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.
Chimney Company in Santa Monica, CA
Santa Monica chimneys face a very specific set of conditions: 1910s-1950s brick and masonry flues, salt air off the Pacific, and a marine layer that keeps mornings damp well into summer. That combination means dampers rust faster here than ten miles inland, and mortar joints in Spanish Colonial Revival chimneys erode sooner than homeowners expect. We’re Ashby Chimney Los Angeles, an independently owned and operated chimney company working under the Kingswell Guarantee. Every job gets a written price before we start, and every repair carries a written guarantee. Call (213) 652-7061 to book a sweep, inspection, or fireplace repair in Santa Monica.
Why Santa Monica Homes Are Different
Most Santa Monica chimneys were built between 1910 and 1950, when builders put brick or masonry flues into single-story stucco bungalows and Spanish Colonial Revivals without thinking much about coastal exposure. Seventy or eighty years later, the salt-laden ocean air has done what salt air does: it eats cast iron dampers near the beach, corrodes metal flashings where the flue meets the roof, and accelerates spalling on the brick crown. We see it all the time in Sunset Park and north of Wilshire. A chimney that would pass a visual inspection in Culver City can show serious rust and mortar loss here because of how close it sits to the ocean.
The marine layer adds another wrinkle. Santa Monica’s frequent morning fog and cool evenings push people to light fires in low, smoldering burns – the kind that produce creosote faster than a hot, clean burn. Over a season or two, that creosote lines the flue and raises the risk of a chimney fire. The mild Mediterranean climate means fireplaces often sit unused for months, and rental properties across the city frequently go years between sweeps because no one is tracking when the flue was last cleaned. Deferred maintenance is common, and it’s usually the next owner or tenant who finds out.
Santa Monica’s air quality rules matter too. The South Coast Air Quality Management District restricts wood burning on certain no-burn days, and compliance means keeping your fireplace and flue in shape so it burns as cleanly as possible. An obstructed or heavily creosoted flue pushes more smoke out the top and into the neighborhood, and no one wants to be that house on the block. A clean chimney with a properly functioning damper and a sound liner burns more efficiently and produces less particulate matter – which is better for everyone on the street.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Main Santa Monica Services
Most Santa Monica homeowners call us for two reasons: a chimney that hasn’t been swept in years, or a chimney that failed an inspection during escrow. Here’s what each of our three core services involves here.
Chimney Sweep in Santa Monica
A chimney sweep in Santa Monica is more than brushing soot. Because homes this close to the coast develop creosote from low-temperature burns and rust from salt exposure, our sweep includes a close look at the damper, the smoke chamber, and the flue lining while we clean. If you’re in a 1920s bungalow north of Montana or a Spanish Colonial near Ocean Park, you likely have an original clay tile liner that has never been removed or inspected. We clean the full run of the flue from firebox to crown and flag anything that needs a closer look. Chimney Sweep in Santa Monica.
Chimney Inspection in Santa Monica
Chimney inspections here often happen during real estate transactions, and Santa Monica’s older housing stock means failures are common enough that agents and buyers plan for them. We perform the inspection with a camera so you see what we see: cracked flue tiles, rusted dampers, missing mortar, or a liner that has separated at the joints. If you own a rental property in the city, regular inspections are the practical way to stay ahead of a deteriorating chimney system before it becomes a liability. Chimney Inspection in Santa Monica.
Fireplace Repair in Santa Monica
Fireplace repair work in Santa Monica frequently lands on dampers and liners. The salt air that corrodes cast iron within a mile of the beach means a damper that won’t open or close completely is a recurring call, and old clay liners in 1930s-era homes routinely show cracks that let combustion gases escape into the wall cavity. We repair with materials from established chimney-trade brands like HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, and Famco – the same materials a manufacturer’s rep would spec, not a no-name patch. Fireplace Repair in Santa Monica.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service in Santa Monica
We service and repair fireplaces and chimneys across the major brands you’ll find in Santa Monica homes, including HeatShield and Gelco systems, Olympia Chimney components, and Famco dampers. Our trucks carry the common parts and materials for these brands, so most repairs don’t wait on shipping. Learn more about our brands.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterPricing for Chimney Company in Santa Monica, CA
We publish pricing ranges because the Kingswell Way starts with saying the price before any work begins. The table below shows what Santa Monica homeowners can expect for common chimney jobs. The price we quote is the price you pay, in writing, before we touch the flue.
