Chimney guides

Buying an Old Massachusetts House? Get the Chimney Surveyed

Nearly a third of Massachusetts housing predates 1940. On a house that old the chimney is the component most likely to hold a five-figure surprise, and the standard home inspection does not look inside it.

A camera inspection head entering a wide colonial flue from the crown

Short answer

A property transfer calls for a Level 2 chimney inspection: a camera survey of every flue plus the accessible attic, crawl space and basement. A general home inspector looks at the chimney externally and may glance into the firebox. On a colonial with several flues, some abandoned and some unlined, that tells you almost nothing. Book it during the inspection period as a separate appointment.

What it finds on Massachusetts housing specifically

Four findings account for most of what comes back on older stock here, and each has a different implication for what you are agreeing to pay.

Unlined or failed flues

Very common on anything predating flue tile. Whether it matters depends on condition and appliance, but it is a real cost if it needs addressing and a reasonable thing to raise before closing.

Cement pointing on soft brick

If the stack has been repointed in hard Portland mortar at some point, the brick is being damaged and will continue to be. That is not urgent but it changes the maintenance outlook on the house.

A cracked crown

Cheap to fix, expensive to have ignored. If it has been cracked for years, the masonry below has been taking water for years, and the report should say whether that has done structural damage.

Flues whose function is unknown

On a center chimney this is the norm rather than the exception, and it is worth having mapped while someone is up there with a camera.

How to use the report

A chimney report is one of the more useful documents in a purchase because the findings are concrete and photographed.

Separate safety from maintenance

A good report distinguishes a defect that has to be addressed before use from wear worth watching. Those are different negotiating positions. If everything in the report is urgent, ask why.

Get it before you are committed

During the inspection period, not after. A Level 2 takes an hour or two on a single-flue house and longer on a center chimney.

If you are selling

Having it done before listing is usually the stronger position. You learn what the chimney needs on your own timetable rather than in the middle of a negotiation, and you can fix the cheap things.

The one thing worth doing yourself first

Before you book anything, stand back from the house and photograph the chimney from the ground on every side you can reach.

Freeze-thaw damage in this state concentrates on the north and west faces, so a stack can look sound from the street and be failing behind. Two minutes and a phone camera will tell you whether you are asking about a maintenance item or a structural one — and it gives the surveyor something to work from.

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Frequently asked questions

Will a home inspector do this if I ask?

Generally not to this standard. Camera inspection of a flue is specialist work with specialist equipment, and most general inspectors will say so.

Is it worth it if the fireplaces were never used?

Yes, and disused flues hold some of the worst findings. If a boiler or water heater still vents into that chimney, its condition matters regardless of the fireplaces.

How much does it cost?

It depends on the level and the number of flues, and the contractor sets their own price. Ask what is included and whether a written report with photographs comes with it.