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 Artesia
A chimney sweep in Artesia typically runs $179 – $289 for a standard cleaning with a Level 1 inspection, and most homes off Pioneer Boulevard can be scheduled within a few days, not weeks. We’re Hickory Chimney Sweep, and we work throughout 90701 and 90702 year-round, because fire safety doesn’t follow a season. Artesia’s older Ranch and Spanish-style homes have a particular set of chimney problems that we’ve learned to spot fast. Call (855) 554-2841 for a free estimate, and we’ll talk through what your fireplace actually needs before anyone sets foot on your roof.

Why Hickory Chimney Sweep Is Artesia’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
Artesia is small, dense, and built on relationships. Neighbors talk. The homeowners we serve near Pioneer Boulevard and the surrounding streets tend to hear about us from a cousin or a next-door neighbor before they ever find us online. That’s how a trade like this is supposed to work. Ruben Acosta leads our Chimney Sweep team with a simple rule: document everything with camera evidence, explain what can wait, and never push a repair the homeowner can’t see with their own eyes. In Artesia, that level of straight talk travels fast.
We know the housing stock here. We know that a 1962 Ranch home on Pioneer Boulevard likely still has its original clay tile flue. We know a Spanish-style house off South Street probably carries quake-era shifts from the 1987 Whittier Narrows event that nobody ever connected to the chimney. That local familiarity saves time and keeps the work honest.
Most Artesia appointments are booked within two to five business days. If your fireplace hasn’t been touched in a decade or more, we’ll plan for a longer visit and tell you so upfront.
Styles & brands we work with





Gas Fireplace Cleaning in Artesia
Gas Fireplace Cleaning in Artesia is a safety job disguised as a maintenance task. The firebox of a gas fireplace collects dust, pet hair, and a fine film of mineral deposits from the gas itself. More importantly, soot can accumulate on the thermocouple and burner ports, which affects ignition and can cause incomplete combustion. An incomplete burn in a gas fireplace produces carbon monoxide silently. In the tightly-sealed older Ranch homes of Artesia, that’s a real risk. A gas fireplace cleaning here runs $179 – $219, and includes a full inspection of the gas log set, burner, pilot, and venting path.
What We Check on a Gas Fireplace
Our tech pulls the log set, brushes down the burner and controls, and checks the vent termination at the roofline. We’re familiar with Gelco and Olympia Chimney termination caps and chase covers, which means we can spot a rusted or improperly terminated vent before it becomes a carbon monoxide problem inside your living room.
When Artesia Homeowners Need This
Most Artesia gas fireplace owners go years between cleanings because the fireplace “looks fine.” But the pilot assembly and burner collect debris that changes the air-to-fuel ratio. If you smell a faint gas odor, see yellow instead of a crisp blue flame, or your glass doors haze over with a white film quickly after cleaning, it’s time. Owners who light the fireplace only during winter cold snaps still need annual cleaning, because spiders and dust settle into the burner ports during the long idle months.
Chimney Maintenance in Artesia
Chimney Maintenance in Artesia is not optional upkeep for a decorative feature. It’s the difference between a flue that vents smoke cleanly and one that leaks carbon monoxide through quake-shifted tiles or cracked mortar joints. Maintenance includes a Level 1 inspection, basic creosote and soot removal, damper operation check, and a visual assessment of the flue, cap, and crown. A standard maintenance visit in Artesia runs $159 – $189 when combined with a sweep. The point is to catch small problems before they become big ones, because Artesia’s homes are old enough that “small” usually means hidden.
Annual Sweep and Inspection
An annual sweep clears first-degree creosote off the firebox walls and smoke shelf, removes soot from the flue, and lets us check the clay tile liner for hairline cracks or misalignment. In Artesia’s decades-old fireplaces, this is when we find the surprises: shifted tiles, spalled mortar, a missing chimney cap that let a bird or dry-wood termites in.

