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.
Famco Chimney Sweep in Long Beach: What to Know First
A standard Famco chimney sweep in Long Beach typically runs $189 – $289, and most jobs are completed in 45 – 90 minutes with no mess left behind. We’re an independent Famco service provider – not manufacturer-authorized – which means we report what we actually find, not what pushes a parts sale. If your Famco unit is clean and sound, we’ll tell you that straight. To schedule or ask a question, call (562) 317-7262.
This page is for Long Beach homeowners who own a Famco chimney system or appliance vent and want a sweep done right – by a crew that puts the price in writing before the first tool comes off the truck. We’ve been running sweeps and inspections across Long Beach for years, from Craftsman homes in Belmont Heights to newer builds near the waterfront.
How Famco Products Fail – and How We See It on the Job
Famco makes solid equipment. But every brand has weak points, and knowing them is what separates a real sweep from a guy with a brush. Here’s what we actually see on Famco jobs in Long Beach:
- Famco stainless steel chimney caps – screen clogging from marine-layer soot. Long Beach’s coastal air puts more moisture and salt into flue gas than inland homes deal with. That turns creosote into a sticky, faster-building residue. Famco caps with fine mesh screens catch this more aggressively, and we regularly pull caps on Long Beach jobs where the screen is 40 – 60% blocked. The fix is a full screen cleaning during the sweep – not a cap replacement.
- Famco anchor plate sealant breakdown on manufactured fireplace flues. On Famco anchor plates used with air-cooled chimney systems, the high-temperature sealant at the plate-to-flue junction dries out and cracks faster in Long Beach’s salt air. Symptom: you notice a faint smoke smell indoors after the fireplace has been running 20 – 30 minutes. We inspect that seal on every Famco sweep and reseal it as needed with high-temp sealant – usually a $45 – $75 add-on, not a full liner job.
- Famco direct-vent terminations with rust at the vent collar. Homes closer to the beach see accelerated surface rust where the vent passes through the exterior wall. It looks worse than it is. Most of the time, it’s a surface condition that wire-brushing and a coat of high-temp paint corrects. We’ll photograph it before and after so you have a record.
- Famco wood stove adapters – creosote buildup at the transition point. The point where a Famco stove adapter meets the connector pipe is a turbulence zone. Smoke slows down there, cools, and drops creosote. On Long Beach stoves burning pressed logs or less-than-dry cordwood, we see this transition point cake up faster than any other section of the flue. We hand-scrape that section rather than relying on a rotary brush alone.
- Famco rain caps with internal spark-arrestor screens – ember blockage. On chimneys that see wood fires three or more nights a week in winter, the spark arrestor screen accumulates fine ash and soot that hardens with moisture. Left alone, that screen blocks draft and pushes smoke back into the house. We remove, inspect, and clean the spark arrestor on every sweep – it’s included in the job, not an add-on.
Styles & brands we work with





Our Famco Chimney Sweep Process
Every Famco job follows the same discipline. No shortcuts, no surprises. Here’s how it runs from the first call to the final walk-through:
- 1
You call (562) 317-7262. A live person answers – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We book a window and a uniformed, background-checked technician shows up inside it.
- 2
We walk the job and write the price. Before any tool comes off the truck, you get a written price for the sweep and any evaluation work. The number on the invoice is the number you approved. No exceptions.
- 3
We prep the work area. Drop cloths go down around the fireplace or stove, floor protection in place, and the vacuum is running before the brush touches the flue.
- 4
The sweep itself. We brush the flue top to bottom (or bottom to top, depending on the setup), clean the smoke chamber, smoke shelf, damper assembly, and firebox. On Famco units, we hand-scrape transition points and coupling areas where creosote builds unevenly.
- 5
We inspect and photograph. After the sweep, we run a camera inspection so you can see the flue condition yourself. We don’t recommend liner work, cap replacement, or anything else without camera evidence you can review with us.
- 6
We write the report and guarantee the labor. You get a written inspection summary, photos, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise – if a covered repair fails within one full year, we return at no charge.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterWhat Famco Chimney Sweep Costs in Long Beach
Here are the ranges we quote for Famco work in Long Beach:
- Standard Famco chimney sweep: $189 – $289 depending on flue height, accessibility, and how much creosote or soot accumulation is present.
- Sweep with cap screen cleaning (Famco cap with spark arrestor): included in the sweep price for accessible caps; $35 – $55 extra if the cap requires removal and re-securing on a steep roof.
- Anchor plate sealant repair (found during sweep): $45 – $75, using high-temp sealant.
- Camera inspection add-on (when not already included): $85 – $125, but if you’re getting a Level 2 inspection, the camera work is part of it.
- Level 1 Inspection: $125 – $175 – visual inspection of accessible areas, no special equipment needed.
- Level 2 Inspection: $225 – $375 – camera inspection of the full flue, required when property changes hands, after a chimney fire, or after an earthquake (relevant in Long Beach).
What moves the price? Flue height, roof pitch, whether your Famco component is on a manufactured fireplace or a masonry chimney, and how long it’s been since the last sweep. Heavy creosote (glazed, thick tar) takes longer to remove safely. You’ll always know the exact number before work begins. Call (562) 317-7262 for a free estimate.
Why Long Beach Homeowners Call Flint Chimney Co Long Beach for Famco Work
We’re part of the Garrison Partners family, founded in 2002, and we operate under The Garrison Standard: every job gets a written price, every repair carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing, and every tech who shows up is background-checked and in uniform. When we work on a Famco chimney system, we’re also familiar with the other brands that show up in the same setup – DuraFlex liners, HeatShield repair materials, and Gelco caps – so when we recommend a repair, we specify the right material for the job, not whatever’s on sale at the supply house.
Hank Delano built this business on showing up on time and giving a straight report. He grew up in Los Angeles, learned the trade at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, and has spent the better part of two decades doing chimney work across Southern California. His rule: clean flue, honest report – that’s the whole job. If your Famco unit is fine, you’ll hear it from us.
FAQs
No. Routine chimney sweeping and inspection are standard maintenance and do not void a Famco product warranty. What voids warranties is improper installation, unauthorized modification, or damage from chimney fires. We photograph before and after so there’s a record the maintenance was done correctly.
Most Long Beach Famco sweeps can be scheduled within 3 – 7 business days, depending on the season. Fall and early winter are busiest in Long Beach. Call (562) 317-7262 and we’ll give you the next available window straight, no callback forms.
We don’t stock Famco components on the truck – instead, we order from our usual suppliers when a genuine Famco part is needed. For most cap, anchor plate, and connector issues, quality aftermarket parts from DuraFlex or Gelco fit correctly and carry their own warranty. We’ll show you options and prices, and you choose.
Once per year for wood-burning fireplaces and stoves, and once every 1 – 2 years for gas appliances, depending on use and coastal soot conditions. Homes closer to the water often need more frequent cap and screen cleanings because marine moisture accelerates creosote formation.
Creosote builds up in the flue and hardens into a tar-like glaze. That’s what ignites in a chimney fire. The screen on your Famco cap also blocks up, which pushes smoke and carbon monoxide back into the house. The sweep is the cheaper option by a wide margin. Call (562) 317-7262 for an exact quote – estimates are free.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner, Flint Chimney Co Long Beach at Flint Chimney Co Long Beach, serving Long Beach and nearby areas.