on the fireplace or connected appliances. If an HVAC contractor touched the flue, a gas insert was recently installed, or a roofer worked near the chimney crown, a Level 1 confirms everything is still in correct operating condition. Crown damage after roofwork is one of the most common findings we document in Kennesaw each spring.
- You’re switching fuel types or installing a new insert. Going from wood to gas logs, or adding a wood-burning insert to an existing masonry fireplace, changes the thermal dynamics of the flue. A Level 1 is the appropriate inspection before making that switch – and if there are any liner compatibility issues, you’ll know before the new appliance is delivered.
Our Level 1 Inspection Process
Here’s exactly what happens when a Level Two technician arrives at your Kennesaw home. Nothing is skipped, and nothing gets added to the scope without a written price in front of you first.
- Pre-arrival text and technician introduction. You’ll get a text when your tech is on the way – name, arrival window, and confirmation that they’re a background-checked, uniformed member of our crew. We don’t send anonymous vans to your door.
- Exterior inspection: crown, cap, flashing, and masonry. We start on the outside. The technician checks the chimney crown for cracking or spalling (spalling means the surface layer of brick or mortar is flaking away from freeze-thaw cycles – Kennesaw’s winter temperature swings between 20°F and 55°F are mild but still enough to stress aging crowns). We check the flashing seal at the roof line, the cap condition, and the overall masonry for open joints or efflorescence – the white mineral staining that signals water intrusion.
- Firebox and smoke chamber inspection. Inside, we look at the firebox liner tiles, the damper operation and seal, and the smoke chamber above. The smoke chamber is the funnel-shaped space between the firebox top and the base of the flue – it’s where creosote tends to cake first and where improper parge coating causes turbulent draft. We document what we find with photos before anything is touched.
- Camera scan of the flue liner. This is the step most companies skip on a Level 1. Our technician runs a camera down the flue from the top – capturing the full length of the liner on video and pulling stills for the written record. This lets us see cracked liner tiles, mortar joint failures, or Class III creosote deposits that a flashlight look would never catch. This practice has been standard at Level Two since 2009; it’s now Clause 4 of the Haven Standard.
- Creosote classification and written findings. Once we have the camera footage, we classify the creosote level (Class I, II, or III), note any structural findings, and put it all in writing. You get a documented photo record – not a verbal summary you’re expected to remember three months later.
- Written price before any work begins. If cleaning or repairs are needed, you get a written scope and a written price before the technician picks up a brush. That’s Haven Standard Clause 1: written price, written scope, written warranty – delivered before work starts, no exceptions. If all you needed was the inspection and everything checked out, we tell you that too.
Before
AfterLevel 1 Inspection Pricing in Kennesaw
A Level 1 chimney inspection at Level Two Chimney Kennesaw runs $99 to $179 depending on chimney configuration and access. Single-story homes with a straight, accessible flue are at the lower end. Two-story homes with an exterior chimney stack, an offset flue section, or a dual-flue system sit at the higher end. The camera scan and documented photo record are included in that price – not billed separately.
| Configuration | Typical Price Range |
|---|---|
| Single-flue, one-story home | $99 – $129 |
| Single-flue, two-story home | $129 – $159 |
| Dual-flue or offset flue system | $149 – $179 |
| Camera scan and photo record | Included on every inspection |
If Chimney Cleaning & Sweep is recommended after the inspection, a standard single-flue sweep in Kennesaw typically adds $130 to $220 to the total, depending on creosote class. Class III creosote removal – the glazed, tar-like buildup that requires rotary tools or chemical application – costs more and takes longer, and we’ll tell you that upfront before work starts. No technician here quotes one price at the door and hands you a different one after the job is done.
We also offer a Free Second Opinion on any written estimate you’ve received from another company. Bring us the paperwork and we’ll review it at no charge.
Call (678) 535-2204 for a free estimate. All pricing is confirmed in writing before any technician starts work – that’s not a policy we enforce selectively, it’s how every single job has been handled since we started in 2009.
What You Get When the Inspection Is Done
Documentation isn’t an optional add-on here. Under Haven Standard Clause 4, every Level Two inspection closes with a documented photo record – camera stills from the flue, photos of any findings at the firebox or crown, and a written summary of the creosote class and liner condition. That record is yours. It’s useful when you’re selling the home, filing a homeowner’s insurance claim, or simply comparing this year’s condition against last year’s.
Every inspection is also backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the inspection was not conducted properly, we come back and make it right. That’s not a conditional offer with fine print – it covers every job we complete.
