Inspecting before a Beverly Hills house changes hands
A purchase is a common reason to ask for a Level 2. The buyer takes on every flue, and a flashlight in the firebox says very little about a liner behind it. Each flue gets its own findings, so one cracked liner is not averaged away by three sound ones.
Book it early in escrow. An inspection at the end of the contingency period leaves no time to get repair quotes if the camera finds something, and those quotes are often part of the negotiation.
A seller's own inspection is useful background. A buyer will usually still want an independent one, and neither document stands in for the other.
Remodelled rooms and chimneys hidden behind new walls
Where a period house has been remodelled, sometimes more than once, the chimney may have been boxed in, a wall rebuilt against it, or a new ceiling run across the smoke chamber. Those concealed areas are what a Level 3 exists for.
Level 3 is not the default. It comes in when a Level 2 finds evidence that can only be confirmed by opening something up, such as heat marks on framing near the chimney or a liner fault that runs behind finished work.
A planned renovation is also a reason to look before the walls close. Checking clearance between the chimney and new framing is simple with the studs exposed and awkward afterwards.
Say whether the inspection is for a sale, a remodel or after shaking, and how many flues the house has, and we'll come back to you. Call or send the details, and ask for an estimate for the work.
What an inspection checks on a Beverly Hills stack after an earthquake
Earthquake Country Alliance advises against using a fireplace with a damaged chimney. After noticeable shaking, the questions are whether the stack has moved at the roofline, whether the crown has cracked, and whether the flue tiles have shifted or split.
The last of those cannot be seen from the roof or the firebox. Offset or cracked tiles are found with a camera, which is why an inspection after an earthquake is often a Level 2.
Until then, keep people away from a brick chimney that looks displaced, and do not light the fireplace.
What moves the cost of a chimney inspection in Beverly Hills
The level and the number of flues account for most of the difference.
- 1Level 1 or Level 2, and whether a camera run is needed.
- 2How many flues there are, since each is assessed on its own.
- 3Roof height and access, and whether the attic can be reached.
- 4Flues that need sweeping before a camera can see the liner.
- 5Anything that has to be opened for a Level 3, and put back afterwards.