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.
Chimney Company in Hawthorne, CA
Chimney repair in Hawthorne usually means working on a fireplace and flue that have been in place since the Truman administration. Most homes here went up between 1945 and 1955, built fast on dense lots, and the masonry chimneys from that era were never designed for the earthquake retrofits and gas conversions they’ve since endured. At Chimney Sweep South Gate, we spend most of our Hawthorne jobs correcting 70 years of piecemeal remodeling: cracked crowns, flashing that gave up after the last reroof, flues that were lined with whatever the 1970s had on hand. If you need a sweep, a repair, or a dryer vent cleared, call (833) 958-8849 and we’ll tell you straight what’s going on up there.
Why Hawthorne Homes Are Different
Hawthorne’s housing stock is a study in postwar California optimism. The 90250 and 90251 ZIP codes are almost entirely stucco-and-wood bungalows and small duplexes built between the mid-1940s and late 1950s, many of them original to the aerospace boom that surrounded the old Northrop plant and what’s now the Hawthorne Municipal Airport. Those builders put in brick fireplaces as a selling point, but they built them fast. The fireboxes are shallow, the flues are narrow by modern code, and the crowns were poured thin. Add seventy years of South Bay marine air, and you get the usual pattern: hairline crown cracks let moisture in during the rare winter rain, the moisture works into the mortar joints, and the whole top third of the chimney starts spalling brick chips onto the roof.
Because Hawthorne gets such light fireplace use – mostly cool winter evenings between December and February – creosote builds slowly here. That sounds like good news, but it cuts both ways. A chimney that gets used twenty nights a year doesn’t get swept on the same rhythm as one in Big Bear. Homeowners lose track. The creosote that does form sits there through long dry stretches, hardening and glazing. And the bigger problem is what the mild climate invites: uncapped chimneys are nesting boxes for starlings and roof rats, and the fine grit that drifts from the airport flight path and refinery corridor mixes with soot into a paste that sticks to flue walls differently than plain wood smoke. When we open up a Hawthorne chimney that hasn’t been touched in a while, we’re never surprised by what we find. We’re surprised sometimes by how much of it.
Styles & brands we work with
- Sweep & inspection
- Caps & crowns
- Flue relining
- Masonry repair
- Gas fireplace service
Our Main Hawthorne Services
The two calls we get most from Hawthorne homeowners are a sweep before the season and a dryer vent that’s never been cleaned since the dryer was installed. Both are cheaper than the problem they prevent.
Chimney Sweep in Hawthorne
A proper sweep in Hawthorne isn’t a guy with a brush on a drill. We go in with rotary equipment, run a camera through the flue before and after, and hand you a photo report so you can see what got removed and what’s left. Given the light burn seasons here, one sweep every two or three years is right for most homes, but if you’ve converted to gas logs or haven’t used the fireplace in years, we’ll tell you honestly whether you need the full service or just an inspection. See the full breakdown at Chimney Sweep in Hawthorne.
Dryer Vent Cleaning in Hawthorne
Most Hawthorne dryers vent through a short run out the side of the house – which people assume means it can’t clog. It can. Lint doesn’t care how long the run is; it only cares about the first bend. And when a dryer vent in a tight 1940s laundry nook backs up, the exhaust heat has nowhere to go. That’s a fire hazard you can’t see until it’s already hot. We clean the full run from dryer to termination, check the exterior cap for the corrosion the marine air accelerates, and get out in under an hour in most cases. Details at Dryer Vent Cleaning in Hawthorne.
Chimney Repair in Hawthorne
Chimney repair in Hawthorne falls into two camps. The first is water damage: crowns with hairline cracks that have let marine moisture degrade the top courses of brick, flashing that’s pulled away from the roofline after decades of expansion and contraction. The second is structural and code-related: earthquake retrofit requirements, gas conversion clearances, and flues that were never lined properly in the first place. Most of the chimneys we repair in 90250 and 90251 are on their second or third roof and first original clay liner, and the fixes usually involve more than pointing. We work in DuraFlex liner systems, HeatShield ceramic resurfacing, and Gelco flashing materials – not hardware-store patches – because the right material for the job is the difference between fixing a chimney and revisiting it in three years. You can read more about how we approach these repairs on our Chimney Repair page.
Chimney Cap Installation
Signs you need it
You hear birds in the flue, you find nesting debris at the base of the firebox, or you’ve already had a downdraft problem that couldn’t be traced to the damper.
What it costs in Hawthorne
Chimney cap installation in Hawthorne typically runs $130 to $385, with the spread driven by cap size, flue shape, and whether the crown needs any prep before the cap can seat.
How we do it
We measure the flue opening, check the crown surface for level, mount the cap with mechanical fasteners (never construction adhesive alone), and confirm it clears draft requirements for your specific fireplace or appliance.
Chimney Cap Replacement
Signs you need it
The existing cap is rusted through, the mesh is blown out, or the cap has shifted and no longer sits flush over the flue.
What it costs in Hawthorne
A cap replacement in Hawthorne generally falls between $150 and $400, including removal of the old cap and disposal.
How we do it
We remove the old cap, clean the crown surface, confirm the flue is still the right size and shape for the replacement, and install the new cap with fasteners matched to the chimney’s masonry or metal.
