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 Sweep Across Lomita
A chimney sweep in Lomita typically runs $189 – $329 for a standard cleaning with a Level 1 inspection, and most jobs are completed in 60 – 90 minutes. If you live in a 1940s – 1960s tract home off Narbonne Avenue or near Lomita Park, there’s a good chance your fireplace hasn’t had Gelco service in Lomita in decades. Call (833) 805-3229 and we’ll get a Ashwood Chimney Sweep technician to your Lomita home, usually within a few days of your call.
Why Ashwood Chimney Sweep Is Lomita’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
Lomita homeowners call us because we work on the kind of chimneys this city actually has: mid-century masonry fireplaces with original clay tile flues. We know what a 1950s Lomita tract house chimney looks like inside, because we’ve inspected hundreds of them. Norm Castillo leads our team, and he’s been at this long enough to know that a chimney in Lomita almost never has a simple fix. It has history, usually involving decades of light use and one bad recommendation from a sweep who never put a camera up the flue.
We’re not a sweep crew that shows up, runs a brush through, and hands you an invoice with a liner replacement quote attached. We document everything. Every inspection includes a camera report you can see with your own eyes. If there’s a crack in your clay tile, you’ll see it on the screen before we ever talk about repair. That’s how we built our reputation in Lomita.
Styles & brands we work with





Chimney Services in Lomita
Chimney Services in Lomita means cleaning, inspection, and repair handled by the same crew, not handed off to a subcontractor. When we service a fireplace in the 90717 zip code, we’re looking at three things: how much creosote has built up, whether the flue liner is still doing its job, and whether animals have moved in. A basic sweep with Level 1 inspection runs $189 – $245. If you need a Level 2 inspection (common after a home purchase or earthquake), that’s $329 – $449 and includes a full camera scan.
Creosote and Soot Removal
Creosote removal in Lomita homes is often a first-time job, even on fireplaces that have been in the family for sixty years. Because Lomita’s coastal climate means fireplaces get used maybe fifteen or twenty nights a year, creosote builds up slowly. But it builds up for a long time. We remove first, second, and third-degree creosote using professional rotary tools, not just a wire brush. Soot removal is included in every sweep, and we’ll show you the before and after.

Level 1 and Level 2 Inspections
A Level 1 inspection is what we do during every sweep: visual check of the accessible areas, the firebox, the damper, the cap. A Level 2 inspection goes further. We run a camera the full length of the flue liner and document every crack, gap, and spalled tile. In Lomita, where so many chimneys were built with original clay tile liners, a Level 2 is the only way to actually know what’s going on inside. We recommend one if you’ve never had the chimney inspected, or if you just bought the house.

