Chimney sweep in Birmingham, AL
A chimney sweep in Birmingham costs about $150 to $375 for a masonry chimney with a wood-burning fireplace and $80 to $150 for a gas fireplace, going by HomeGuide's national price survey; no survey publishes Birmingham-only prices, so compare two written quotes against those ranges. The NFPA says to have chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional. Use the form below and we send your request to a chimney company that serves your Birmingham ZIP code.
Chimney sweep Birmingham: the local facts
| Birmingham, AL | |
|---|---|
| Population | 198,173 |
| Homes built in 1939 or earlier | 18.3% |
| Median year homes were built | 1965 |
| Single-family detached homes | 58% |
| Nights at or below freezing, per year | 47 |
| Average temperature, December to February | 46.9°F |
| Chimney fires, share of residential fires, Alabama | 1.1% |
| Alabama chimney fires in December to February | 63.1% |
Birmingham homes and their chimneys
18.3% of Birmingham's homes were built in 1939 or earlier, and half were built in 1965 or earlier. HomeGuide lists lining old and unlined brick chimneys among the most common uses of a stainless steel liner, and says clay flue tiles were traditionally used in older homes. HomeGuide's chimney repair price table puts liner replacement at $1,500 to $7,000, so in an older Birmingham house, ask for the liner to be checked on camera during the inspection.
Birmingham winters and your chimney
Birmingham averages 47 nights a year at or below freezing and a December to February average of 46.9°F (NOAA normals, Birmingham Airport). A chimney used only on cold nights still needs the yearly check: the NFPA says to have chimneys cleaned and inspected every year, and CSIA says creosote that builds up enough can catch fire when the flue gets hot enough.
Chimney fires in Alabama
Chimney fires confined to the chimney or flue made up 1.1% of residential structure fires in Alabama fire department records for 2020 to 2024, below the national 3.4%. 63.1% of Alabama's chimney fires happened in December, January and February, a larger winter share than the national 57.4%. State-by-state figures: chimney-fires-by-state.csv.
Local rules and resources in Birmingham
The Jefferson County Department of Health says the Jefferson County Board of Health Air Pollution Control Rules and Regulations (Chapter 5) prohibit outdoor burning, except for food preparation, from April through October, and that authorizations to open burn from November through March require adherence to strict rules on location and equipment. The Board's open burning guidelines, revised August 14, 2024, say no written authorization or notification is required for fires used for cooking food, including barbecues and outdoor fireplaces, and that only clean fuel without garbage, rubbish, rubber, plastics or other refuse is permitted. The department's number to request evaluation of a proposed open burning site or to report a smoke nuisance is (205) 930-1276.
Section 6.1.1 of the same county rules, on visible emissions from stationary sources, bars discharging particulate of an opacity greater than twenty percent, as determined by a six-minute average, with listed exceptions, and paragraph 6.1.1(e) says the provisions of that section shall not apply to combustion sources in single-family and duplex dwellings where such sources are used for heating or other domestic purposes. That paragraph is an exemption from the Section 6.1.1 opacity limit only.
Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service says that if you are a citizen of Birmingham, you can contact it to receive a free working smoke alarm, through its Fire Prevention Bureau at 205-250-7540 or its Public Education Bureau at 205-254-6560. For permits, the City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering & Permits says it handles the majority of permits for the city and offers an interactive Birmingham Permit Guide that asks a series of questions and guides you through the permit process.
Chimney cleaning, inspection and repair in Birmingham
A yearly Level 1 inspection costs $100 to $250 with a basic cleaning, according to HomeGuide, and a Level 2 inspection, which adds a video inspection, costs $250 to $600; HomeGuide recommends Level 2 when buying a home with a chimney. Common repairs such as a cap replacement or crown repair cost $200 to $850. Ask whether the sweep is CSIA certified. Details: chimney sweep cost, chimney inspection and chimney repair.
Other cities we cover
- Chimney sweep in Tuscaloosa, AL
- Chimney sweep in Marietta, GA
- Chimney sweep in Sandy Springs, GA
- Chimney sweep in Columbia, SC
- Dryer vent cleaning in Birmingham, AL
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, tables B01003, B25024, B25034, B25035: data.census.gov
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020: www.ncei.noaa.gov
- NFPA, Heating safety tip sheet: content.nfpa.org
- Chimney Safety Institute of America, "Preventing Chimney Fires": www.csia.org
- HomeGuide, chimney sweep cost, page dated February 9, 2026: homeguide.com
- HomeGuide, chimney inspection cost, page dated February 9, 2026: homeguide.com
- HomeGuide, chimney repair cost: homeguide.com
- HomeGuide, chimney liner cost: homeguide.com
- FEMA, OpenFEMA, NFIRS Annual Data, fire files 2020 to 2024, downloaded September 25, 2026: www.fema.gov
- Vent & Flue analysis, chimney fires by state (CSV): chimney-fires-by-state.csv
- Jefferson County Department of Health, Open Burning: www.jcdh.org
- Jefferson County Board of Health, Air Pollution Control Rules and Regulations (revised August 14, 2024): www.jcdh.org
- Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service, Get A Free Smoke Alarm: www.birminghamal.gov
- City of Birmingham, Permitting: www.birminghamal.gov