Almost every Connecticut sale involving a fireplace runs into the same moment. The buyer's home inspector produces a report, and next to the chimney is a line saying the flue interior was not inspected and a specialist evaluation is recommended.
That line is standard and correct — a general home inspection does not evaluate the inside of the flue. But of all the things in the report, it is the one that most reliably becomes a negotiation, because nobody yet knows what it is going to cost.
What happens if you leave it to the buyer
The buyer books their own inspection, on their timeline, with a contractor you did not choose. Any finding arrives with a quote attached and lands at the point where you have least leverage — under contract, with a closing date, and with the buyer holding the report.
An unlined flue or a cracked liner discovered at that stage is usually settled by a credit off the price, and the figure is set by a quote you had no part in obtaining.
What happens if you get ahead of it
You have the chimney inspected before listing. One of three things is true:
- Nothing is wrong. The report and the video go in the disclosure pack, and the buyer's inspector's line item is answered before it is asked.
- Something small is wrong. A cap, a crown coat, some repointing. You fix it at your own pace, at a price you obtained by choice, and it never becomes a discussion.
- Something significant is wrong. You now know, months before it would otherwise surface, and you can decide whether to fix it or price it in. Either way you are choosing rather than reacting.
Why the chimney needs its own inspection
A general home inspection covers a great deal of the house and very little of the chimney. What it does not cover is the full length of the flue, the crown, the cap and the accessible areas where the chimney passes through the structure. Those are the parts where the expensive findings live, and they are what ABC Chimney Solutions actually checks.
The video is the valuable part. Handing a buyer footage of a sound flue ends the conversation in a way that a paragraph of text does not.
What buyers' inspectors flag most often
- Cracked or missing crown
- No cap fitted
- Damaged or missing flashing
- Cracked clay tile liner
- An unlined flue serving a modern appliance
- A stove or insert installed without a full-height liner
- Creosote past the point of routine sweeping
- No documentation for a solid-fuel appliance install
That last one catches sellers who inherited an install from a previous owner. If there is no paperwork for a stove, it is worth establishing what you have before a buyer's inspector does.
If you are buying instead
Have the chimney inspected before closing rather than after. The two findings that matter most financially are an unlined or failed flue and a stack that needs rebuilding — both are four-figure or five-figure items, and both are invisible from the room and from the ground.
Booking one
ABC Chimney Solutions uses the same comprehensive process for a pre-purchase chimney inspection as for any other chimney inspection — what changes is the context you are using the findings in. We cover every town in the state on the same terms; the list is on the service areas page.
Frequently asked
Who pays for a chimney inspection in a house sale?
Whoever commissions it. A seller getting ahead of the issue pays for their pre-listing inspection; a buyer requesting a specialist evaluation pays for theirs. ABC Chimney Solutions would say the seller-side cost is the better investment, because it turns an unknown into a known before it can be priced against you. Learn more about this service.
My fireplace has never been used. Do I still need this?
Yes, and arguably more so. Unused flues are the ones most likely to be blocked by nesting or debris, and a chimney nobody has maintained because nobody lit a fire is exactly where ABC Chimney Solutions finds surprises. “Never used” is not a statement about condition. Learn more about this service.
How far ahead of listing should I book it?
Six to eight weeks gives you time to act on anything found without it affecting your listing date. If a rebuild or a reline is needed, ABC Chimney Solutions would rather schedule it on your terms than compressed into a closing window. Learn more about this service.