Chimney sweep in Houston, TX
A chimney sweep in Houston 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 Houston-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 Houston ZIP code.
Chimney sweep Houston: the local facts
| Houston, TX | |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,328,253 |
| Homes built in 1939 or earlier | 4% |
| Median year homes were built | 1982 |
| Single-family detached homes | 42.7% |
| Nights at or below freezing, per year | 10 |
| Average temperature, December to February | 55.6°F |
| Chimney fires, share of residential fires, Texas | 1.4% |
| Texas chimney fires in December to February | 68.4% |
Houston homes and their chimneys
Half of Houston's homes were built in 1982 or later, and only 4% date from 1939 or earlier. HomeGuide's list of common stainless steel liner jobs includes matching modern heating appliances that need a different liner and installing liners in prefabricated fireplaces, not only lining old brick chimneys.
Houston winters and your chimney
Houston averages 10 nights a year at or below freezing and a December to February average of 55.6°F (NOAA normals, Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport), so fireplaces here see a short season of use. A chimney used a few weeks a year 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 Texas
Chimney fires confined to the chimney or flue made up 1.4% of residential structure fires in Texas fire department records for 2020 to 2024, below the national 3.4%. 68.4% of Texas'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 Houston
The Houston Fire Department's winter safety advice for fireplaces: clear debris from around the fireplace and chimney, check the flue for obstructions like bird nests, trim branches to give at least 10 feet of clearance from the chimney, always use a glass or metal fireplace screen, and never overload the fireplace or burn garbage, Christmas trees or piles of paper in it.
When Harris County has ordered burn bans, as it did in August 2023, the order covered unincorporated Harris County, not the City of Houston, and outdoor burning, with exceptions such as non-commercial cookouts and barbecues.
The Houston Fire Department's Get Alarmed Houston! program, founded in 2001 and funded entirely by private and corporate donations, installs 3,000 to 4,000 free 10-year smoke detectors a year, aimed at low-income, disabled and elderly homeowners.
Chimney cleaning, inspection and repair in Houston
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 Austin, TX
- Chimney sweep in San Antonio, TX
- Chimney sweep in Dallas, TX
- Chimney sweep in Denver, CO
- Dryer vent cleaning in Houston, TX
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
- Houston Fire Department, Winter Safety: www.houstontx.gov
- Harris County Fire Marshal's Office, news release on the August 2023 burn ban: www.readyharris.org
- Houston Fire Department, Get Alarmed Houston! smoke detector program: www.houstontx.gov