Chimney sweep in St. Paul, MN
A chimney sweep in St. Paul 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 St. Paul-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 St. Paul ZIP code.
Chimney sweep St. Paul: the local facts
| St. Paul, MN | |
|---|---|
| Population | 307,284 |
| Homes built in 1939 or earlier | 41.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1952 |
| Single-family detached homes | 48.5% |
| Nights at or below freezing, per year | 146 |
| Average temperature, December to February | 19.6°F |
| Chimney fires, share of residential fires, Minnesota | 2.5% |
| Minnesota chimney fires in December to February | 53.5% |
St. Paul homes and their chimneys
41.6% of St. Paul's homes were built in 1939 or earlier, and half were built in 1952 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 St. Paul house, ask for the liner to be checked on camera during the inspection.
St. Paul winters and your chimney
St. Paul averages 146 nights a year at or below freezing and a December to February average of 19.6°F (NOAA normals, St Paul Downtown 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 Minnesota
Chimney fires confined to the chimney or flue made up 2.5% of residential structure fires in Minnesota fire department records for 2020 to 2024, below the national 3.4%. 53.5% of Minnesota'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 St. Paul
Saint Paul's Department of Safety and Inspections has a separate Factory Built Fireplace/Wood Stove Permit, and its application requirements page, last edited June 6, 2023, says applicants must submit a Mechanical Permit Application, the required fee, information on the method proposed to provide positive combustion air and, if the owner or homesteader is doing the work, a Home Owners Affidavit. The page says an owner may apply for a single-family dwelling only if they own the property, legally homestead it and perform the factory-built fireplace or wood stove work themselves, and that a duplex owner must be living in the half of the duplex where the work will be performed.
For all other properties, the same page says the permit must be obtained by a City of Saint Paul licensed factory-built fireplace / wood stove contractor. It says installing a gas factory-built fireplace requires a City of Saint Paul gas burner license, while installing a wood stove, or a factory-built fireplace other than gas, requires a City of Saint Paul general installation specialties (Building Contractor) license or a State of Minnesota licensed Residential Building Contractor or Residential Remodeler. When a contractor has been hired, the page says that contractor is responsible for obtaining the permit and complying with code requirements.
The Saint Paul Fire Department's Project Safe Haven page says Saint Paul residents may be eligible for free smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, StoveTop Fire Stops and training from the department. The request form on that page says the program is available to homeowners in Saint Paul and that people who sign up will be asked to sign a program waiver for any fire safety equipment provided.
The Department of Safety and Inspections' Recreational Fires requirements sheet, revised 4.2020, says no fire permit is required for a recreational fire, the maximum fuel area is 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high, and no rubbish, construction materials or paper products can be burned. It says a fire that is not contained in an approved burning appliance must be at least 25 feet from a building or combustible material, a fire in an approved burning appliance should be no closer than 15 feet, and fires shall not be ignited if the wind speed is 10 mph or more.
Chimney cleaning, inspection and repair in St. Paul
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
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- Chimney sweep in Madison, WI
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 Saint Paul Department of Safety and Inspections, Factory Built Fireplace/Wood Stove Permit, Application Requirements: www.stpaul.gov
- Saint Paul Fire Department, Project Safe Haven: Free Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Alarms: www.stpaul.gov
- City of St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections, Recreational Fires Requirements (revised 4.2020): www.stpaul.gov