Chimney sweep in San Francisco, CA
A chimney sweep in San Francisco 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 San Francisco-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 San Francisco ZIP code.
Chimney sweep San Francisco: the local facts
| San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|
| Population | 830,235 |
| Homes built in 1939 or earlier | 45.2% |
| Median year homes were built | 1946 |
| Single-family detached homes | 18% |
| Nights at or below freezing, per year | 0 |
| Average temperature, December to February | 52°F |
| Chimney fires, share of residential fires, California | 2.9% |
| California chimney fires in December to February | 52% |
San Francisco homes and their chimneys
45.2% of San Francisco's homes were built in 1939 or earlier, and half were built in 1946 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 San Francisco house, ask for the liner to be checked on camera during the inspection.
San Francisco winters and your chimney
NOAA's normals for San Francisco record no nights a year at or below freezing, and a December to February average of 52°F (NOAA normals, San Francisco International 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 California
Chimney fires confined to the chimney or flue made up 2.9% of residential structure fires in California fire department records for 2020 to 2024, below the national 3.4%. 52% of California'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 San Francisco
The San Francisco Building Code amendments document posted on sf.gov says Section 3116.1 applies to woodburning appliances installed in new buildings or being added, reconstructed or replaced in existing buildings, and that gas fireplaces are exempt unless converted to burn wood, which the section treats as installing a woodburning appliance. Under Section 3116.3, the only woodburning appliances that may be installed are a pellet-fueled wood heater, an EPA-certified wood heater or a fireplace certified by the Northern Sonoma Air Pollution Control District, except appliances designed primarily for food preparation in restaurants or bakeries and historic appliances in historic structures, as determined by the Building Official of the Department of Building Inspection in consultation with the Director of the Department of Planning. Section 106A.1.6 requires a separate flue permit to erect, construct, alter or repair each chimney or flue, except a Type 1 grease hood or one constructed of masonry, and says grease and masonry flues and chimneys require building permits per Section 106A.
San Francisco is one of the nine counties surrounding San Francisco Bay where the Bay Area Air Quality Management District regulates stationary sources of air pollution, according to the district's About page, and Section 6-3-306 of its Regulation 6, Rule 3 says no person or builder shall install a wood-burning device in new building construction. Section 6-3-307 bars remodeling a fireplace or chimney unless a gas-fueled, electric or EPA certified device is installed, when the remodel's total cost, excluding the building permit, exceeds $15,000 and the work requires a local building permit. According to the district's Wood Smoke page, using a fireplace, woodstove, pellet stove or other wood-burning device is illegal year round whenever fine particulate pollution is forecast to exceed the Rule 6-3 threshold and a Spare the Air Alert is in effect. The same page says there are some exemptions: anyone whose sole source of heat is a wood-burning device must use an EPA-certified device registered with the Air District to be exempt from the burn ban, and an open hearth fireplace will not qualify.
The San Francisco Fire Department's alarm page says that as of July 1, 2011, California's Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act (SB 183) requires all single-family homes with an attached garage or a fossil fuel source to install carbon monoxide alarms. The same page says that for dwelling units where a building permit issued on or after January 1, 2014 covers alterations, repairs or additions exceeding $1,000, the permit issuer shall not sign off on the completed work until the permittee shows that all required smoke alarms are approved and listed by the California Office of the State Fire Marshal.
Chimney cleaning, inspection and repair in San Francisco
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 San Jose, CA
- Chimney sweep in Roseville, CA
- Chimney sweep in Los Angeles, CA
- Chimney sweep in Salem, OR
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
- San Francisco Building Code amendments (sf.gov): media.api.sf.gov
- Bay Area Air Quality Management District, About the Air District: www.baaqmd.gov
- Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Wood Smoke: www.baaqmd.gov
- Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Regulation 6, Rule 3 rule text (amendments adopted October 1, 2025): www.baaqmd.gov
- San Francisco Fire Department, Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms for the Home and Rental Units: sf-fire.org