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.
Fast, Reliable Chimney Cleaning & Sweep Across Marietta
A typical chimney cleaning and sweep in Marietta runs $175-$295 for a standard single-flue system, with Level 2 camera inspections adding $120-$195. Our crews are dispatched from our Atlanta office and cover Marietta daily, including the historic neighborhoods around Marietta Square and the full East Cobb corridor. Call (470) 480-0885 for a written estimate before anyone schedules work.
We’ve cleaned and inspected chimneys in Marietta since 2009, and the work here is different from our calls in Kennesaw or Woodstock. The city splits cleanly into two chimney worlds: genuine antebellum and Victorian masonry around the Square, and the massive stock of 1970s-1990s factory-built prefabricated fireplace systems in East Cobb’s subdivisions. Those prefab units are now 30-45 years old. Many homeowners don’t know they have one until the Chimney Cleaning & Sweep camera goes down the flue. That distinction - masonry versus prefab, sweep versus reline - drives almost every recommendation we make in Marietta.
Why Emberly Chimney Cleaners Sandy Springs Is Marietta’s Preferred Chimney Cleaning & Sweep Company
We’ve completed more than 38,000 chimney inspections and cleanings since 2009, and a significant share of those have been in Marietta’s historic district and East Cobb subdivisions. Our Marietta customers leave reviews that mention the same things: the technician showed the camera footage, explained what was actually wrong, and delivered a written price before any work started. That’s not accidental. It’s Haven Standard Clause 1 - written price, written scope, written warranty before the first tool comes out.
Dispatch and scheduling run from our Atlanta office, but crews serve Marietta locally. We know the difference between a pre-Civil War chimney on Church Street built with soft lime mortar and a 1987 prefab system off Lassiter Road with a rusted DuraFlex liner hidden behind decorative brick facing. That local fluency matters because the wrong diagnosis wastes money and creates real safety gaps. A prefab firebox swept like masonry brick misses the actual failure points: rusted metal flue liners, cracked refractory panels, and warped dampers that were never designed to last 40 years.
Our technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and named on your appointment. You get a text when they’re en route. License information is on every page. And every job carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not done right, we make it right.
Our Chimney Cleaning & Sweep Services in Marietta

Level 1 Inspection
A Level 1 inspection is the annual visual and physical examination required by NFPA 211 for chimneys that haven’t changed in use or condition. In Marietta, we perform Level 1 inspections on well-maintained masonry systems in the historic district and on prefab units that have already had a recent Level 2 camera scan and are now on a documented annual schedule. The technician examines accessible portions of the appliance, chimney connection, and flue from the roof and firebox level. We document findings with photos and deliver a written report. A Level 1 in Marietta typically runs $125-$175.

Level 2 Inspection
Level 2 is our default for every first visit to a Marietta home, and it’s the inspection standard our company is named for. This is a camera-scan inspection of the full flue interior, smoke chamber, and accessible portions of the appliance and chimney structure. We run a high-resolution camera the full length of the flue, record the footage, and provide a documented photo record - Haven Standard Clause 4, a practice we’ve maintained since 2009. In Marietta, Level 2 inspections are essential for the 30-45 year old prefab systems in East Cobb’s Walton, Pope, and Wheeler zones, where rusted flue liners and cracked refractory panels are common and invisible from the firebox. Level 2 runs $195-$340 in Marietta depending on system accessibility and number of flues.

Creosote Removal
Creosote accumulates in three classes. First-degree is flaky soot, removable with standard brushes. Second-degree is tar-like flakes requiring more aggressive mechanical cleaning. Third-degree - glazed, hardened creosote - is common in Marietta’s older prefab systems where homeowners burned improperly seasoned wood for years without inspection. Third-degree creosote cannot be brushed out. It requires chemical treatment, mechanical removal with specialized chains and whips, and sometimes full relining if the glaze has damaged the flue surface. We see this regularly in East Cobb’s 1980s and 1990s subdivisions. Creosote removal in Marietta runs $175-$450 depending on class and extent, with third-degree glazing at the higher end.

Soot Removal
Soot accumulation reduces draft efficiency and can create odor problems during Marietta’s long, humid summers when chimneys sit idle. We remove soot from fireboxes, smoke chambers, and accessible flue sections using HEPA-contained vacuum systems and mechanical brushes. For gas fireplace conversions common in Marietta’s newer renovations, we also clean burner ports, pilot assemblies, and venting terminals. Soot removal as a standalone service runs $145-$225; it’s typically bundled with annual sweep visits.

Annual Sweep
The annual sweep is the foundation of safe chimney operation. In Marietta, we recommend annual service for all wood-burning systems and biennial for gas units, adjusted for actual use patterns. Our sweep includes full firebox and smoke chamber cleaning, flue brushing to NFPA standards, debris and nest removal, damper operation check, and a basic structural assessment. For homes with multiple fireplaces - common in East Cobb’s larger 1980s and 1990s builds - we sweep and inspect every flue, not just the one you use most. Annual sweep pricing in Marietta starts at $175 for a single-flue system and ranges to $340 for multi-flue homes.

Fireplace Cleaning
Fireplace cleaning addresses the visible and accessible components: firebox walls, hearth, grate, ash dump, and exterior facing. In Marietta’s historic homes near the Square, we use cleaning methods appropriate to aged brick and original mortar - no pressure washing, no acidic chemicals that accelerate spalling. For prefab systems, we clean the metal firebox and inspect refractory panels for cracks or thermal breakdown. Fireplace cleaning runs $125-$195 as a standalone service or is included in full sweep packages.

