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If you are wondering how much a chimney sweep costs before you book one, you are asking the right question first. At Five Star Chimney Repair, we get this question on nearly every call, and the honest answer is that a professional sweep costs less than most homeowners expect, especially compared to what a neglected chimney can cost you down the road.
Here is a real, published breakdown of what a chimney sweep actually costs in the Portland area, what affects the price, and how often you actually need one.
Key Takeaways
- A professional chimney sweep in the Portland, OR area typically ranges from $136 to $258, averaging around $195.
- Cost mainly comes down to chimney type, though the condition of your chimney can sometimes play a role as well.
- The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) recommends a sweep and inspection at least once a year, regardless of how often you use your fireplace.
- DIY chimney cleaning kits exist, but they cannot safely address heavier creosote buildup or spot hazards a trained technician would catch.
- A basic chimney inspection is included with every sweep at no extra cost, since cleaning and inspection naturally go hand in hand.
How Much Does a Chimney Sweep Cost in Portland?
Every chimney is a little different, so how much does it cost to sweep a chimney depends mostly on what kind of chimney you have and how it is used. Here is our current, published pricing for the most common chimney sweeping services we handle across Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Gladstone, Clackamas, and Gresham.
- Wood-burning chimney sweep: $189
- Stove or insert sweep: $249
Both of these include a visual inspection as part of the service, so you are not paying separately for a basic once-over afterward. For a full, current list of everything we price out, our rates page breaks down each service in detail.
For context, Angi’s local pricing data for the Portland, OR area shows a typical chimney sweep ranging from $136 to $258, with a $195 average, closely matching Angi’s broader Oregon state average of $200. Our published rates of $189 for wood-burning chimneys and $249 for stove or insert sweeps land right in that local range, which is part of why homeowners trust us with their annual chimney maintenance instead of guessing at what a fair price should look like.
If you have been searching for the cost of chimney sweep near me, this is the most accurate, up-to-date pricing you will find for the Portland area, straight from the source.
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What Actually Affects the Price
The cost of chimney sweep services is not one flat number across every home, and a few specific factors are what typically move the price.
- Chimney type. Wood-burning chimneys generally cost less to sweep than a stove or insert, since inserts require more disassembly to reach and clean properly.
- Blockages. Animal nesting materials, leaves, and other debris are common in uncapped or poorly capped chimneys, and clearing them adds time to the job.
- Access and roofline. A steep roof or a chimney that is harder to reach safely can add to labor time, similar to how roofline access affects repair pricing.
- Bundled inspection needs. If a technician finds cracks, damage, or liner issues during your sweep, addressing those is a separate cost from the cleaning itself, though catching them early keeps that cost lower than letting damage sit.
Read More: How Much Does Chimney Repair Cost in Portland in 2026?
What Does a Professional Chimney Cleaning Include?
A properly swept chimney drafts better, burns more efficiently, and carries far less risk of fire or carbon monoxide exposure. The best time to schedule one is before your burning season really gets going, but a real chimney sweep involves more than a quick pass with a brush.
Our technicians use professional-grade tools to cover every part of the chimney system where soot and debris tend to build up.
- Flue cleaning: clearing creosote and soot along the full length of the chimney liner.
- Smoke chamber cleaning: addressing the area directly above the firebox.
- Firebox cleaning: removing ash, soot, and debris from inside the firebox itself.
- Debris removal: clearing leaves, twigs, animal nesting material, or other blockages.
- Home protection: setting up drop cloths and containment so the job stays contained to the fireplace area.
- Visual assessment: checking for and documenting any cracks, damage, or other concerns found along the way.
This is what separates a proper wood-burning chimney cleaning from a quick surface sweep, and it is exactly what you should expect when you hire a CSIA-certified chimney sweep.
How Often Should You Clean Your Chimney?
A common question that comes up alongside cost is how often you should clean your chimney in the first place. The CSIA recommends a chimney sweep and level 1 chimney inspection at least once a year for every chimney, regardless of how much you use your fireplace.
If you burn wood frequently, especially multiple times a week through a Portland winter, a good rule of thumb is to schedule a cleaning after roughly every cord of wood burned. Even a fireplace that only gets used a handful of times a season should still be swept annually, since moisture and debris can build up in the flue independent of how often you actually light a fire.
Skipping a year is not just a cleaning issue. Creosote buildup left unaddressed hardens over time, moving from a light, brushable Stage 1 into a harder, more hazardous Stage 2 or Stage 3 to remove, and significantly raises the risk of a chimney fire.
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Serving Homeowners Across the Portland Metro
We provide chimney cleaning services throughout the greater Portland metro, including Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Gladstone, Clackamas, and Gresham. Wet Pacific Northwest winters mean chimneys here see more moisture-driven wear than in drier climates, which makes annual chimney maintenance even more important for wood-burning homes in this region.
If it has been over a year since your last sweep, or if you have never had one, now is a good time to get on the schedule before burn season fills up our calendar.
Read More: Why Is My Fireplace Smoking?
Why Homeowners Choose Five Star Chimney Repair
Five Star Chimney Repair has been serving the Portland area for 15 years, and every estimate is handled directly by the owner. Our technicians are CSIA certified, meaning they are trained to the safety standards set by the Chimney Safety Institute of America, not just general contracting experience. We also back our work with a price match guarantee, so the number we quote is the number you can plan around.
Beyond the sweep itself, our technicians document any cracks, damage, or early warning signs during the visual assessment, since chimney sweeping and chimney inspections naturally go hand in hand. That means a routine cleaning often catches problems while they are still small and inexpensive to fix.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost for a chimney sweep?
In the Portland area, a professional chimney sweep typically costs $189 for a wood-burning chimney and $249 for a stove or insert. Pricing is primarily based on chimney type, with access or blockages sometimes factoring into the final estimate. Our rates page has our full, current pricing.
How often should you clean your chimney?
The CSIA recommends a sweep and inspection at least once a year for every chimney, regardless of how often you use your fireplace. If you burn wood frequently, a mid-year cleaning may also be worth scheduling.
What is chimney sweeping?
Chimney sweeping is a professional service that removes creosote, soot, ash, and debris from your flue, smoke chamber, and firebox. It typically includes a visual assessment for cracks or damage, and it is the most important routine maintenance a wood-burning fireplace can get.
Conclusion: Know What You’re Paying For
Chimney sweep cost in Portland does not have to be a mystery, and neither does how often you actually need one. Between our published rates and a straightforward annual maintenance schedule, you can budget for chimney care instead of guessing at it. Five Star Chimney Repair has spent 15 years helping Portland-area homeowners keep their chimneys safe and running efficiently, one sweep at a time.