| Service | Typical range in Santa Monica |
|---|---|
| Standard chimney sweep (Level 1) | $180 – $340 |
| Chimney inspection (Level 1) | $99 – $200 |
| Level 2 camera inspection | $250 – $500 |
| Damper replacement (cast iron or top-seal) | $275 – $850 |
| Flue liner repair (resurfacing) | $900 – $1,750 |
| Full stainless steel liner replacement | $1,800 – $4,200 |
| Chimney crown repair or rebuild | $400 – $1,500 |
| Firebox repair or repointing | $350 – $1,600 |
| Smoke chamber parging | $500 – $1,400 |
| Flashing replacement (salt-corroded) | $300 – $900 |
What pushes prices up in Santa Monica is generally access and salt damage. Chimneys on steep rooflines or multi-story Spanish Revivals cost more to work on safely, and a rusted-out flashing near the beach takes longer to remove and replace than a clean one inland. Whatever the number, we put it in writing before we start, and the invoice matches the quote.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Santa Monica
We work throughout Santa Monica, from the streets around San Vicente down to the ocean and from the Venice border up to Pacific Palisades. Homes here share the same salt air and aging brick, but the details change block to block: a 1920s courtyard building off Wilshire and a 1950s bungalow in Sunset Park have very different chimney geometries.
- Sunset Park
- Ocean Park
- North of Montana
- Pico District
- Wilshire-Montana
Scheduling typically puts us in most Santa Monica neighborhoods within a few days, depending on the season and whether the job needs a camera inspection.
Service Area – Cities Near Santa Monica
Ashby Chimney Los Angeles serves Santa Monica and the surrounding Westside. If you’re in Venice, CA, Culver City, CA, Beverly Hills, CA, or West Hollywood, CA, our crews cover those areas with the same written pricing and written guarantee.
Serving Santa Monica, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Santa Monica area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Chimney Company in Santa Monica
Most Santa Monica homeowners get a sweep or inspection within three to five business days, depending on the season. Fall and early winter fill up faster, and spring tends to be open. Call (213) 652-7061 and our office will give you a real arrival window when you book, not a four-hour range.
Most routine chimney work – sweeps, damper replacement, liner resurfacing – does not require a city permit. Major fireplace rebuilds or structural changes may, and we’ll tell you if your specific job crosses that line before you commit to anything. The written quote covers exactly what we’re doing, so there’s no surprise scope expansion later.
We work on single-family homes and small multi-unit buildings across Santa Monica. If you manage a rental, we can coordinate access with tenants and schedule inspections between leases. Camera documentation comes with every inspection, so you can share the findings with owners, agents, or tenants without anyone having to guess what’s inside the flue.
If your chimney hasn’t been looked at in years, call (213) 652-7061 for a free estimate. We’ll give you a written price, show up in the window, and put the guarantee in writing – the Kingswell Way, done right in Santa Monica.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees - talk to a local chimney cleaning pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you - the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Santa Monica Customers Say
"We smelled something off every time the heat kicked on. Turned out to be debris in the flue. He cleared it and the smell was gone. Patient explaining it all to a first timer like me."
- Annette Prosser"No upsell nonsense. I expected him to tell me I needed a thousand dollars of work. He said the firebox was fine, swept it, and charged me the quote. That kind of honesty gets my repeat business."
- Steve Karras"Annual cleaning. Drop cloth down, vacuum running, hearth spotless after. No pressure to buy a cap or anything extra. Just did what I booked and charged the quote."
- Keith Donovan