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.
Trusted Chimney Sweep for San Marcos Homeowners
A Chimney Sweep in San Marcos typically costs between $229 and $399 for a standard cleaning and inspection, and most appointments take 60 to 90 minutes from setup to final report. We serve homeowners throughout Hays County with full-service chimney care, including sweeping, repair, and dryer vent cleaning, under one roof. Glen Whitaker leads our crew with a focus on combustion safety and structural integrity, not just pushing a brush up a flue and calling it done.
What separates Oakgrove from a two-man crew with a coupon mailer is what happens after the sweep. Your flue is a combustion system, and every visit includes a camera inspection so you see exactly what we see. If we find spalling brick, a cracked flue tile, or a liner that’s past its service life, we repair what we find. Same company, same crew, no referral to a third party you’ve never met. Call (866) 472-2513 to book. Our service area stretches from San Marcos down to Kyle, Uhland, Wimberley, and the surrounding Hill Country communities.
Chimney Sweep Services
Chimney Sweep Troubleshooting: Common Problems and How to Fix Them starts with the same thorough service Oakgrove provides, covering the full scope of keeping a wood-burning or gas fireplace system safe to operate. A standard visit includes a top-down sweeping of the flue, removal of creosote and soot from the smoke chamber and damper assembly, a Level 1 camera inspection, and a written report with photos. If you’ve never had your chimney looked at, or it’s been more than two years since the last cleaning, this is the service to book first.
Most sweeps in San Marcos run $229 to $399 depending on flue height, creosote volume, and whether you need a rooftop or top-sealing damper cleaned. We use professional-grade rotary brushes and HEPA-filtered vacuums, not hardware-store rods. Every job ends with a clean hearth and a clear answer on whether your chimney is safe to burn.
Standard Flue Sweep & Inspection
This is the core service: mechanical brushing of the full flue length, removal of creosote from the smoke shelf and damper, and a camera inspection we show you on site. You’ll know before we leave whether your chimney has another season in it or needs attention.
Creosote Removal & Glaze Treatment
Hill Country homes that burn oak or mesquite often develop hard, shiny creosote glaze that a standard brush won’t remove. We carry chemical treatments and rotary whip heads designed for glazed creosote, which is a leading cause of chimney fires in Central Texas.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees — you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Styles & brands we work with
Chimney Cleaning
Chimney cleaning is the mechanical removal of combustion byproducts, soot, creosote, and debris from the interior of your flue, smoke chamber, and firebox. It’s not a cosmetic service. A dirty chimney restricts draft, which pushes smoke and carbon monoxide back into your living space, and it leaves combustible creosote coating the flue walls. The National Fire Protection Association recommends cleaning whenever creosote buildup reaches 1/8 inch, and for most San Marcos homes that means every one to two burning seasons.
We price based on what we actually find, not a flat one-size-fits-all number. A routine cleaning with light soot starts around $229. Heavy creosote, animal nests, or a flue that hasn’t been touched in five years can push the job to $399 or more. You’ll always get a photo report with your cleaning.
Wood-Burning Fireplace Cleanout
We remove ash, debris, and creosote from the firebox, then work upward through the smoke shelf and flue. This is the most common service for homes in the San Marcos area that burn a cord or two of oak each winter, and it’s covered in our Chimney Sweep Maintenance Checklist for San Marcos Homeowners.
Post-Construction & Debris Removal
New builds and remodels leave drywall dust, roofing debris, and sometimes empty soda bottles in flues. We’ve pulled construction material out of more San Marcos chimneys than we can count. A post-construction cleanout gets you to a safe first burn faster.
Fireplace Cleaning
Fireplace cleaning focuses on the firebox, hearth, and visible masonry surrounding the opening, plus the damper and smoke shelf directly above. It’s what most homeowners picture when they think of chimney work: a clean firebox, no ash smell in the living room, and a damper that opens and closes without fighting. In San Marcos, where winter humidity can leave ash cemented to firebrick, this cleaning is more involved than a quick vacuum pass.
We scrub firebrick with masonry-specific cleaners (never water and dish soap, which can weaken brick over time), vacuum the ash pit if you have one, and clear the smoke shelf where creosote and soot collect. Expect to pay $150 to $275 for a focused fireplace cleaning when it’s combined with a standard sweep.
Firebox & Hearth Restoration
Over time, firebrick cracks and mortar joints crumble. We repair firebox brick with refractory mortar rated for direct flame contact. This isn’t handyman-grade work; it’s what keeps heat where it belongs.
Damper Service & Replacement
A damper that won’t seal lets conditioned air escape all summer and cold air pour in all winter. We clean, adjust, and replace top-sealing and throat dampers regularly for homeowners across the San Marcos area.
Chimney Services
Chimney Services at Oakgrove go beyond the sweep. We handle the full mechanical and structural scope of your venting system: crown repair, tuckpointing, flue relining, cap installation, and waterproofing. If a sweep turns up a cracked flue tile or a rusted-out damper, the fix happens with us, not through a referral to a separate company you have to vet.
