Chimney sweep and repair in Morristown
Old houses around the Green, newer condos with gas fireplaces: we inspect Morristown chimneys for free and give you a written price.
Morristown is the Morris County seat and hosted the Continental Army's winter encampments in 1777 and again in 1779 and 1780. By 1896 an estimated 54 millionaires lived in the Morristown area, and their Gilded Age estates still mark the landscape around town. The Morristown District around the Green has been on the National Register since 1973, with a boundary increase in 1986, and many of the older houses near the center have the large brick chimneys of their era.
Today the housing is a mix. About 24 percent of Morristown's homes were built before 1940, but only a quarter are detached houses and the median year built is 1970, because so much of the town is apartments and condos. That means two very different kinds of chimney work: masonry repair on older homes, and gas fireplaces and appliance vents in multi-unit buildings. Both start with our free inspection, photos and a written price.
Older homes near the Green
On prewar houses near the center of town, chimneys tend to have the problems of age: open mortar joints, crowns cracked through, flashing patched with tar, and clay tile liners with gaps. New Jersey's fire code says an unlined chimney with open mortar joints shall be repaired or relined. Repointing typically costs $500 to $2,500 and a stainless liner $1,500 to $5,000.
Most Morristown homes heat with gas. When a boiler, furnace or water heater is replaced, the town's construction office needs a chimney verification on New Jersey form F-370, and the homeowner can't sign it. A liner for a furnace or water heater typically runs $625 to $2,250.
Gas fireplaces in condos and townhouses
Many newer Morristown condos and townhouses have direct-vent gas fireplaces behind glass. They burn clean compared with wood, but they still need a yearly service: a check of the burner, pilot, glass seal and vent cap. That service typically costs $150 to $350. Pilot, thermocouple or igniter repairs usually run $100 to $350.
A gas fireplace counts as a fuel-burning appliance under New Jersey's carbon monoxide alarm rules, so every unit with one needs a working CO alarm near the bedrooms. In a condo, the vent termination on the outside wall is often common property, so check with the association before we change anything outside.
Where we work in Morristown
Morristown Green · South Street · Speedwell Avenue · Washington Street · Madison Avenue · Macculloch Avenue · Mount Kemble Avenue · Western Avenue · Ridgedale Avenue · Franklin Street
FAQ
Morristown chimney questions
Our condo's gas fireplace won't light. Can you fix it?
Usually. The common causes are a dirty or failed thermocouple, pilot assembly or igniter, typically $100 to $350 to repair. A gas valve or control board costs more, $300 to $1,000. We'll diagnose it and give you the price before any work.
We're replacing the boiler in our older house. What's the F-370?
It's New Jersey's chimney verification form for furnace, boiler and water heater replacements. A professional checks that the chimney is clean, sound and lined for the new appliance, and the form goes with your permit. The homeowner can't sign it.
Does New Jersey require a chimney inspection when we sell?
No. New Jersey requires a smoke alarm, CO alarm and fire extinguisher certificate before a one- or two-family home is sold. Buyers often ask for a chimney inspection anyway, and ours is free.
How much is chimney cleaning in Morristown?
We price it at the free inspection, once we've seen the flue and the fireplace or stove. You get the price in writing first. We book Sunday to Friday in 3-hour windows and call to confirm.
Book online
Book in Morristown. The inspection is free.
Free inspection in a 3-hour window: 8 to 11, 11 to 2, or 2 to 5. We call to confirm before we arrive.