What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Before
AfterTrusted Brands We Service in Marietta
We source materials through Haven’s buying network to keep customer prices honest, stocking DuraFlex stainless steel liners, HeatShield cerfractory flue resurfacing products, and Famco chimney caps and termination hardware for Marietta jobs. These aren’t special-order items shipped from a warehouse three states away. We carry inventory sized for the prefab flue dimensions common in East Cobb’s 1970s-1990s housing stock, which means faster turnaround when a liner replacement or cap repair is needed. For masonry restorations around Marietta Square, we match original materials where possible and document every substitution in your written record.
Common Chimney Cleaning & Sweep Problems We See in Marietta Homes

- Treating East Cobb prefab fireplaces as masonry. Homeowners see brick facing and assume traditional construction. The actual firebox is factory-built metal, and sweeping it like masonry misses rusted flue liners, cracked refractory panels, and warped dampers that fail on 30-45 year old units. We find this on roughly half our first visits to subdivisions off Lassiter Road and Shallowford Road.
- Skipping the second flue on multi-fireplace homes. In the Walton, Pope, and Wheeler attendance zones, many homes have two or more fireplaces sharing a chimney structure. One flue gets swept; the second is never opened, inspected, or documented. We’ve found blocked second flues, separated chimney liners, and active bird nesting in flues homeowners didn’t know existed.
- Brushing first-degree creosote and missing glazed third-degree buildup. A standard brush pass removes flaky soot but leaves hardened tar glaze in the smoke chamber. That glaze is combustible and restricts airflow. On older Marietta flues, it’s often the reason a system needs relining rather than just sweeping - and it’s invisible without a camera.
- Moisture damage from Marietta’s humid idle seasons. Six-plus months of summer disuse with no drying heat cycling through the flue accelerates mortar deterioration in historic masonry and rust in prefab metal components. The periodic hard freeze into the teens - rare but real - then exploits that moisture with freeze-thaw spalling in porous 19th-century brick around the Square.
Pricing for Chimney Cleaning & Sweep in Marietta, GA
| Service | Typical Range in Marietta |
|---|---|
| Annual Sweep (single flue) | $175 - $225 |
| Annual Sweep (multi-flue) | $275 - $340 |
| Level 1 Inspection | $125 - $175 |
| Level 2 Camera Inspection | $195 - $340 |
| Creosote Removal (1st-2nd degree) | $175 - $295 |
| Creosote Removal (3rd degree / glazed) | $325 - $450 |
| Fireplace Cleaning (standalone) | $125 - $195 |
What moves a job within these ranges? Number of flues, system accessibility (steep roof pitch, chimney height), creosote class, and whether the system is masonry or prefab. Prefab liner access sometimes requires additional disassembly. We deliver a written price before any work starts - Haven Standard Clause 1 - and we never upsell from an initial quote without new camera evidence you can see yourself. Free estimates are available at (470) 480-0885. We also offer a Free Second Opinion on any competitor’s written estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Marietta

Our crews work throughout the metro area, including Chimney Cleaning & Sweep in Marietta plus Kennesaw, Atlanta, Acworth, and Woodstock. The chimney issues differ by city: Kennesaw’s newer construction has different prefab vintages, Woodstock’s exurban growth means more recent installs with less deferred maintenance, and Atlanta’s intown neighborhoods present their own masonry preservation challenges. We adjust our inspection approach accordingly.
Serving Marietta, GA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Marietta 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 - Chimney Cleaning & Sweep in Marietta

Yes. NFPA 211 recommends annual inspection of all chimney systems, and if you burn wood, annual sweeping. In East Cobb’s 1980s and 1990s subdivisions, the second flue is often the one with the worse condition because it’s been ignored for years. We inspect and document every flue on every visit. Call (470) 480-0885 to schedule - estimates are free.
You probably can’t tell from looking at the facing. Brick facing was standard on prefab systems installed during the East Cobb boom. The only reliable identification is a Level 2 camera inspection showing the actual firebox construction and flue liner type. We explain what we’re seeing on screen and what it means for maintenance, repair, or replacement. Call (470) 480-0885 for an exact assessment.
Third-degree creosote is hardened, glazed tar that standard brushes won’t remove. It’s a significant fire hazard and restricts draft. In Marietta’s older prefab systems, it often indicates that the flue surface itself has deteriorated beneath the glaze, making relining necessary even after chemical and mechanical removal. We diagnose this with camera evidence, not guesswork. Call (470) 480-0885 for a Level 2 inspection and written options.
Yes, especially given Marietta’s humidity. Six months of idle, moist chimney creates ideal conditions for rust in prefab liners and mortar deterioration in masonry. Summer inspections also mean you’re ready when temperatures drop, and you’ll avoid the fall scheduling rush. We book year-round. Call (470) 480-0885 for a summer appointment.
Spalling brick from freeze-thaw cycles, deteriorated lime mortar, and moisture intrusion in the chimney structure. The soft, porous brick and historic mortar used in pre-Civil War and Victorian construction around Marietta Square are particularly vulnerable to Marietta’s humidity and occasional hard freezes. We inspect for structural integrity, proper flue sizing, and evidence of past chimney fires that may have cracked the flue liner. Call (470) 480-0885 for a documented Level 2 assessment.
Ready to schedule? Call (470) 480-0885 for a free estimate. We’ll deliver a written price before any work starts, include a documented photo record on every visit, and back every job with our 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Emberly Chimney Cleaners, serving Marietta since 2009.





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