Chimney sweep in Santa Barbara, CA
A chimney sweep in Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara-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 Santa Barbara ZIP code.
Chimney sweep Santa Barbara: the local facts
| Santa Barbara, CA | |
|---|---|
| Population | 87,779 |
| Homes built in 1939 or earlier | 19.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1965 |
| Single-family detached homes | 45.8% |
| Nights at or below freezing, per year | 6 |
| Average temperature, December to February | 52.9°F |
| Chimney fires, share of residential fires, California | 2.9% |
| California chimney fires in December to February | 52% |
Santa Barbara homes and their chimneys
19.6% of Santa Barbara'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 Santa Barbara house, ask for the liner to be checked on camera during the inspection.
Santa Barbara winters and your chimney
Santa Barbara averages 6 nights a year at or below freezing and a December to February average of 52.9°F (NOAA normals, Santa Barbara Municipal 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 Santa Barbara
The Santa Barbara City Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau handout on High Fire Hazard Area defensible space, revised 1/1/23, says all parcels in the city's high fire hazard area must meet its requirements year round under Chapter 8.04 of the Santa Barbara Municipal Code, as adopted by Ordinance #6049, with vegetation managed within 30 to 150 feet of buildings depending on the zone. Its list of steps says to trim tree limbs back a minimum distance of 10 feet from any chimney opening and to keep the roof of all structures free of leaves, needles or other vegetative debris. The handout lists the department at 925 Chapala St., (805) 564-5702. It predates the city's December 2025 code amendments.
The city's notice of exemption for its 2025 California Building and Fire Codes says the City of Santa Barbara adopted amendments to its Municipal Code on December 2, 2025. It says the amendments adopt the California Wildland-Interface Code as a stand-alone code, establish the City of Santa Barbara Wildland Fire Plan, and add definitions for spark arrester and Wildland-Urban Interface Area. We could not read the amended code text, so ask the Fire Prevention Bureau at (805) 564-5702 what the current chimney spark arrester and clearance rules are.
The City of Santa Barbara's Building & Safety page says a building permit is generally required whenever you construct, enlarge, alter, move, replace, repair, improve, convert, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure. It lists the Building & Safety Counter at 630 Garden Street, (805) 564-5485 x4371.
Chimney cleaning, inspection and repair in Santa Barbara
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 Los Angeles, CA
- Chimney sweep in Fresno, CA
- Chimney sweep in San Jose, CA
- Chimney sweep in San Francisco, CA
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
- Santa Barbara City Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau, High Fire Hazard Area Defensible Space Requirements (revised 1/1/23): santabarbaraca.gov
- City of Santa Barbara Planning Division, Notice of Exemption, 2025 California Building and Fire Codes (CEQAnet): files.ceqanet.lci.ca.gov
- City of Santa Barbara, Building & Safety: santabarbaraca.gov