Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Fast, Reliable Chimney Sweep Across Lomita
Most chimney sweeps in Lomita run $189 – $389 for a standard cleaning and Level 1 inspection, and we typically have a technician at your door within one to two days of your call. We work all over Lomita, from the flats near Lomita Boulevard up to the west-side blocks closest to the Palos Verdes Hills, and we know exactly what your chimney is up against out here: salt-laden marine air, stubborn morning fog, and original clay-tile flues that are now 60 to 70 years old. Call (833) 576-1522 for a free estimate. We answer 24/7. Fast dispatch from 7am to 7pm, Sunday through Friday.
Why Lomita Homeowners Call Chimney Sweep San Pedro for Chimney Sweep
Chimney Sweep San Pedro has worked on hundreds of post-war tract homes across Lomita, and the calls we get here have a distinct pattern. It’s rarely just creosote. It’s usually a moisture problem that has been quietly eating at the crown or the mortar joints for years. We know which west-side streets get the heaviest morning marine fog, and we know what that fog does to a 1950s brick chimney by the time it hits 15 years of exposure. That local knowledge changes what we look for and what we recommend.
Our team is led by Jerry Ellison, who has spent years in the trade and built this company on a simple rule: no repair gets proposed without camera footage the homeowner can watch. Lomita customers hear a lot of different stories from chimney companies, so we make a point of showing you the actual condition of your flue before any work is approved. It keeps the whole conversation honest.
When you call from Lomita, you reach a person. We answer 24/7. Fast dispatch from 7am to 7pm, Sunday through Friday. Most sweeps in Lomita are scheduled within a day or two, and our techs arrive with the parts and materials already on the truck, not a promise to come back.
Styles & brands we work with
- Sweep & inspection
- Caps & crowns
- Flue relining
- Masonry repair
- Gas fireplace service
Chimney Sweep Services in Lomita
Chimney Sweep Services in Lomita start with a full mechanical sweep of the flue, firebox, and smoke chamber, followed by a Level 1 inspection of all accessible components. In Lomita, we also pay close attention to the exterior crown and mortar joints, because marine moisture is the issue here as often as creosote is. A typical sweep and Level 1 inspection in Lomita runs $189 – $389 depending on flue size, accessibility, and how much creosote or soot has accumulated.
Annual Sweep and Safety Check
Most Lomita homeowners with wood-burning fireplaces should be swept once a year, even if the fireplace only gets used a few times each winter. The sweep removes creosote and soot, but the inspection is where the real value sits. We check the damper, the flue tiles, the crown, and the chimney cap, and we tell you plainly what can wait and what cannot.
Creosote and Soot Removal
Creosote in Lomita chimneys tends to be first-degree, a fine, flaky soot that looks harmless and gets ignored. Left alone, it layers up and becomes a fuel source. We remove it completely and show you before-and-after photos so you know the flue is actually clean, not just swept around.
Chimney Cleaning in Lomita
Chimney Cleaning in Lomita usually takes between 45 and 90 minutes and costs $189 – $389 for a standard fireplace with a clay-tile flue. The price covers the full sweep, the Level 1 inspection, and a camera report when we see anything that needs a closer look. If your chimney has not been cleaned in years, or if you burn a lot of wood during the mild Lomita winters, expect the job to take longer and the price to land at the higher end of that range.
Fireplace Cleaning for Post-War Homes
The original fireplaces in Lomita’s 1950s and 1960s tract homes are simple masonry boxes with clay-tile flues. They work fine for occasional fires, but the tiles crack over time and the mortar between them crumbles. We clean the firebox properly and then run a camera to check the flue tiles for spalling and joint gaps before we call the job done.
Level 1 and Level 2 Inspections
A Level 1 inspection is included with every sweep we do in Lomita. A Level 2 inspection goes deeper, usually with a camera, and is what we recommend when you have not had the chimney looked at in years, when you have an insert vented into the original flue, or when you are buying a Lomita home and need to know what you are actually getting. Level 2 inspections in Lomita typically run $125 – $275 for the camera work, on top of the sweep.
Trusted Brands We Service in Lomita
We source our materials the way a real chimney company should, which is why Lomita homeowners see us install DuraFlex flexible liner systems, HeatShield ceramic resurfacing, and Olympia Chimney caps and accessories. These are professional-grade products with reliable performance in coastal air, not whatever is cheapest on the discount shelf. We keep common parts stocked on our trucks, so when a Lomita job needs a new cap or a damper repair, we can usually finish it in the same visit. For liner replacement, we measure, order, and install DuraFlex systems sized to your exact flue, and we use HeatShield for flue resurfacing when a full reline is not necessary. That middle path saves Lomita homeowners thousands and extends the life of the original chimney.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Lomita Homes
- Damp, crumbling mortar crowns. The west-side blocks closest to the Palos Verdes Hills get the heaviest morning fog, and crowns on those homes often grow moss and turn soft by age 15. This gets misdiagnosed as a full rebuild when repointing or a crown coat would solve it.
