Tenant out, tenant in: check the fireplace

The unit is empty. The roof is easy to reach, the firebox is clear and nobody is home to be bothered. A fireplace that was fine last winter may have a cracked crown now, and the tenant never saw it.

A fee is set for each fireplace, either the Level 1 or Level 2 amount. Count up the fireplaces and multiply. Think about whether a plain visual check will do for the units you know are sound.

We explain how the chimney is built before we talk repairs. If a crown is cracked or a mortar joint has opened, we show the photo, say what happens if it stays that way, and name the smallest repair.

The report names each fireplace, so you can see which one needs work and which one does not. Photos come the same day as the inspection.

The Level 1 looks at what can be reached. The Level 2 brings a video pass down the entire flue, along with attic, crawlspace and roof sections within reach. NFPA 211 calls for it at a sale or transfer, after a chimney fire or a shaking from an earthquake, and when the fuel changes. Masonry that was sound for one fuel can need a second look for another.