A camera scan of every flue, required by NFPA 211 for a sale, a new appliance, a chimney fire or a quake. In Sherman Oaks, we also confirm the permit office and any fire zone rules before the visit.
Tell us the reason for the call and the address. We reply with the price and the rules that apply in Sherman Oaks.
Much of the hillside south of Ventura Boulevard is mapped as a very high fire hazard severity zone, where brush clearance rules call for an approved spark arrestor on the chimney. Wood fires across the city also follow the South Coast AQMD's no-burn alerts from November through February. That is the setting for chimney level 2 inspection in Sherman Oaks, CA, and Clean Flue Chimney Care writes each finding against the rule it falls under.
Service city
Sherman Oaks, CA
ZIP codes
91403, 91413 plus 1 more
Also covered
Van Nuys, Valley Village, and Studio City
Permits from
the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety
Sherman Oaks is part of the City of Los Angeles, so chimney permits here come from the Department of Building and Safety. Many ranch houses on the flats still carry the masonry chimney they were built with, and plenty of those were cracked in the 1994 Northridge earthquake and patched only at the top.
Much of the hillside south of Ventura Boulevard is mapped as a very high fire hazard severity zone, where brush clearance rules call for an approved spark arrestor on the chimney. Wood fires across the city also follow the South Coast AQMD's no-burn alerts from November through February.
Also on this route
We book chimney level 2 inspection in these places too. A nearby street may fall under a different permit office, so we check the address first.
Much of the hillside south of Ventura Boulevard is mapped as a very high fire hazard severity zone, where brush clearance rules call for an approved spark arrestor on the chimney. Wood fires across the city also follow the South Coast AQMD's no-burn alerts from November through February. We check the spark arrestor on every visit, whatever the service booked.
Our Sherman Oaks checklist reads 360° video camera scan of entire flue interior, full inspection of accessible portions per nfpa 211, and required for real estate transactions - meets lender standards. Each item is photographed and measured where the code gives a number, then written up before we leave the house.
Insurers, buyers' inspectors and the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety all ask for proof. Our Sherman Oaks records keep findings and prices on separate pages so each reader gets what they need.
If the inspection points to a different job, these pages explain the rule behind each one.
A full flue sweep to NFPA 211, with the damper, smoke chamber and cap checked and photographed before we pack up.
See the rules and priceLevel 1, 2 or 3 inspections as NFPA 211 defines them, with each finding tied to the rule it fails.
See the rules and priceCrown, mortar, liner and firebox repairs, quoted in writing with the code reason for each item.
See the rules and priceA room-side check of the firebox, damper, hearth extension and clearances against the code dimensions.
See the rules and priceFirebox, damper and hearth repairs that bring a fireplace back within its code or listing limits.
See the rules and priceStainless caps that meet the spark arrestor rule: four times the flue's open area, half-inch mesh, removable.
See the rules and priceStep and counter flashing rebuilt at the roof, with a cricket added where the code calls for one.
See the rules and priceRepointing, brick replacement and crown work done to the mortar and seismic rules that apply here.
See the rules and pricePermitted rebuilds with reinforcing steel and roof anchors, or a framed chase with a listed flue.
See the rules and priceFirebox, glass, doors and smoke chamber cleaned, with the hearth and damper checked as we go.
See the rules and priceBurner, logs, glass and vent cleaned and checked to the gas unit's own listing and manual.
See the rules and pricePilot, valve, ignition and vent repairs with listed parts, so the unit stays within its approval.
See the rules and priceNew surrounds, hearths and mantels laid out to the clearance and hearth rules before anything is built.
See the rules and priceGas, wood or electric inserts installed to the listing, with a full liner and the permit handled.
See the rules and pricePellet stove motors, igniters, sensors and venting serviced to the maker's manual and listing.
See the rules and priceGaskets, baffles, glass and connectors repaired, and clearances to walls checked against the listing.
See the rules and priceVented gas log sets installed with the required damper clamp, since unvented logs are not allowed here.
See the rules and pricePermit offices and fire zone rules change from city to city. Open one to see what applies there.
its own city at the east end of the Valley below the Verdugo Mountains
Burbank runs its own building division, so chimney permits here are issued by the City of Burbank rather than Los Angeles. Many older bungalows still have unlined or clay-lined masonry chimneys, which is the first thing a Level 2 checks before an insert goes in.
See that citylarge lots between the Sepulveda Basin and the hills above Ventura Boulevard
Encino is a City of Los Angeles neighborhood, and its permits come from the Department of Building and Safety. Larger remodels here often add a second fireplace or an outdoor one, and each new gas appliance needs its own permit and inspection.
See that citycanyon streets and flats along the eastern Santa Monica Mountains
Studio City sits inside the City of Los Angeles, so an insert, a rebuild or a new gas line is permitted through the Department of Building and Safety. Steep canyon lots mean many chimneys here rise two stories on the downhill side, which changes how a Level 2 is done and what a rebuild costs.
See that citythe southwest corner of the Valley up against the Santa Monica Mountains
Woodland Hills is in the City of Los Angeles, so permits run through the Department of Building and Safety. Many houses from the 1970s have a metal factory-built fireplace, and those can only take an insert or gas logs if the label inside the firebox allows it.
See that citya separate city since 1984, on the flats below the Hollywood Hills between Hollywood and Beverly Hills
West Hollywood runs its own Building and Safety office, so a reline, a rebuild or a gas insert here is permitted by the city rather than by LADBS. Many homes are duplexes or small multi-unit buildings, and one chimney stack can carry flues for more than one unit. Our report notes which flue serves which unit, because an inspector will ask.
See that cityNFPA 211 sets the inspection and maintenance standard, the residential code sets clearances and the spark arrestor rule, and a factory-built unit follows its own listing. Clean Flue Chimney Care names the one behind each finding for homes in Sherman Oaks, CA.
Clean Flue's scope sheet lists 360° video camera scan of entire flue interior, full inspection of accessible portions per nfpa 211, required for real estate transactions - meets lender standards. Each item is photographed, and where the code gives a measurement, we record it, so the report holds up for an insurer or a buyer.
Yes. Along with Sherman Oaks, we book chimney level 2 inspection in Van Nuys and Valley Village, with ZIP codes such as 91403, 91413, 91423.
