What the general inspector could not see inside the flue
Plan the flue scan
Use the form for the address, the fuel the fireplace burns now and who should read the findings.
Where the general inspection stops
A general inspection has a whole house to cover, and the inside of the flue is not part of it.
That gap is the cue for a Level 2. Level 1 stays with what you can see and reach. Level 2 sends a camera along the whole inside of the flue and we climb into the attic, the crawlspace and onto the roof wherever there is a safe way in.
What you hold afterward
The report gives written findings and photos. Conditions that miss the mark in NFPA 211 or in local building code are listed for repair before safe use.
It goes to whoever you pick. Buyer, seller or either agent can receive it, so one set of facts is on every desk.
Where a fireplace upgrade fits in
A buyer may want the fireplace to heat the room, not only look good. A wood, gas or pellet insert is one way to get there, and a new fuel is among the reasons NFPA 211 gives for stepping up to a Level 2. The same scan that checks the flue for a sale also shows the condition that matters for a liner or an insert.
No government office grades a Level 2. Faced with a repair list, a buyer might raise it with the seller as work, as a price credit, or as a second look. The two sides and their agents settle it, and contract advice is outside our lane.
- Cap, leak repair, cricket, gas insert: priced on our up to code page.
- Liner, crown, damper, masonry: quoted after the scan.
Level 2 against Level 1
Put the camera scan next to the quick visual check and decide which fits your purchase.
- Visual Level 1
- $55
- Level 2 with video scan
- $390
Repairs and upgrades are quoted on paper, apart from the inspection.
Questions from buyers and sellers
Does a Level 2 replace the home inspection?
No. The home inspection covers the house. A Level 2 goes deep on the fireplace and the flue.
Can the scan help me decide on an insert?
It shows the condition of the flue, which matters for any insert plan. Sizing and models are a separate conversation.
Who can get the report?
Anyone you choose: the buyer, the seller or either agent, in any mix.
See inside the flue before you commit
Send the address and name the readers. We will book the scan.
Call (747) 205-6979