Chimney Liner Installation
Signs you need it
You see flaking clay tiles at the bottom of the firebox, the flue fails a camera inspection, or you’re converting from wood to gas and the existing liner doesn’t meet the clearance requirements.
What it costs in Hawthorne
Chimney liner installation in Hawthorne typically costs between $1,600 and $3,400, with the final number depending on flue height, liner material, and access from roof or firebox.
How we do it
We spec the liner to your specific appliance and flue dimensions, run a camera through the flue to confirm the path is clear, and install the liner with the proper termination and cap.
Chimney Flashing Repair
Signs you need it
Water stains on the ceiling near the chimney chase, peeling paint around the roofline, or visible gaps where the flashing meets the brick.
What it costs in Hawthorne
Flashing repair in Hawthorne usually lands between $550 and $1,400, depending on how much of the old flashing must be cut away and whether the roof deck beneath it has rotted.
How we do it
We cut back the old flashing, inspect the roof deck, install new step and counter flashing with proper overlap, and seal the junction against Hawthorne’s driving winter rain.
What Chimney Repair Costs in Hawthorne
| Item | Typical range in Hawthorne |
|---|---|
| Chimney cap installation | $130 – $385 |
| Chimney cap replacement | $150 – $400 |
| Chimney liner installation | $1,600 – $3,400 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $550 – $1,400 |
Do I really need a new liner if the old one looks fine from the bottom?
The only way to know is a camera inspection. Clay tiles crack from heat expansion and earthquake movement, and the cracks are usually mid-flue where you can’t see them. If the camera shows breaches, the liner is compromised even if the firebox looks fine.
How long does a typical chimney repair take in Hawthorne?
Cap work and flashing repairs are done in a single visit, usually two to four hours. A full liner installation is a half-day to full-day job depending on height and access. We’ll confirm the timeline before scheduling.
Brands We Service in Hawthorne
We stock and install parts from Famco, Copperfield, DuraFlex, and HeatShield, among others. That means when a Hawthorne job needs a specific termination cap, a liner system rated for gas or wood, or a ceramic resurfacing product, we’re not waiting on a generic distributor. Most standard parts are on the truck. See our brands for the full picture.
See the difference
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After
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AfterPricing for Chimney Company in Hawthorne, CA
| Service | Typical range in Hawthorne |
|---|---|
| Chimney sweeping | $150 – $250 |
| Chimney inspection | $80 – $150 |
| Chimney cap installation | $130 – $385 |
| Chimney cap replacement | $150 – $400 |
| Chimney crown repair | $350 – $1,050 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $550 – $1,400 |
| Chimney liner installation | $1,600 – $3,400 |
| HeatShield ceramic resurfacing | $2,900 – $5,200 |
| Fireplace rebuilding | $2,100 – $5,800 |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $130 – $225 |
What pushes a Hawthorne quote up is usually access: a two-story roofline, a chimney boxed in by a remodel, or a flue that’s been coated with glazed creosote and needs more labor than a standard sweep. Whatever the number, we give you a flat-price quote before any work starts, and the price we quote is the price you pay.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Hawthorne
We cover all of Hawthorne, both ZIP codes, from the streets around the airport north to the El Segundo border and everything between.
- Bodger Park
- Holly Glen
- Del Aire
- North Hawthorne
- The neighborhoods around Hawthorne Boulevard
We schedule Hawthorne work throughout the week, and we batch jobs by area so the drive time doesn’t get passed along to you.
Service Area – Cities Near Hawthorne
Beyond Hawthorne, we’re regularly in Westchester, CA, Florence-Graham, CA, Carson, CA, and Lynwood, CA. If you’re on the edge of Hawthorne and one of these areas, call (833) 958-8849 and we’ll confirm coverage for your street.
Serving Hawthorne, CA – Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Hawthorne 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 Company in Hawthorne
We schedule Hawthorne work on a rolling basis, and since our crews are in the South Bay regularly, we can often get to your home within a few days of your call. If you need a quote before the season, call (833) 958-8849 and we’ll get you on the schedule.
Most sweeping, cleaning, and cap work doesn’t require a permit in the city of Hawthorne. Structural repairs like rebuilding a firebox or changing the liner inside an existing flue may trigger a permit depending on the scope. We’ll flag it on the quote if your job needs one.
Yes. Some of the duplex and townhome communities in Hawthorne have HOA requirements about shared walls and exterior chimney appearance. We handle those as standard practice and can submit whatever documentation your HOA requires after the job is done.
If your chimney hasn’t been looked at in a while, or you can’t remember the last time the dryer vent was cleared, call (833) 958-8849 now. We’ll give you an honest answer and a flat-price quote before any work starts.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees. Talk to a local chimney cleaning pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you. The visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Hawthorne Customers Say
"Thorough sweep and a clear report. He was running late from the job before and arrived near the end of the window, though he did call to warn me."
- Rosa Rodriguez"Level two inspection before we bought the house. The report was detailed enough to use as a negotiating point and he explained every photo in it."
- Daniela Guzman"Swept it, capped it, and installed a proper damper. The downdraft smell in the summer that we'd lived with for years is gone."
- Paul Mercer