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 Inspection Across Westgate
A chimney inspection in Westgate typically costs $189 – $349 depending on the level, and most homeowners schedule one because they either smell smoke inside, just bought the house, or can’t remember the last time anyone looked up the flue. We inspect chimneys all over Westgate, from the ranch homes near Kirk Road to the two-story colonials off Haverhill, and we see the same thing again and again: salt air working on caps and crowns years before anyone notices. Call us at (728) 203-8687 and we’ll give you a written price before any work starts.
If you’re searching for Chimney Inspection in Westgate, you should know what a real inspection covers and what it costs. We don’t do drive-by lookups. Every inspection includes a camera report you can see with your own eyes, so you’re never taking our word for a repair you can’t verify.
Why Alcott Chimney West Palm Beach Is Westgate’s Preferred Chimney Inspection Company
Ruben Castellano runs Alcott Chimney Sweep on a simple rule: you should know exactly who’s coming to your door and exactly what they’ll charge before you ever open it. Every technician who serves Westgate homes is background-checked and identity-verified through the Threshold Standard. Before the visit, you get the technician’s name and photo. At the door, they show a photo ID badge. No exceptions, on every job.
We’ve been doing this since 2002, and Westgate homeowners tell our Chimney Sweep in Westgate the same things: they want a straight number, they want proof of what’s wrong, and they don’t want a stranger in the house they can’t identify. We handle all three. Our live phone line means you talk to a person, not a voicemail tree, even if you call at 11 p.m. because something smells like smoke. And every repair we quote carries a written guarantee. If it fails within a year, the second visit is free. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and it’s included on every job we do.
We also understand what Westgate’s specific climate does to chimneys, which matters when you’re deciding whether an inspection is worth it. More on that below.
Styles & brands we work with





Chimney Leak in Westgate
Chimney leak in Westgate is almost never a mystery once you know what to look for. The first things to fail on a coastal chimney are the cap, the crown, and the flashing. Salt-laden air accelerates corrosion on galvanized components, and the heavy afternoon thunderstorms that roll through Westgate between June and September push water into every crack that’s opened up. A leak you ignore for one season becomes a flue liner problem the next.
A standard chimney leak evaluation in Westgate runs $189 – $249, and the fix depends on what we find with the camera. If we’re sealing a crown and replacing a cap, budget $350 – $600. If water has already damaged the flue liner, you’re looking at $2,800 – $4,500 for a HeatShield resurfacing or a new DuraFlex steel liner. We’ll show you the camera footage either way, so you’re deciding with evidence, not a sales pitch.
Salt Corrosion on Caps and Crowns
Galvanized caps in Westgate corrode fast. We’ve pulled caps off 1970s homes that were pitted through in four years. When the cap fails, rain goes straight down the flue and sits in the smoke shelf, rusting the damper and soaking the brick. A stainless steel replacement cap runs $180 – $320 installed and ends that cycle.
Flashing Leaks Around the Chimney Base
Flashing is the metal where chimney meets roof, and in Westgate’s sandy soil, even small amounts of settling pull it away from the masonry. Once water gets behind flashing, it travels into the attic and down the flue chase. We reseal and replace flashing for $400 – $750 on most Westgate single-story homes, and the job includes a water test before we leave.
Chimney Camera Inspection in Westgate
Chimney camera inspection in Westgate costs $149 – $249 and is the difference between guessing and knowing. We run a high-resolution camera down the entire flue and record what we find: cracked clay tiles, hidden nests, corrosion, failed mortar joints. You see the footage yourself, in real time, and we explain what each finding means in plain English. No recommendation happens without camera evidence you’ve looked at.
For Westgate homeowners who are buying or selling a home, a Level 2 camera inspection is the standard for real estate transactions. It catches what a visual-only check misses. For everyone else, we recommend a camera inspection every other year, and more often if your chimney runs on wood from the slash pine common around nearby conservation areas. That pine burns wet and leaves heavy creosote, the tar-like buildup that causes chimney fires.
What the Camera Actually Shows
We’re looking for three things in Westgate chimneys: clay tile liner cracks from the soil settling over decades, creosote glazing that a standard sweep can’t break loose, and moisture stains that indicate water is already getting in. Any one of these changes the recommendation. The camera tells us which one we’re dealing with.