A straightforward chimney service call, like replacing a damaged cap or sealing a minor crown crack, typically runs $175 to $400 in San Marcos. Larger structural work, like a full crown rebuild or flue relining, gets priced after camera inspection. We’ll show you the footage and explain what can wait and what can’t.
Crown Repair & Waterproofing
The chimney crown is the concrete slab at the top, and it’s the first thing Texas weather destroys. Freeze-thaw cycles crack it, water gets in, and the masonry starts spalling. We repair crowns and apply breathable waterproofing to keep Hays County rain out of your flue system.
Flue Relining with DuraFlex
When a clay tile flue cracks or was never sized correctly, we install DuraFlex flexible liner systems. DuraFlex is the industry standard for relining, and it’s what we trust when the original flue has failed. We don’t patch over a broken system; we replace the liner so the chimney actually vents.
Chimney Sweep Certified
Chimney Sweep Certified means the person on your roof has been trained and tested on fire codes, clearance requirements, and combustion venting principles, not just handed a brush and pointed at a ladder. Certification matters because the difference between a clean chimney and a safe one is knowledge of how the entire system works together: flue size, draft, fuel type, and clearances.
Our work follows NFPA 211 standards, the code that governs chimney construction and maintenance. You won’t get a certificate of sweeping that means nothing; you’ll get a documented inspection with photos and a clear verdict. A certified sweep and inspection in San Marcos generally runs $229 to $349.
What Certification Actually Verifies
A certified sweep understands draft dynamics, creosote ignition temperatures, and the clearance-to-combustibles requirements in your specific construction. That’s what lets us catch problems a visual-only inspection misses.
Why It Changes the Diagnosis
Glen’s training shows up in the details: reading creosote texture to gauge burn habits, spotting efflorescence that signals water intrusion, and measuring flue dimensions against your appliance’s requirements. The certification isn’t a plaque; it’s a diagnostic framework.
Gas Fireplace Cleaning
Gas Fireplace Cleaning is the service most San Marcos homeowners skip, assuming a gas unit doesn’t need attention. It does. Gas logs still produce soot, dust collects on the burner ports, and spider nests inside the venturi tubes cause lazy flames and carbon monoxide production. We get calls every winter from homeowners whose gas fireplace is setting off CO detectors.
We clean the glass, vacuum the burner assembly, clear the pilot and thermocouple area, and inspect the venting. Gas fireplace cleaning in San Marcos typically costs $175 to $250 when done as part of a full chimney service visit.
Burner & Pilot Assembly Service
Dust and pet hair find their way into gas burner ports and cause uneven flame patterns. We disassemble, clean, and reinstall burner assemblies so your logs burn clean and the pilot lights on the first click.
Venting & CO Safety Check
A gas fireplace that’s venting incorrectly is a carbon monoxide source inside your home. We inspect the vent run, test draft at the firebox, and flag any obstruction that’s keeping combustion gases from leaving the house.
Chimney Maintenance
Chimney Maintenance is the annual or bi-annual service schedule that prevents the $3,000 repair. It includes a sweep, inspection, minor sealant touch-ups, and a written record of your chimney’s condition year over year. Homeowners who maintain their chimneys catch small crown cracks and early spalling before water damage spreads through the masonry.
In the San Marcos climate, with its summer heat and spring storms, we recommend an annual maintenance visit for anyone who burns more than a cord of wood per season. Budget $229 to $349 per year for this, which is far less than a liner replacement down the road.
Seasonal Pre-Burn Inspection
Book this in September or October, before the first cold snap. We check the flue, damper, cap, and crown, and confirm your fireplace is ready for the burning season. It’s the single best insurance against a chimney fire on a cold Hill Country night.
Annual Water Intrusion Check
Water is the enemy of every masonry chimney in Texas. We check crown integrity, flashing, and brick absorption each visit, then recommend sealing or repair before the next storm system rolls through San Marcos.
Brands We Service
We work with professional trade brands because they’re what serious chimney contractors use. DuraFlex flexible liner systems are our go-to for relining damaged or undersized flues. We stock their components and install them to manufacturer spec, which is why our relined flues hold up for decades instead of years.
HeatShield is a ceramic liner resurfacing system we’re certified to apply, and it’s saved more than a few San Marcos homeowners from a full teardown. When a flue has minor cracks and gaps but the structure is sound, HeatShield restoration seals the system from the inside. We also install Gelco caps and Copperfield hearth products because they’re built for professionals, not big-box shelves. Whether you have a unit we named here or something else entirely, we can help.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterSigns You Need a Pro Right Now
- Smoke rolls back into the room when you open the door. This means draft failure, which can be caused by creosote buildup, a blocked flue, or an undersized liner. It’s not a quirk; it’s carbon monoxide and particulate matter entering your living space.
- You smell a campfire smell in the house, even when the fireplace is cold. That’s creosote off-gassing, and it usually means there’s enough buildup to be a fire hazard. On humid San Marcos days, the smell gets stronger.