What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees — you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Chimney Sweep Certified in Lomita
Chimney Sweep Certified in Lomita means the person on your roof knows what to do with a 60-year-old clay tile flue and doesn’t panic when they find something the last sweep missed. Norm Castillo has spent years working on South Bay chimneys, and he trains every technician to work to the same standard: no recommendation without camera evidence. If we tell you a liner needs repair, you’ll see the crack. If we tell you it’s fine, you’ll see why.
Annual Sweep and Fireplace Cleaning
An annual sweep in Lomita is usually more about clearing out what the last twenty years left behind than maintaining an active fireplace. We clean the firebox, the throat, the smoke shelf, and the full flue. Fireplace cleaning includes removing old ash, checking the damper operation, and making sure the cap is on tight. Most Lomita homeowners book this once every two to three years if the fireplace is rarely used, and annually if they burn wood through the winter months.
Trusted Brands We Service in Lomita
We repair with the same materials professional contractors specify. When a Lomita chimney needs a new liner, we install Chimney Sweep systems built with DuraFlex flexible liner components, the same product certified chimney contractors use nationwide. For flue restoration, we use HeatShield, a specialist-grade product that repairs cracked and spalled liners without full demolition. Our repair materials come from Copperfield and Olympia Chimney, two of the most recognized professional supply houses in the trade. We stock common parts for Lomita’s mid-century chimneys, so we’re not waiting two weeks on a backordered damper. If your chimney needs work, we bring the right material the first time.
Common Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Lomita Homes
- Spalled clay tile liners in 1940s – 1960s tract homes. The original clay tiles crack and flake as they age, and the gaps let creosote seep behind the liner where a brush can’t reach. We find this in roughly a third of first-time sweeps in Lomita.
- Decades of slow creosote accumulation. Because Lomita fireplaces get used a handful of times per year, creosote builds up slowly over twenty or thirty years. What starts as first-degree flaky soot eventually turns into third-degree glaze, which is a fire hazard and much harder to remove.
- Animal nests from missing or damaged caps. Lomita’s year-round mild weather means birds and rodents are always looking for shelter. A missing chimney cap is an open invitation. We’ve pulled nests out of flues that hadn’t been used since the Reagan administration.
- Fireplaces vented into flues never designed for them. Some Lomita homes had gas inserts installed years after the original masonry fireplace was built, and the venting was improvised. That creates draft problems and carbon monoxide risk. We check for this on every inspection.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterPricing for Chimney Sweep in Lomita, CA
A standard chimney sweep in Lomita runs $189 – $245, which includes a Level 1 inspection. A Level 2 inspection with full camera scan is $329 – $449, often booked after a home purchase or when a previous inspection flagged something questionable. Creosote removal for moderate to heavy buildup adds $75 – $150 depending on severity. Animal nest removal runs $95 – $175, and we’ll recommend a new cap ($85 – $215 installed) to keep it from happening again. If we find liner damage, HeatShield restoration typically runs $1,200 – $2,800 depending on flue length and access, while full liner replacement is $2,500 – $4,500. Every quote is free, and nothing gets recommended without camera evidence. Call (833) 805-3229 for an exact price on your Lomita chimney.
We Also Serve Cities Near Lomita
Our service area extends from Chimney Sweep in Lomita throughout the South Bay. We regularly work in Torrance, Rolling Hills Estates, West Carson, and Manhattan Beach. If you’re in one of those cities and your chimney hasn’t been looked at in years, the same crew and the same camera-inspection standard apply. Call (833) 805-3229 to schedule.
The Lomita Chimney Problem No One Talks About
Lomita’s housing stock is overwhelmingly mid-century tract homes built between the 1940s and 1960s, with original masonry fireplaces and clay tile flues. Those flues were never meant to last this long. They crack. They spall. Mortar joints fail. And because Lomita has no dedicated chimney-sweep registry, homeowners have no reliable way to know whether the last person who touched their chimney actually knew what they were doing. We recently serviced a 1950s ranch-style home near Lomita Park where the original clay tile flue had spalled badly, allowing creosote to seep behind the liner. Using a camera, we showed the homeowner the cracked tiles and third-degree creosote glaze before recommending a HeatShield liner repair. In another hillside home off Pacific Coast Highway, we found cross-contamination between close-set flues from a shared chimney, which we documented on camera and resolved with a new damper and cap.
Most first-time sweeps in Lomita aren’t routine. They’re cleanouts of decades of neglect, followed by a conversation about what’s actually wrong and what can safely wait. Sometimes the answer is nothing. We’ve inspected Lomita chimneys that were dirty but structurally sound, swept them, installed a cap, and told the homeowner to call us in two years. That’s the honest read. If a sweep tells you a liner needs replacing without showing you the camera footage, get a second opinion. We’ll be that second opinion.
Serving Lomita, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Lomita 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 Sweep in Lomita
No, not annual. If your Lomita fireplace has sat unused for years, you need one thorough inspection and sweep to establish a baseline, then you can go two to three years between sweeps if you rarely burn. The bigger issue is what’s been happening while the fireplace sat idle. Animal nests, a cracked clay tile flue, a rusted damper. None of those announce themselves. Book one sweep with a camera inspection, and we’ll tell you exactly where things stand. (833) 805-3229.
You can’t, not from the ground. A cracked clay tile flue is invisible without a camera run up the flue. That’s why we include a camera inspection on every Level 2 and show you the footage in real time. If a previous sweep told you your liner is cracked and needs replacement but never showed you the camera evidence, that’s a red flag. Call (833) 805-3229 and we’ll put a camera up there and show you what’s actually happening.
Because Lomita’s mild coastal climate means birds and rodents are active year-round, and an uncapped chimney is an open door. We pull nests out of Lomita chimneys on a regular basis, and a blocked flue from nesting material is a carbon monoxide risk if you use a gas insert. A cap is an $85 – $215 installed fix that prevents a much bigger problem. If you don’t have one, or if yours is rusted through, we’ll tell you during the sweep. Call (833) 805-3229 for a quote.
First-degree creosote is flaky, dusty soot that brushes off easily. Third-degree creosote is a hard, glossy glaze that’s been baked onto the flue walls by repeated low-temperature fires. In Lomita, where fireplaces get used rarely, creosote sits for years and hardens into third-degree glaze. That’s a serious fire hazard and it can’t be removed with a standard brush. We use rotary tools designed for glaze removal, and sometimes chemical treatments. If your last sweep was a while ago, you probably have more buildup than you think. (833) 805-3229 for an inspection.
We run a camera up each flue individually and inspect the internal separation walls. In Lomita’s hillside pockets, we’ve found close-set flues where the masonry partition between adjacent units has cracked, allowing exhaust gases to migrate between chimneys. We document it on camera, then correct it with a new damper, a cap, and if needed, flue resurfacing. If you’re in one of those hillside homes and you’ve noticed odd drafts or smells that don’t match your own fireplace, call (833) 805-3229 and we’ll sort it out.
Written by Norm Castillo, Owner at Ashwood Chimney Sweep, serving Lomita and the South Bay since 2008.