How long does it take to clean a chimney?

A typical chimney cleaning takes between 30 and 60 minutes. Wood insert fireplaces may take longer to clean, as can chimneys that contain birds’ nests, excessive debris or wildlife. A chimney sweep will arrive at your location and assess the fireplace to be cleaned, and will set up protective coverings or dropcloths to prevent any ash or soot from escaping into your home during the cleaning. Using high-powered vacuums, they clean out ash and other debris in the firebox. With special, long-reach brushes they brush down the interior walls all the way to the top of the chimney to loosen and remove built-up soot and creosote. Many chimney sweeps also offer inspections in tandem with cleanings to make sure you don’t have any cracks or damage inside the chimney or out. Repair work or additions — such as installing a chimney cap — can increase the cleaning time.