Level 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.
Before
After
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AfterChimney Cleaning Services in Inwood, NY
Chimney cleaning in Inwood runs between $189 and $349 for a standard sweep and inspection, depending on flue condition and roof access. Most jobs take 45 to 90 minutes once we’re on site, and we carry thousands of dollars in brushes, rods, and camera gear on the truck so there’s no second trip for the right equipment. If you’ve been putting off a sweep because you’re not sure the chimney even needs it, call (516) 604-2573 and Wendell will tell you straight whether it does. He has been inside enough South Shore flues to know when a chimney can wait another season, and he will say so plainly.
We serve every corner of Inwood, from the streets off Doughty Boulevard to the blocks along Lawrence Avenue and Bayview Avenue, plus our Lawrence service area. You’ll talk to a live person when you call, not a recording, and when the crew shows up they’ll be in uniform, background-checked, and ready to explain exactly what they’re doing and why. The price Wendell quotes on the phone is the price on the invoice. That’s been true since 1999, and it’s not changing.
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.
Why Inwood Homeowners Choose Top Hat Chimney
Plenty of chimney outfits can sweep a flue. What’s harder to find is a company that puts its name on the work, gives you camera footage before recommending a repair, and answers the phone when you call back two months later. Top Hat Chimney is owned and operated by Wendell Pike, who founded the company in 1999 and still runs jobs himself. Residents in the Five Towns and around Inwood have seen his truck parked on their streets for decades. Ask anyone on your street. They’ll know the logo.
We serve the neighborhoods around Inwood Park, the ranch homes and Capes off Bayview Avenue, and the split-levels near Lawrence Country Day School. Our customers are largely homeowners between 50 and 70, people who have dealt with a national chain that sent a stranger, changed the price at the door, and vanished after the job. They call us because the number on the phone is the number on the invoice, and because Wendell’s 90-Day Done Right Promise is in writing on every single job. If it’s not done right, one call brings him back. No haggling, no fine print.
We’re licensed and insured, and our technicians don’t work on commission. That matters. A brush-and-vacuum sweep is sometimes all a chimney needs. We’ll tell you that and charge you for exactly what we did, nothing more.
Chimney Cleaning Services We Offer in Inwood
Chimney Cleaning & Sweep
A proper sweep removes creosote, soot, and any nests or debris blocking the flue. In Inwood we find everything from squirrel nests to rusted dampers to old brick fragments that have fallen from the flue lining. A clean flue drafts better, burns more efficiently, and reduces your fire risk. Learn more about our Chimney Cleaning & Sweep in Inwood.
Chimney Repair
Salt air and nor’easter rain work on mortar joints year-round, and Inwood’s 60- to 80-year-old chimneys are especially prone to spalling brick and cracked crowns. We do tuckpointing, crown repair, flashing replacement, and full or partial rebuilds. Get the details on our Chimney Repair in Inwood services.
Fireplace Services
Dampers that stick, fireboxes that smoke, gas logs that won’t light properly. These are fixable, and in most cases they’re symptoms of a flue that isn’t drawing the way it should. We diagnose the whole system, not just the part that’s complaining. See what we cover under Fireplace Services in Inwood.
Chimney Cap & Crown
The crown is the concrete slab on top of the chimney, and the cap is the metal cover over the flue. Both take a beating from Inwood’s salt-laden wind and driving rain. A cracked crown lets water into the masonry, and a missing cap invites rain, birds, and debris straight down the flue. We replace crowns, install stainless caps, and make sure the chase cover is holding up. Learn more about our Chimney Cap & Crown - Inwood services.
Chimney Liner & Rebuild
Older Inwood homes often still have their original terra-cotta liners, which crack over time and can allow heat and carbon monoxide to reach the surrounding framing. When a liner fails, we install insulated stainless systems from brands like HeatShield and Olympia Chimney. In some cases Wendell recommends a Chimney Liner & Rebuild - Inwood instead. Either way, you’ll see the camera footage before you spend a dollar.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Inwood
Our trucks are in and around Inwood every week. Typical response time for a chimney cleaning is 3 to 7 business days, and we always give you a real arrival window, not a four-hour spread. We work regularly in:
- The streets surrounding Inwood Park
- Bayview Avenue and the blocks north of the bay
- The ranch and Cape Cod homes along Doughty Boulevard
- Homes near Lawrence Avenue and the Five Towns border
- ZIP 11096, including everything between the bay and the county line
Why Inwood’s Climate & Housing Affect Chimney Cleaning
Inwood sits directly on the South Shore, bounded by Hewlett Bay and exposed to a steady Atlantic wind that carries salt into every mortar joint. That salt air corrodes brick and eats at chimney crowns far faster than it does a few miles north in mid-Nassau. When you add nor’easters driving rain straight into caps and crowns, the result is a local housing stock with more spalled brick, more cracked flue liners, and more water-damaged fireboxes than you’d find in neighboring inland towns.
