Full-service fireplace maintenance for wood-burning and gas fireplaces. Includes firebox cleaning, damper inspection, flue check, and written condition report. From $199. Same-week scheduling across Chicago and 100+ suburbs.
Widen Chicago's annual fireplace tune-up covers everything your fireplace and chimney system needs to operate safely for another season. Our NCSG-certified technicians inspect and clean the firebox, remove ash and debris from the smoke shelf, test and adjust the damper, and scan the flue with an HD camera. You receive a written photo report documenting every finding — so you know exactly what's happening inside your chimney.
For gas fireplaces, we additionally clean the burner assembly, test the pilot and ignition system, verify thermocouple and thermopile function, and check gas connections for safety. Gas fireplace maintenance is often skipped — and it's why so many gas fireplaces fail to ignite or produce weak flames when fall arrives.
| Service | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Wood-burning fireplace tune-up | $199–$299 |
| Gas fireplace maintenance & cleaning | $199–$349 |
| Fireplace + chimney cleaning bundle | $299–$449 |
| Damper repair or replacement | $150–$400 |
| Smoke chamber parging | $350–$700 |
| Annual maintenance plan (2 visits) | $299/year |
Chicago homeowners run their fireplaces hard from October through April — six months of consistent use that builds creosote, stresses the firebox, corrodes dampers, and wears down smoke chamber coatings. By the time fall arrives each year, most fireplaces haven't been touched since the previous spring. Annual maintenance catches the problems that build up invisibly between seasons.
Chicago's older housing stock — brick bungalows, two-flats, and pre-war greystones — often have original fireplaces with aging mortar, clay tile flues, and dampers that haven't been properly serviced in decades. Our HD camera inspection catches cracks, spalling, and deterioration that no visual check can see.
Wood-burning fireplaces accumulate creosote — a combustible byproduct of burning wood — that requires annual brushing. Gas fireplaces don't produce creosote but still need annual attention:
Exterior inspection. We check the chimney cap, crown, flashing, and masonry before entering your home. Missing or damaged caps let water and animals in. Cracked crowns allow water into the chimney structure. These exterior conditions affect everything below.
Interior inspection and cleaning. Drop cloths and HEPA vacuum equipment protect your home. We remove ash and debris from the firebox and smoke shelf, inspect the damper for proper sealing and operation, and examine the firebox walls and refractory panels for cracks.
Flue scan. An HD camera runs the full length of the flue, documenting the liner condition, joint integrity, and any blockages. For wood-burning fireplaces, we assess creosote buildup level and determine whether cleaning is needed (included in the service) or whether Stage 2-3 deposits require specialized treatment.
Gas system check (gas fireplaces only). We clean ceramic logs, the burner plate, and pilot assembly. We test the thermocouple and thermopile — the two components that most often cause gas fireplaces to fail to ignite. We verify gas valve operation and check for CO leaks at connections.
Photo report and recommendations. You receive a digital report with annotated images from every stage of the inspection, a condition rating for each component, and specific repair recommendations ranked by urgency and safety impact — not by ticket price.
Do not wait for winter. Schedule service immediately if you notice any of these:
Schedule fireplace maintenance in August or September — before the heating season begins. October and November are peak demand months in Chicago; wait times stretch to 2-3 weeks. Scheduling early gets you the appointment window you want, ensures your fireplace is ready for the first cold night, and lets us address any repair findings before they become urgent. Spring maintenance after a heavy burn season is also valuable — it clears winter deposits before summer humidity sets in and accelerates corrosion.
Widen Chicago provides fireplace maintenance service across all Chicago neighborhoods and 100+ suburbs. We serve Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Bucktown, Wicker Park, Logan Square, and all North Side neighborhoods, plus the North Shore (Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Highland Park, Lake Forest) and West Suburbs (Oak Park, Hinsdale, Naperville, Elmhurst). Same-week scheduling available. See our chimney inspection page and chimney cleaning page for related services often bundled with fireplace maintenance.
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(224) 343-1991Call now for same-week scheduling or request a free estimate online.