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.
Fast, Reliable Chimney Sweep Across St. Augustine
A chimney sweep in St. Augustine typically costs $179 to $289 for a standard cleaning, with Level 1 inspections running $99 to $199 when booked with a sweep. Most jobs take 45 to 90 minutes, and we schedule throughout St. Johns County six days a week. If you live in a historic home downtown or a 1980s tract house west of I-95, the process is different, and that difference matters more here than almost anywhere in Florida. Call (904) 453-7823 for a written quote before any work begins.
Why Alcott Chimney Jacksonville Is St. Augustine’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
We have cleaned chimneys in Lincolnville, Davis Shores, and along San Marco Avenue long enough to know what a salt-air climate does to a damper in three years. Ruben Castellano built this company on a simple rule: the homeowner sees what we see. Every Alcott technician is background-checked and identity-verified under the Threshold Standard, and you will know the technician’s name and see their photo before we arrive. When the doorbell rings in St. Augustine, the person standing there matches the person you were told to expect.
Our St. Augustine customers tend to ask the same two questions: “Do I actually need this?” and “Can you prove it?” Both get straight answers. Written price before work begins. Camera footage of your flue before any repair recommendation. A written guarantee on every repair, and if that repair fails, the second visit is free. No vague promises, no pressure to sign on the spot.
We serve the whole St. Augustine area, from the tourist-era bungalows near Flagler College to the subdivisions off State Road 16. Crews are dispatched locally to St. Augustine, with scheduling coordinated through our South Florida office. You are never routed to a call center, and a live person answers every call, 24/7.
Styles & brands we work with
Chimney Services in St. Augustine
Chimney Services in St. Augustine cover everything from a standard sweep to full Level 2 camera inspections on chimneys that have not been touched since the last century. Homeowners call us when they smell smoke backing into the living room, when a storm shakes loose mortar, or when they simply want to use the fireplace for the first time in years. A standard sweep in St. Augustine runs $179 to $289, and a Level 1 inspection added to that sweep costs $99 to $199. If we spot damage, you get a written repair quote with photos before anything else happens.
Creosote and Soot Removal
Creosote, the tar-like byproduct of wood burning, hardens during St. Augustine’s long off-season. Months of humidity do not soften it; they bake it onto flue walls. We remove first-degree and second-degree creosote with poly brushes sized to your flue, then show you camera footage so you can see what came off and what remains.
Annual Sweep and Fireplace Cleaning
Even in a mild climate, an annual sweep lets us catch salt-rust on dampers, spalling brick, and animal nests before they become a real problem. Fireplace cleaning includes the firebox, smoke shelf, damper, and accessible flue. We leave the hearth as clean as the flue.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Chimney Sweep Certified in St. Augustine
Chimney Sweep Certified in St. Augustine means a technician trained on the two very different chimney types that define this city: the raw coquina, tabby, and soft historic brick flues of downtown, and the standard clay-lined masonry of suburban St. Johns County. No single brush, speed, or technique works for both. A certified approach means knowing when a chimney needs gentle poly brushing instead of steel, and when a chimney needs nothing at all beyond a visual check. Certification is not a plaque; it is the difference between cleaning a 200-year-old flue and damaging it.
Level 1 and Level 2 Inspection
A Level 1 inspection is the right choice when nothing has changed: same fireplace, same usage, no known problems. A Level 2 inspection is what we recommend before buying an older St. Augustine home, after a chimney fire, or when an unlined flue has never been documented. Level 2 includes camera documentation of the entire flue interior, and in St. Augustine that camera work regularly reveals cracks and mortar loss that a flashlight never could.
Historic Flue Washing and Gentle Brushing
Older coquina and tabby flues cannot take a standard steel wire brush without spalling. We use poly brushes and lower speeds on these chimneys, and we document the before and after so you can see what was removed without damaging the masonry. When a firebox or smoke shelf is too fragile for any brushing, we tell you that plainly and recommend the least invasive option.