When a Camera Inspection Is Non-Negotiable
If you’ve had a chimney fire, suspected one, or just bought a house where nobody can confirm the last inspection date, get the camera. It’s also the right call after any major storm that left water stains on your ceiling near the chimney. A visual check from the firebox cannot see liner cracks twenty feet up.
Trusted Brands We Service in Westgate
We install and service the brands chimney professionals actually specify, not box-store substitutes. For Westgate chimneys dealing with salt corrosion, that means copper and stainless components from Copperfield and Famco, which hold up to coastal air far longer than galvanized parts. When a liner needs replacing, we use DuraFlex stainless systems, and we resurface damaged liners with HeatShield, which costs less than a full reline and carries the same written guarantee we put on everything. Because we keep common Westgate parts on the truck, most repairs happen in a single visit.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Chimney Inspection Problems We See in Westgate Homes
- Corroded galvanized caps. The salt air near the Intracoastal eats through standard galvanized caps in three to five years. What starts as surface rust becomes a hole, and a hole lets rain into the flue every time a storm passes over Westgate.
- Hairline cracks in chimney crowns. Salt crystallization and humidity cycles expand even tiny crown cracks. Water gets behind the flashing, runs down the liner, and eventually shows up as a ceiling stain in a bedroom or hallway.
- Cuban tree frog nests in uncapped flues. During Westgate’s rainy season these frogs climb into open chimneys and block the draft. The first sign is usually smoke pushing back into the living room on a humid afternoon.
- Clay liner damage from settling sandy soil. Homes built between 1950 and 1990 in Westgate sit on sandy soil that shifts over time. That movement cracks clay tile liners, and cracks are where chimney fires start.
Pricing for Chimney Inspection in Westgate, FL
Here’s what you can expect to pay in Westgate, so there’s no mystery when you call:
- Level 1 visual inspection: $189 – $249
- Level 2 camera inspection (real estate or post-storm): $249 – $349
- Crown sealing with a standard cap: $350 – $600
- Stainless steel cap replacement: $180 – $320
- Flashing reseal or replacement: $400 – $750
- HeatShield liner resurfacing: $2,800 – $4,500
- DuraFlex stainless liner installation: $3,200 – $5,500
What affects the cost most in Westgate is whether the chimney is one or two stories and whether we’re dealing with a straight flue or an offset. You’ll get a written price before any work begins. Not an estimate with fine print, a price. Estimates are free, so call (728) 203-8687 and we’ll schedule the inspection.
We Also Serve Cities Near Westgate
Along with Chimney Inspection in Westgate, our crews cover West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Wellington, and Jupiter. If you’re nearby and want the same name-and-photo technician preview and written pricing, call (728) 203-8687 and we’ll get you on the schedule.
Serving Westgate, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Westgate 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 Inspection in Westgate
Salt air accelerates corrosion on galvanized metal and expands small cracks in concrete crowns through repeated crystallization. Crowns and flashing in Westgate fail four to seven years earlier than identical components in inland neighborhoods. A stainless cap and regular crown sealing are the standard defense, and a visual inspection every year catches damage before water reaches the liner. Call (728) 203-8687 for a free estimate.
Because the problems in Westgate chimneys, like corroded dampers, cracked liners, and tree frog nests, develop whether or not you burn fires. Humidity and salt work on the masonry all year. A camera inspection finds damage while the fix is under $1,000 instead of after a liner fails and the repair is $3,000 or more. Estimates are free.
Annually if you burn wood, and every other year if the fireplace is mostly decorative. Westgate’s salt air and storm-heavy summers shorten the safe interval compared with inland climates. If your chimney is uncapped or you’ve heard animals above the damper, get it inspected before the rainy season starts. Call (728) 203-8687 and we’ll schedule it.
Yes, and in Westgate it’s common enough that we check every uncapped flue during inspections in the rainy season. The frogs climb the brick, enter through an open cap, and wedge themselves in the flue. They block the draft and force smoke back into the house. A cap with a proper mesh surround solves it, and the cost is under $300 installed.
The galvanized cap and the crown, almost always in that order. We found a 1970s brick veneer ranch off Kirk Road last spring where the cap had pitted through in four years and the crown showed hairline cracks that were letting water behind the flashing. We documented it with the camera, recommended a stainless replacement and crown seal, and had it done before hurricane season. That’s a typical Westgate pattern. For an exact quote, call (728) 203-8687, it’s free.
Written by Ruben Castellano, Owner at Alcott Chimney Sweep, serving Westgate since 2002.