Level 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.
Famco Chimney Sweep in New York City: What to Know First
We clean and sweep Famco chimney systems across New York City as an independent Famco service provider, and most jobs are completed in a single visit. A standard sweep runs $189 to $279 depending on flue height and creosote class, and you’ll get a written price before any work starts, not after. If your Famco fireplace or stove has been burning for two seasons without a cleaning, the creosote buildup is past what the manufacturer assumes in its own maintenance schedule.
This page is for homeowners in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island who own a Famco appliance or have a Famco chimney cap and want cleaning and sweep work done without the usual runaround. Call (980) 580-8641 and a live person answers, 24 hours a day.
How Famco Products Fail - and How We Fix Them
- Famco galvanized chimney caps trap debris at the mesh line. We see this most on the Famco standard mesh cap installed on masonry flues throughout Queens and Brooklyn. Leaves, pine needles, and roof grit catch in the mesh, air slows, and the flue stops drafting the way it should. The fix is usually a cleaning of the cap and an inspection of the mesh gauge. If the mesh is deformed, we recommend replacement with a cap that matches the existing Famco footprint, not a universal fit.
- Famco clay tile liners develop cracked midsections after freeze-thaw cycles. New York City winters are rough on clay, especially in exposed chimneys on Staten Island and the Bronx where wind hits the stack from multiple sides. A cracked mid-tile lets flue gas cool too fast, which accelerates creosote deposition. When our camera scan shows a crack, we document it with photos and give you a straight answer: sweep and monitor, or line with a DuraFlex or HeatShield system. We don’t sell a liner because the camera image looks scary. We sell it when the crack is structural.
- Famco stove connectors build up Class III creosote faster than the manual suggests. Famco black stove pipe connectors in older wood-stove installations across upper Manhattan tend to run hot at the appliance collar and cool fast at the elbow, which is exactly where Class III creosote, the shiny, tar-like stuff, forms. It doesn’t brush out with a standard sweep. We use a rotary whip with poly lines for that texture and then re-scan to confirm the walls are clean. If it recurs, the issue is usually burn habits or a connector sized wrong for the draft, and we’ll tell you that in plain terms.
- Famco chimney caps on rowhouses show rust at the fastener points. This is specific to attached homes in neighborhoods like Inwood and Riverdale where salt air, rain, and rooftop snow all hit the cap at once. The fasteners holding the cap to the crown rust before the cap body does. When we clean a Famco system, we check those fasteners and the crown seal. A cap that’s loose means moisture gets under it, which is how you get spalling: brick faces popping off the crown, usually in spring.
- Famco dampers jam after seasons of soot accumulation. The cast-iron throat damper Famco puts in many of its masonry fireplaces gets sticky when soot and micro-debris pack into the hinge channel. You’ll feel it in the handle: stiff at first, then it won’t close all the way. We clean the damper channel as part of every sweep and test it open-to-closed before we leave. If the damper is warped from years of forced operation, we’ll show you the photo and recommend replacement.
Our Famco Chimney Sweep Process

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You call, a person answers. We ask what you’re running, how often, and what you’re seeing, or smelling. Then we schedule a visit.
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We arrive and protect the floor. Drop cloths go down before any equipment comes out. The tech is in uniform, background-checked, and you get a text when we’re on the way.
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Camera scan first, always. We run the camera down the flue before we touch a brush. This is Clause 4 of the Haven Standard, and it’s been our default practice since 2009. You see the footage.
- 4
We sweep the system. Brushes, rotary whip where needed, and a full cleaning of the smoke chamber, damper channel, and firebox. Famco connectors get the same treatment as the flue.
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Second scan and documentation. Camera goes back down. You see the before and after, side by side. If anything needs repair, you get a written scope and a written price. If not, you get the clean bill of health in writing.
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Cleanup and the written record. We leave the room cleaner than we found it and hand you a photo report, written summary, and warranty documentation under the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
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AfterWhat Famco Chimney Sweep Costs in New York City
Here’s what we charge for typical Famco jobs in New York City. These are written prices, not estimates that change after the tech walks in your door.
- Standard Famco fireplace sweep: $189 to $229, depending on flue height.
- Famco wood stove sweep with connector pipe: $239 to $279, includes connector disassembly and reseal.
- Level 2 camera inspection (no sweep): $249, includes full photo record and written report.
- Sweep plus Level 2 inspection: $329 to $389, depending on system complexity.
- Class III creosote removal (rotary whip): Add $75 to $125 to the base sweep price.
What moves the price: flue height, creosote class, access difficulty, and whether connector pipe needs to be taken apart. It does not move based on the age of your home or what neighborhood you live in. Call (980) 580-8641 for an exact quote. The estimate is free, and it’s always in writing.
Why New York City Homeowners Call Emberly Chimney Cleaners for Famco Work

We’ve inspected and cleaned more than 38,000 chimneys since 2009, and every single one got a written price before work started and a documented photo record when it was done. That’s not a slogan; it’s just how Corrine Halstead built this company. The camera doesn’t soften what it finds. Neither do we.
When a Famco system needs parts, we source them properly. If OEM makes sense for the application, we use OEM. If an aftermarket part from DuraFlex, HeatShield, or Gelco does the same job at a better price, we’ll show you the difference and let you decide. We also work with Olympia Chimney and Copperfield materials, all procured through the Haven buying network to keep your cost honest. You get a written warranty on every job, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise means if it’s not done right, we make it right. No fine print.
FAQs
At least once per burning season, and more often if you burn softwood or your stove runs nightly from November through March. New York City roofs create more draft variation than suburban installations, which means more creosote deposition in shorter windows. Call (980) 580-8641 and we’ll schedule you for the next available opening.
No. Regular cleaning and inspection are required maintenance under Famco’s own documentation, and a documented photo record, which we provide under Clause 4 of the Haven Standard, actually strengthens your warranty position if a claim ever comes up. We’re an independent Famco service provider, so our documentation is neutral evidence.
We schedule by neighborhood route, not by urgency theatrics. Most Famco sweeps happen within 5 to 10 days of your call. If you’ve got a smell, smoke rollout, or visible creosote dripping from the cap, tell the person on the phone and we’ll flag it for the next available route stop. That number again: (980) 580-8641.
We repair what needs repairing. Damper replacement, cap replacement, connector pipe, and full liner systems if the camera shows structural damage. The camera footage is the decision point. If it can wait, we’ll tell you it can wait and document why. If it can’t, you’ll see exactly what we see before any repair is recommended.
Bring it in. We offer a free second opinion on any written estimate. If we can’t beat it or match it with a comparable scope of work, we’ll tell you that plainly. Written price before work starts is Clause 1 of the Haven Standard, and we’ve never operated any other way.
Get Your Famco Chimney Swept in New York City

Call (980) 580-8641 today. A live person answers, we’ll schedule your Famco cleaning, and you’ll have a written price before anyone picks up a brush. The camera goes down the flue, you see what we see, and you get the full photo record when we’re done. That’s how we’ve done it since 2009, and that’s how we’ll do it on your roof.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner, Emberly Chimney Cleaners at Emberly Chimney Cleaners, serving New York City and nearby areas.





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