- Clay-tile flues with no liner. Many original Lomita chimneys were built without a stainless liner, relying on the clay tiles alone. Once those tiles crack from salt-laden moisture, the chimney is no longer safely containing the heat and gases. We show you the footage before recommending any work.
- Inserts vented into original stacks. A modern gas or wood insert produces different temperature and draft characteristics than an open fireplace. When it is vented into a 60-year-old clay flue, first-degree creosote builds up in the oversized stack and goes unnoticed until a Level 2 inspection finds it.
- Coastal debris in the flue. Lomita’s onshore flow pushes leaves, twigs, and even bird nests into chimneys that lack proper caps. A missing or damaged cap is one of the most common issues we fix on the same visit as the sweep.
Pricing for Chimney Sweep in Lomita, CA
A standard chimney sweep in Lomita runs $189 – $389, and that includes the Level 1 inspection. Level 2 camera inspections add $125 – $275. Crown repair or repointing usually lands between $300 and $800 depending on how much of the crown has crumbled. HeatShield resurfacing starts around $1,200 and goes up with flue length, and a full DuraFlex liner replacement runs $2,500 – $5,500 when the existing tiles are beyond saving. Your written estimate sets the final price, and it is always free. Call (833) 576-1522 and we will come out, look, and put numbers on paper before you agree to anything.
We Also Serve Cities Near Lomita
Our service area stretches across the South Bay and Harbor Area. In addition to Lomita, we regularly serve Harbor City, Harbor Gateway South, San Pedro, and West Carson. If you are on the edge of Lomita or just over the city line, call us and we will let you know when we can be there. For more on what a full chimney service involves, see our Chimney Sweep page.
Serving Lomita, CA – Our Local Coverage Area
We serve Lomita and nearby communities. Use the map below to see the area we cover. If you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Chimney Sweep in Lomita
No. We never recommend a liner, a resurfacing, or any repair without running a camera down the flue and showing you exactly what we see. That rule matters most in Lomita, where original clay-tile flues are old enough to have real issues but also old enough to be in perfectly serviceable condition. The footage decides, not the age.
The marine fog that settles on Lomita’s west-side blocks keeps chimney crowns damp for hours each morning, and the onshore air carries salt that works into the mortar. Over 15 to 20 years, that combination turns a solid crown into soft, moss-covered mortar that crumbles when you press it. A few miles inland in Torrance or Gardena, the same crown would still be hard. It is a coastal failure mode, and repairing it before the moisture reaches the flue tiles is the whole game. Call (833) 576-1522 and we will check your crown.
It can be, and it is one of the most common things we find on Lomita homes built in the 1950s and 1960s. The original flue was sized for an open fireplace, and an insert changes the draft and temperature profile. The result is often first-degree creosote building up in a stack that never gets hot enough to burn it off. A Level 2 inspection will show whether the flue is safe as-is or needs a properly sized liner. The estimate is free.
First-degree creosote is a fine, flaky black dust that brushes off easily, and it is the most common type we see in Lomita. Third-degree creosote, sometimes called glaze, is a hard, shiny tar that forms under different burn conditions and is rare in our coastal climate. If we find glaze, we will tell you, show you, and explain exactly what it takes to remove it safely before doing any work.
Once a year is right for most Lomita homes with wood-burning fireplaces, even if you only burn a few fires each winter. The sweep keeps the flue safe, and the inspection catches crown and mortar issues before they become leaks or flue damage. If you have an insert or you have not had the chimney looked at in several years, start with a Level 2 inspection and go from there. Call (833) 576-1522 to book yours.
On a 1950s stucco tract home in the 90717 ZIP near the hills, we found the original clay-tile flue had no liner and the crown was soft and moss-covered from years of morning fog. Our tech ran a camera down the flue and showed the homeowner live footage of the deteriorated mortar joints before recommending a HeatShield liner – no work was proposed without that visual evidence. We then swept the firebox, checked the damper, and installed a new stainless cap to keep out coastal debris.
Lomita’s marine-layer fog and salt air accelerate chimney crown and flue deterioration on the west-side blocks faster than almost anywhere else in the South Bay. That means the company you call needs to understand moisture damage as well as creosote. We do, and we put it on camera so you can see it for yourself before you spend a dollar on repairs.
Written by Jerry Ellison, Owner at Chimney Sweep San Pedro, serving Lomita since 2016.