Materials used in any follow-on repairs are sourced through Haven’s buying network – suppliers like Olympia Chimney and Copperfield, procured specifically to keep pricing honest rather than padded. If a repair is needed, you’ll see those line items in writing before anything is ordered.
Why the Camera Scan Matters on a Level 1
NFPA 211 defines a Level 1 inspection as covering “all accessible portions of the chimney exterior and interior including accessible attic, basement, and crawl spaces.” The standard doesn’t require video equipment for a Level 1 – that’s explicitly the territory of a Level 2. But Level Two Chimney Co. made camera documentation the default on every inspection from the start, because a flashlight look at the top of a 20-foot flue liner simply doesn’t show you what’s happening at the mid-section or base.
In Kennesaw homes built in the 1980s and early 1990s – many of the original subdivisions near Stilesboro Road and in the Kennesaw Mountain area – the clay tile liners have had forty-plus years of thermal cycling. Hairline cracks in the tile are invisible to a top-down flashlight check and only appear clearly on a camera that travels the full length of the flue. Those cracks are how combustion gases – including carbon monoxide – escape the flue and enter the home’s framing. A camera catches that. A flashlight doesn’t.
That’s why we built camera documentation into our process before it became an industry talking point, and why it’s now written into Clause 4 of the Haven Standard rather than treated as an upsell.
Level 1 vs. Level 2: What’s the Difference?
A Level 1 inspection covers every accessible area of the chimney – no demolition, no specialized equipment required. It’s the right call for a chimney that’s been operating normally and hasn’t experienced any changes in appliance, fuel type, or flue configuration.
A Level 2 Inspection is required any time there’s been a change to the system – new appliance, new fuel type, after a chimney fire, after a seismic event, or when a property is being sold. It includes everything in a Level 1 plus video scanning of the interior surfaces, and it covers accessible areas in attics, crawlspaces, and basements that a Level 1 doesn’t.
We do both. If you’re not sure which one applies to your situation in Kennesaw, call us and describe what’s changed – or hasn’t – and we’ll tell you directly which inspection is appropriate.
FAQs – Level 1 Inspection in Kennesaw
How much does a Level 1 chimney inspection cost in Kennesaw, GA?
A Level 1 chimney inspection at Level Two Chimney Kennesaw costs between $99 and $179, depending on flue configuration and the number of flues being inspected. The camera scan and documented photo record are included in that price on every inspection – not billed as an add-on. If you’d like a firm written quote for your specific chimney, call (678) 535-2204 and we’ll give you a number, in writing, before anyone comes out.
How long does a Level 1 inspection take?
A Level 1 inspection at a typical Kennesaw single-family home takes 45 minutes to 75 minutes. Homes with dual-flue systems, exterior chimneys that require roof access, or significant debris accumulation may run closer to 90 minutes. We don’t rush the camera scan to shorten the visit – the point of the documentation is that it’s accurate, not fast.
Do I need a Level 1 inspection every year even if I barely use my fireplace?
Yes – NFPA 211 recommends an annual inspection regardless of how often the fireplace is used. A low-use fireplace can still accumulate moisture damage, animal nesting material, or crown deterioration that isn’t visible from inside the room. In fact, we find more animal blockages in Kennesaw flues that weren’t used the previous season than in ones that were – an active fire keeps wildlife out. Annual Sweep inspections are cheap compared to the repair bill for a blocked flue that went undetected for two or three seasons. Call (678) 535-2204 to schedule.
Is a Level 1 inspection required when selling a home in Kennesaw?
It isn’t legally required, but it’s standard practice – and most buyers’ agents in Cherokee County and Cobb County now ask for one. A general home inspector will flag the chimney as “not evaluated” or “recommend specialist review,” which puts the question directly in front of the buyer. Having a documented Level 1 inspection with a photo record already in hand is cleaner for both sides of the transaction. We can usually schedule within a few days and provide the written report the same day the inspection is complete.
Schedule a Level 1 Inspection in Kennesaw Today
If your chimney hasn’t been looked at in the past twelve months – or if you’ve just moved into a home in Kennesaw and you’re not sure what’s in that flue – a Level 1 inspection is the right place to start. You’ll get a camera scan of the full flue length, a documented photo record, a written creosote classification, and a written price for any work that’s needed. Nothing starts without your written approval.
Call (678) 535-2204 to schedule. Live staff answer that number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – not a voicemail, not a web form. If you have a written estimate from another company and want a second opinion before committing, bring it to us. That review is always free.
Level Two Chimney Kennesaw is independently owned and operated under the Haven Standard – the same standard that has governed every inspection and cleaning we’ve done since 2009, across more than 38,000 documented chimney visits in the greater Kennesaw area.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney Kennesaw, serving Kennesaw.