- You see shiny black tar-like coating on the flue walls. That’s glazed creosote, the most combustible form, and it can’t be removed with a standard brush. It requires chemical treatment and professional tools.
- White staining or crumbling brick on the exterior chimney. That’s spalling from water intrusion, and it only gets worse. Moisture trapped in brick expands and contracts through Central Texas temperature swings, cracking the masonry.
- You hear animals or debris falling inside the chimney. Birds, squirrels, and raccoons all find their way into uncapped flues. Nests block draft and ignite easily. We remove them and install a proper cap so they don’t come back.
Our Process, Step by Step
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On-site assessment. We walk the property, check the firebox, damper, and cap, and ask about your burning habits. How often you burn, what wood you use, and whether you’ve noticed any smells or smoke all shape what we do next.
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Setup and protection. Drop cloths go down around the hearth, and our HEPA vacuum runs the entire time we work. We protect your floors and furniture, and we leave the space cleaner than we found it.
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Mechanical sweeping. We run rotary brushes from the top down or bottom up, depending on your flue setup. The goal is full-wall contact from the firebox to the chimney crown, dislodging all creosote and soot.
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Camera inspection. After the sweep, we run a camera through the full flue length. You’ll see the footage live. If there’s a crack, a gap, or a liner problem, we show you exactly what we’re seeing and explain what it means.
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Report and recommendations. You get a written report with photos, findings, and our honest recommendation. If your chimney is safe to burn, we say so. If it needs repair, we give you a quote and a sense of urgency without pressure.
How Much Does Chimney Sweep Cost in San Marcos?
A standard chimney sweep in San Marcos runs between $229 and $399 for most single-story homes with wood-burning fireplaces. The price depends on flue height, creosote volume, whether you have a standard masonry chimney or a prefab metal flue, and how long it’s been since the last cleaning. Gas fireplace cleaning runs lower, typically $175 to $250, while a full sweep plus repair work like crown sealing or damper replacement can reach $600 or more.
Several factors move the price: second-story roof access, heavy glazed creosote, animal nest removal, and whether we need to remove a stuck damper to access the flue. You can avoid overpaying by booking during spring or summer, when demand drops and scheduling is flexible. Your free estimate includes the inspection and a written quote before any work begins, so there are no surprises after the fact. If you want an exact number for your chimney, call (866) 472-2513 and we’ll walk you through what to expect.
Our Service Area Near San Marcos
We serve San Marcos and the surrounding Hays County communities, including Kyle, Uhland, Wimberley, Woodcreek, Buda, Lockhart, Manchaca, and the Barton Creek area. Most San Marcos appointments are scheduled within a week, and we run routes through the Hill Country regularly. If you’re anywhere in the greater San Marcos area, our team can get to you.
Serving San Marcos, TX — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the San Marcos area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chimney Sweep in San Marcos
A chimney sweep is a professional cleaning and inspection of your chimney system that removes creosote, soot, and debris from the flue, smoke chamber, and firebox. It’s also a safety diagnostic that checks for cracks, blockages, and venting problems. A proper sweep ends with a documented assessment of whether your chimney is safe to operate.
A standard chimney sweep in San Marcos takes 60 to 90 minutes from start to finish. That includes setup, mechanical brushing, camera inspection, and cleanup. Larger jobs with heavy creosote or animal removal can take two hours or more, and we’ll tell you upfront if your job falls into that category.
Most San Marcos homeowners pay between $229 and $399 for a standard chimney sweep and inspection. Gas fireplace cleaning typically runs $175 to $250, and repair work is quoted separately after we show you the camera footage. Every estimate includes a written scope of work before any job begins.
Yes, we service wood-burning masonry fireplaces, prefab metal chimneys, gas inserts, and gas log sets from every major manufacturer. We stock parts for many common brands and source directly from professional suppliers, not big-box retail shelves. If you’re unsure what type of system you have, we’ll identify it during the visit.
We prioritize safety concerns like active chimney fires, significant smoke backup, or carbon monoxide alarms going off when the fireplace runs. Call (866) 472-2513 and if we can’t get out the same day, we’ll tell you what to do in the meantime, including whether to stop using the fireplace entirely.
Every sweep and cleaning we perform is backed by a satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with the job, we’ll come back and make it right. Structural repairs carry manufacturer warranties on the materials we install, like DuraFlex liners and HeatShield resurfacing.
Clear the area around your fireplace so we have room to work, and move any valuable items away from the hearth. If you’ve used the fireplace in the last 24 hours, that’s fine; we just ask that there are no active flames when we arrive. Our team handles everything else, from drop cloths to full cleanup.
Schedule Your Chimney Sweep Service in San Marcos Today
Don’t wait until the first cold snap to find out your chimney isn’t safe to burn. Call Oakgrove Chimney Sweep at (866) 472-2513 for a free, no-obligation estimate on chimney sweeping, repair, or dryer vent cleaning in San Marcos. Glen and the crew will give you an honest assessment, show you the camera footage, and repair what we find.
Written by Glen Whitaker, Owner at Oakgrove Chimney Sweep, serving San Marcos since day one.