Creosote and Soot Removal
First-degree creosote is a black, sooty film that scrapes off easily. If it sits for years, it builds into second-degree, then third-degree creosote: a hardened, tar-like glaze that burns hot and is a leading cause of chimney fires. Artesia’s idle-then-sudden-burn pattern is exactly what converts first-degree to second-degree over time.
Trusted Brands We Service in Artesia
When we do repairs, we use materials from suppliers certified chimney contractors specify, not consumer hardware-store generics. For Artesia customers, that means products like Gelco chimney caps and termination kits, Olympia Chimney liners and caps, and Famco venting components. We keep common parts stocked for the older masonry and pre-fab fireplaces found in 1950s – 1970s Ranch and Spanish-style Artesia homes, so we’re not waiting on a shipment when your flue needs attention.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Artesia Homes
- Quake-shifted flue tiles disguised as nothing. In the older streets off Pioneer Boulevard, closed hairline cracks and shifted clay tiles from the 1987 Whittier Narrows quake can sit unnoticed for decades, showing up as carbon monoxide or smoke leakage only when a cold snap finally pushes the owner to light a fire.
- First-degree creosote that’s built for years. Artesia homeowners treat a rarely-used fireplace as a furniture piece. But the long idle-then-use cycle loads the firebox with first-degree creosote that, left alone, hardens into a second-degree glaze ready to ignite.
- Open or missing chimney caps after Santa Ana winds. A cap that blew off during a wind event leaves the flue open to birds, bats, and dry-wood termites. In Artesia’s semi-arid climate, both are active, and we find nests blocking more than a few flues every year.
- Clay tile flues never relined in original Ranch homes. Mortar spalls, tiles crack, and the flue lining on a 1960s home off South Street may have degraded for forty years without anyone looking. This is the most common reason a simple sweep turns into a HeatShield or DuraFlex relining recommendation.
Pricing for Chimney Sweep in Artesia, CA
A standard chimney sweep with Level 1 inspection in Artesia runs $179 – $289, depending on flue length, debris load, and whether animals have nested inside. Gas fireplace cleaning runs $179 – $219, and maintenance visits are $159 – $189 when paired with a sweep. If we find damage during the sweep, we’ll show you the camera footage and give you a written quote on the spot. Nothing gets recommended without you seeing it. Our estimates are free; call (855) 554-2841 and we’ll give you an exact number for your fireplace before we book the visit.
We Also Serve Cities Near Artesia
We work across the neighboring cities of Artesia and the surrounding area, including Cerritos, La Palma, Hawaiian Gardens, and Norwalk. If you’re close by but not sure whether we’ll come, call (855) 554-2841 and ask. We’ll tell you straight.
Serving Artesia, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Artesia 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 Artesia
Yes, and in some ways you need it more than a heavy user. A fireplace that sits idle for eleven months a year collects dust, spider webs, animal debris, and first-degree creosote from whatever burns last season. The long idle-then-burn pattern in Artesia’s 1950s – 1970s Ranch and Spanish-style homes is exactly what converts a mild buildup into a tougher second-degree glaze. An annual Level 1 inspection plus sweep costs $179 – $289 and catches flue tile shifts before your first winter fire sends carbon monoxide into the room. Call (855) 554-2841 for a free estimate.
The honest answer is you usually can’t tell from the ground. Hairline cracks in clay tiles or a shifted flue liner near Pioneer Boulevard don’t show up on the brick exterior. What you might notice is a musty smell when the damper is closed, trouble drawing smoke when you finally light a fire, or neighbors mentioning similar issues. The only way to confirm is a Level 2 camera inspection. We did one on a 1960s Spanish-style fireplace just off Pioneer Boulevard and found three flue tiles shifted out of alignment, a direct result of Whittier Narrows shaking the homeowner never connected to the chimney. Call (855) 554-2841 to schedule a camera inspection.
First-degree creosote is a fine, black, sooty film that brushes off easily with basic sweeping tools. Third-degree creosote is a hard, tar-like glaze that binds to the flue and burns at extremely high temperatures; it’s the leading fuel for chimney fires. Second-degree is the crumbly stage in between. Artesia’s idle-then-burn usage pattern tends to let first-degree creosote sit long enough to harden into second-degree. Our sweep removes first-degree creosote during a standard cleaning; hardened third-degree usually requires a relining repair. Call (855) 554-2841 and we’ll tell you what you’re looking at before any work starts.
Yes. Gas fireplaces don’t produce wood creosote, but they do produce soot, mineral deposits, and dust accumulation that affects the thermocouple and burner ports. A dirty burner can cause incomplete combustion, which produces carbon monoxide. In the tightly-sealed older Ranch homes of Artesia, that’s not a risk worth taking. Gas fireplace cleaning runs $179 – $219 and includes a full inspection of the gas log set, burner, pilot, and vent termination. Call (855) 554-2841 for a quote.
Yes, we cover both 90701 and 90702 regularly. What slows a visit down is when we find extensive animal nesting, a heavy creosote load, or quake-damaged flue tiles that require a camera inspection and a longer repair conversation. We’ll never rush a diagnosis and we’ll never leave you with a chimney we wouldn’t light in our own house. Call (855) 554-2841 and we’ll give you a clear window for the visit.
Written by Ruben Acosta, Owner at Hickory Chimney Sweep, serving Artesia and the surrounding area.