What we see in Citrus Heights homes
Citrus Heights is 1950s and 1960s tract housing, and most of it went up with a stamped metal firebox and a metal chase around it. Not a masonry stack. That’s the version most people don’t expect. Most homeowners have no idea which one they own until I point at the chase cover on the roofline.
A metal chimney and a brick one fail in different ways. The brick drinks rain through the winter and bakes dry all summer, and that soak-and-bake cycle pops mortar and spalls old brick over the years. The metal system escapes most of that. Its trouble shows up at the cap, the flashing, and the seams, where a small leak becomes a stain on the ceiling before anyone notices.
There’s also the evening draft problem. The Delta breeze shifts the pressure inside the house around dusk, and a marginal chimney backs smoke into the room. If it only happens in the evening, that’s usually why.
When you don’t need a sweep
You probably don’t need a sweep every year. If you burn four to ten fires a season on dry wood, that covers most of Citrus Heights. A metal chase-and-liner system builds up slower than an old brick stack does.
Get the chimney inspected every year. Sweep it only when the inspection says the buildup is enough to matter. Don’t pay for a cleaning it doesn’t need yet. That’s money you didn’t have to spend.
What it costs in Citrus Heights
| Service | Starting price |
|---|---|
| Chimney inspection | $59 (credited to the job if you proceed) |
| Basic chimney cleaning | from $199 |
| Chimney cap installation | from $350 |
| Chimney crown rebuild | from $350 |
| Dryer vent inspection | $59 |
| Dryer vent cleaning | from $150 |
Those are starting prices, not the full range. The job depends on what’s actually wrong up there, so check the range first before you call. Anything bigger, like a liner replacement or a rebuild above the roofline, gets priced in person after the inspection shows what’s needed.
The $59 inspection folds straight into the job total if you go ahead. Call (916) 833-2959 and ask for it; you’ll know what you’re dealing with before you spend anything else. The line is open 7am to 7pm, seven days.
What we do in Citrus Heights
A visit starts with the chimney inspection service at $59, and the fee is credited to the job if you go ahead. From there, a basic chimney sweep service starts at $199 and covers the flue, the firebox, and the hearth, with the mess contained indoors.
If the inspection finds a cracked crown, spalling brick, or flashing that’s let water in, the honest move is to have a licensed tech diagnose it properly before anyone cuts into the stack. Cap installs and crown rebuilds both start at $350.
The standard visit is one truck and one person, and I’m that person. The mess stays indoors, and I check the damper and crown while the ladder is already up. You’ll know before I leave what’s fine and what needs a second look.
Dryer vents are the part of these tract homes people forget. A professional dryer vent cleaning starts at $150 and takes less time than the chimney does.
Nearby towns we also cover
Citrus Heights sits in the middle of the county’s tract-housing belt, and the same work runs in the towns around it. Rancho Cordova is inside the service area, and chimney repair in Folsom comes from the same book and the same truck.
Reviews from Citrus Heights
The business runs at a 4.95 average across 62 Google reviews, and I’ve replied to every one of them myself. None of them name Citrus Heights yet. That’s the honest picture. The town’s reviews are still ahead of us, not behind us.
If you want proof you can read rather than take my word for it, the reviews that name the tech and the town are the honest place to start.
Does a metal chimney need a different kind of care than brick?
Mostly yes. The metal chase keeps water out of the brick, which is the big one. But its seals and seams age, and the cap is the part that takes the weather. An inspection catches those. A metal system also builds up slower, so it usually needs fewer sweeps, not more.
How do I know it’s time to have the chimney looked at?
If you haven’t had it checked since you bought the house, that’s your answer. Smoke backing into the room at dusk, or a chase cover that’s rusted, are both reasons to call. Start with the $59 inspection. It’s deductible, so finding out is cheap even if the news isn’t.
Getting to you
Americas Chimney Sweep carries CSLB license #1150991, C-29 Masonry.
Schedule Service Today
If it’s been a while since anyone looked at the chimney, start with the $59 inspection. It’s deductible against the job if you move forward, and it’s the only way I’ll give you a real number instead of a guess. You can book with Americas Chimney Sweep online, or call (916) 833-2959, seven days a week, 7am to 7pm.