Chimney sweep in Madison, WI
A chimney sweep in Madison 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 Madison-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 Madison ZIP code.
Chimney sweep Madison: the local facts
| Madison, WI | |
|---|---|
| Population | 278,001 |
| Homes built in 1939 or earlier | 13% |
| Median year homes were built | 1980 |
| Single-family detached homes | 39.9% |
| Nights at or below freezing, per year | 147 |
| Average temperature, December to February | 22.6°F |
| Chimney fires, share of residential fires, Wisconsin | 5.6% |
| Wisconsin chimney fires in December to February | 53.4% |
Madison homes and their chimneys
Half of Madison's homes were built in 1980 or later, and only 13% 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.
Madison winters and your chimney
Madison averages 147 nights a year at or below freezing and a December to February average of 22.6°F (NOAA normals, Madison Dane Regional Airport). That matters for the outside of the chimney: HomeGuide says cracks in brick and mortar usually start small at the corners but can expand quickly if water seeps in and freezes. Brick repair runs $150 to $500 for minor cracks and $1,000 to $3,500 for replacing brick from the crown to the roofline, according to HomeGuide.
Chimney fires in Wisconsin
Chimney fires confined to the chimney or flue made up 5.6% of residential structure fires in Wisconsin fire department records for 2020 to 2024, above the national 3.4%. 53.4% of Wisconsin's chimney fires happened in December, January and February, a smaller winter share than the national 57.4%. State-by-state figures: chimney-fires-by-state.csv.
Local rules and resources in Madison
The Madison Fire Department's outdoor and open burning page says Madison General Ordinance 34.307 and the State Fire Code prohibit outdoor and open burning without a permit, though fire codes do permit fires for cooking and approved outdoor fireplaces. It says only clean, dry wood may be burned in the City of Madison, the Town of Blooming Grove, the Town of Burke and the Village of Shorewood Hills, and that brush, yard waste, paper and other materials may not be burned. The same page says campfires are only permitted in approved campgrounds and that Madison does not have any approved campgrounds.
For outdoor fireplaces and fire pits, the department's guidance says they are allowed without a license only if, among other conditions, they are not used within fifteen (15) feet of a building or lot line or on any combustible deck, porch or patio, and are not operated when air quality is other than good or moderate as defined by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. For the fine particulate forecast, the guidance says to contact the City of Madison Public Health Department at 608-266-4821, and the burning page says clay chimineas must also have a spark arrester on the flue and a spark screen to cover the opening.
According to the Madison Fire Department, the Madison Common Council approved a change to the city's smoke alarm ordinance in March 2009 under which all residential buildings in the city, including owner-occupied single-family homes, must have either a hardwired smoke alarm with a battery backup or an alarm powered by a non-replaceable, non-removable battery capable of powering it for at least ten years. The department's summary says smoke alarms are required in each bedroom, in each sleeping area, within six feet of each door leading to a bedroom or sleeping area, and on each floor, and that unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer, no smoke alarm shall remain in service longer than ten years.
Chimney cleaning, inspection and repair in Madison
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 Milwaukee, WI
- Chimney sweep in Chicago, IL
- Chimney sweep in Bloomington, IL
- Chimney sweep in Grand Rapids, MI
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
- City of Madison Fire Department, Outdoor and Open Burning: www.cityofmadison.com
- City of Madison Fire Department, Fire Safety Guidance for Portable Outdoor Wood Fireplaces & Fire Pits: www.cityofmadison.com
- City of Madison Fire Department, Smoke Alarm Ordinance: www.cityofmadison.com