Trusted Brands We Service in St. Augustine
We stock and install professional trade materials, not box-store substitutes. That includes Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield components for dampers, caps, and chase covers across St. Augustine. Because we keep common parts on our local trucks, a rusted damper or missing cap in a St. Augustine Beach condo or a downtown coquina cottage often gets replaced the same visit. If we do not have the exact part, we order it and give you a written price before we leave, never after.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Chimney Sweep Problems We See in St. Augustine Homes
- Spalled coquina and tabby flues from aggressive cleaning. We see the damage from previous steel-brush sweeps on historic downtown chimneys. The surface crumbles, the flue wall thins, and the repair is expensive. We use poly brushes and document the flue condition before we touch it.
- Third-degree creosote glaze hidden by months of disuse. St. Augustine’s short heating season means chimneys sit damp and dark for eight or nine months. Creosote hardens into a shiny glaze that a visual glance misses entirely. Our camera shows it, and we quote removal honestly.
- Salt-air rust on dampers and caps. Homes near the Matanzas River and the oceanfront get salt spray that eats through standard steel dampers in a few seasons. We check for stuck dampers and corroded caps on every sweep in St. Augustine, not just when a customer asks.
- Mortar patched with incompatible modern mix. We see this constantly in Lincolnville and around the historic district. A handyman patches 1920s soft brick with hard Portland mortar, and hairline cracks form behind the patch. We catch it with a Level 2 camera inspection and recommend HeatShield when the flue needs resurfacing.
Pricing for Chimney Sweep in St. Augustine, FL
A standard chimney sweep in St. Augustine costs $179 to $289. Adding a Level 1 inspection brings the total to roughly $278 to $488. A Level 2 camera inspection, recommended for older homes or before a purchase, runs $299 to $499 depending on flue height and access. Repairs are quoted separately and always in writing before work begins. HeatShield resurfacing, liner replacement, and damper work are priced by the job, with photos showing exactly what you are paying for. Call (904) 453-7823 for a free estimate and a written price before any work starts.
We Also Serve Cities Near St. Augustine
Our crews regularly drive from St. Augustine to Chimney Sweep in St. Augustine neighbors in Jacksonville, Orange Park, Jacksonville Beach, and Atlantic Beach. If you live just across the Duval County line or down A1A, the same name-and-photo technician preview and written pricing apply. Same Chimney Sweep standards, same 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Serving St. Augustine, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the St. Augustine 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 Sweep in St. Augustine
Yes, and the difference is significant. Coquina, tabby, and soft historic brick flues require poly brushes and gentler technique because steel brushes cause spalling. We always inspect the flue material before choosing a brush, and we show you the condition on camera before and after. For a historic chimney in St. Augustine, call (904) 453-7823 and we will schedule a sweep that respects the masonry.
Salt air accelerates rust on steel dampers and caps. We recommend damper and cap checks at least twice a year for waterfront St. Augustine homes, even if you rarely use the fireplace. A stuck damper can push smoke back into the house, and a rusted cap lets rain and birds in. Call us for a free estimate on damper and cap work.
The buildup does not stop when the fireplace stops. Humidity and disuse allow creosote to harden into a glaze that is harder to remove and easier to miss. That is why we recommend an annual sweep in St. Augustine even if you only burn a dozen fires a year. A camera check shows you exactly what has accumulated.
Usually not without modification. Gas appliances produce acidic exhaust that eats through old mortar and unlined brick, and many historic St. Augustine chimneys were never designed for appliance venting. We inspect the flue and show you camera evidence before recommending a liner. Nothing is recommended without photos of your actual chimney, and you can call (904) 453-7823 to schedule that inspection.
A Level 2 inspection sends a camera through the entire flue and documents every crack, patch, and area of mortar loss. For a Lincolnville bungalow with handyman patches, we specifically look for hidden cracks behind Portland mortar applied over soft historic brick. You get the footage, and we give you a written recommendation only after you have seen it. Call (904) 453-7823 to book a Level 2 inspection in St. Augustine.
Call (904) 453-7823 today for a free estimate on chimney sweeping, inspection, or repair in St. Augustine. A written price before work begins. A live person answers. And the technician at your door will be exactly who we told you to expect.
Written by Ruben Castellano, Owner at Alcott Chimney Jacksonville, serving St. Augustine since 2002.