The houses themselves matter too. Inwood was largely built between 1945 and 1965: Cape Cods, ranches, and small split-levels with original terra-cotta flues and soft mortar that has now spent seven or eight decades absorbing freeze-thaw cycles and salt spray. On top of that, Hurricane Sandy’s 2012 flooding triggered a rush of insurance-driven chimney repairs throughout the hamlet. Wendell and his crew routinely find those post-Sandy fixes failing now: mismatched mortar, flashing that was never replaced properly, and liners that cracked within a few years because they were installed in damp, salty conditions without proper curing. A dozen years later, those shortcuts show up as smoke backing into the house, water stains on the ceiling near the fireplace, and rust at the damper.
Pricing for Chimney Cleaning in Inwood
Chimney cleaning in Inwood runs $189 to $349. Here’s the breakdown:
- Standard sweep and inspection: $189-$249 for a single-flue chimney with easy roof access
- Steep roof or complex access: $250-$349, depending on pitch and ladder setup
- Camera inspection (add-on or standalone): $75-$150, and we’ll show you the footage
- Chimney cap installation: $120-$280 including the cap, depending on flue size
All pricing is confirmed before a single tool comes off the truck. We offer $40 off any repair over $200, a free second opinion on any written estimate, and 10% off for seniors and veterans, always. No trip charge inside the county. Call (516) 604-2573 and Wendell will give you an exact quote.
Service Area - Cities Near Inwood
We serve Inwood and the surrounding South Shore communities, including Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, and Atlantic Beach. If you’re in a neighboring hamlet and unsure whether we cover your street, call and ask. The answer is usually yes.
Serving Inwood, NY - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Inwood 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 Cleaning in Inwood
Most sweeps in Inwood run between $189 and $349, with the average around $220 for a standard single-flue chimney. The price depends on roof access, flue condition, and whether you need a camera inspection added. We quote an exact number before any work begins, and the price you hear on the phone is the price on the invoice. Call (516) 604-2573 for a free estimate.
Once a year, burn or no burn. Chimneys break in the off-season too. Even if you rarely use the fireplace, Inwood’s damp salt air is working on the mortar and liner year-round, and an annual sweep is also an annual inspection. The camera footage and a plain-English verdict come with every visit, no exceptions.
Not necessarily. Many Inwood homes have original terra-cotta liners that are cracked but not yet dangerous. We’ll show you the camera footage and give you an honest read: repair it, replace it, or leave it for now. We never recommend a liner without video proof, and Wendell will tell you plainly when work can safely wait.
Creosote builds up in layers. First-degree creosote is a brush job. Third-degree is a glaze, and it’s a chimney fire waiting to happen. Skipping sweeps in Inwood’s climate also lets water keep working into the masonry, which means more expensive repairs later. A $200 sweep beats a $3,000 rebuild. Call (516) 604-2573 to schedule a sweep before the burning season, and we’ll make sure you’re set.
Yes, and this is one of the most common calls we get in Inwood. Post-Sandy repairs often used the wrong mortar or skipped flashing replacement entirely, and the salt air and nor’easter rain expose those shortcuts within a few years. We’ll inspect the entire system, show you what’s failing on camera, and fix it properly so it lasts. Every job is backed by the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing.
Ready to get your chimney cleaned in Inwood? Call Top Hat Chimney at (516) 604-2573. Wendell answers his own phone, and he’ll give you a straight answer on price, timing, and whether the chimney even needs the work. No pressure, no upsell. Just a clean flue, done right.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Inwood and the South Shore since 1999.
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 Inwood Customers Say
"Creosote build up was bad enough that he showed me a jar of it. Explained the difference between the stages and why the wood I had been burning was the cause. I have burned seasoned wood ever since."
- Gordon Selkirk"Gave me the photos from inside the flue on a memory stick along with the invoice. I have never had a trade hand me evidence before."
- Priscilla Ng"He repointed the crown and waterproofed the stack, and two winters on there is not a damp mark on the ceiling where there used to be one every February."
- Harold Vance