Chimney inspection in Kinneloa Mesa, with the upgrade in view
A chimney inspection in Kinneloa Mesa from Vaughn Chimney Care costs $55 for a Level 1 visual check and $390 for a Level 2 camera scan. We are based in Kinneloa Mesa, above east Pasadena, and our inspections are written for owners who may want more from the fireplace than an open fire: the report tells you what is wrong and what the flue could carry.
Whether you are buying, selling or dealing with a problem, you want an inspector to come and put it on paper.
Book the inspection and say whether you want Level 1 or Level 2.
The two prices
| Visit | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $55 | A visual check of everything reachable without tools |
| Level 2 | $390 | A camera scan up the flue, recording every tile joint |
Level 1 is the look from the hearth up and from the roof: firebox walls, damper, smoke chamber, visible flue, crown and cap. Level 2 adds the camera for the part of the flue nobody can see.
When the camera is the right level
Choose Level 2 after any of these:
- - A sale or a purchase of the house.
- A flue fire.
- A big earthquake.
- A change of fuel, such as moving from wood to gas.
If none of these applies, Level 1 is the visit to book. If you are not sure, ask which level fits and we will say.
What the report does differently
We read the chimney from the hearth up. Then the report lists repairs first, and beside every repair it notes what that finding means for an upgrade. A flue that can carry a liner and an insert is marked as such. A flue that needs work first is marked too.
That is useful because the same visit lets you plan both. If you have an open fireplace that you would like to turn into a heater, you learn from one document what has to be fixed and which inserts or gas sets the flue could take. Photos and plain written notes follow the visit, and the inspection follows NFPA 211.
What sets the price after the inspection
The inspection price is the inspection. Any repair that follows is quoted separately, and it depends on:
- - What the report finds, and where.
- Roof height and access.
- Materials and the size of the opening.
- Whether the repair is a stand-alone fix or the first stage of an insert plan.
Repairs and upgrades are written side by side with prices, so you choose with the numbers in front of you. If you have decided on a gas insert, the installed range is $2,800 to $5,600. To see how your own flue measures up, request the inspection and the upgrade notes.
It helps to bring your questions to the visit: which heater you have in mind, how often you light the fireplace, and whether the room is cold in the evening. We use those answers to decide which upgrade notes belong beside each repair, so the report answers your question and not a generic one.
Reading the sale or the purchase
For a house changing hands, the report is a document both sides can hold. A buyer sees the condition of the flue and the cost of any repair before closing. A seller can book the same visit first and put the answers in the file. Because our report also notes which inserts or gas sets the flue could carry, a buyer who dreams of a heater in the living room can see whether the chimney allows it.
Kinneloa Mesa, Altadena and the foothills
Altadena lies across the Eaton Canyon wash from our base. The Eaton Fire of January 2025 started near Altadena Drive and destroyed a large share of the town. A house going back up on a cleared lot can plan its heater from the framing on, and a home that came through standing should have a Level 2 camera scan before anyone lights a fire in it again.
Mountain wind can throw embers far ahead of a fire line, so we also look at the cap and the spark screen on every roof we are on. Pasadena wraps around Kinneloa Mesa on every side but the mountain one, so east Pasadena is our shortest drive.
The visit, in order
- - You call or send the form and we set a time.
- We inspect the firebox, damper and flue from the hearth up, and the crown and cap from the roof.
- For Level 2, the camera goes up the flue.
- We photograph each finding.
- You receive a written report with repairs first and upgrade notes beside them.
Choosing an inspector
Ask each company:
- - Which level is this, and what does it cost?
- Does the report separate repairs from upgrades?
- Do I receive photos and written notes?
- Does the work follow NFPA 211?
- Are repair quotes written, with the numbers shown?
Call us
Call (747) 205-6979 or send the form. We will come to Kinneloa Mesa, Altadena or Pasadena, run the inspection and leave you with the report.
Ready to See What Fits Your Opening?
Vaughn Chimney Care works from Kinneloa Mesa on inserts, gas log sets and pellet stoves. Call with the width and height of the opening, and we bring the tape, the camera and the option sheet.
