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.
Chimney Company in Des Plaines, IL
When a Des Plaines homeowner calls us about their chimney, the conversation usually starts with one of two things: a 60-year-old clay tile flue that’s starting to shed pieces, or a fireplace that hasn’t been swept since the last presidential administration. We’re Duke Chimney Sweep, and we handle chimney repair, sweeping, and dryer vent cleaning across Des Plaines zip codes 60016 through 60019. If your chimney needs a look, call (844) 660-6510 and we’ll tell you what’s actually going on, with camera evidence to show for it.
Why Des Plaines Homes Are Different
Des Plaines sits right under O’Hare’s flight path and along the Des Plaines River corridor, and that geography shapes the chimneys here more than most people realize. The housing stock is heavily post-war: brick and frame ranches, split-levels, and Cape Cods built throughout the 1950s and 60s for returning GIs. Many of those homes still have their original masonry fireplaces and clay-tile liners. That’s not a knock on the builders; it’s just what was standard then, and those liners are now 60-plus years old.
The river-adjacent dampness and cold, humid Chicago winters do real work on those chimneys. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles stress exterior masonry crowns and flashing. Over time, water gets into hairline cracks, freezes, expands, and turns a small crack into a spalled brick face or a leaking crown. We also see a lot of wood-burning fireplaces that were converted to gas inserts in the 1990s and never had the flue properly cleaned or sized afterward. That combination, old clay tile plus a retrofit gas appliance, is one of the most common inspection findings on the ranches off the river side and near downtown.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Main Des Plaines Services
Two calls dominate our schedule in Des Plaines. One is the homeowner who hasn’t used their fireplace in years and wants it safe before the first real fire of the season. The other is the homeowner who just noticed their dryer taking two cycles to dry a load and knows that’s not normal. Both are venting problems, and both are part of the same system.
Chimney Sweep in Des Plaines
A sweep in Des Plaines is rarely just a sweep. The older ranches and split-levels often have creosote that’s been layering for years, and a sweep is the first step in seeing whether the clay tile liner behind it is still intact. We remove the creosote, inspect the flue with a camera, and give you a straight answer about what needs work now and what can wait. If your fireplace hasn’t been cleaned in a while, start here: Chimney Sweep in Des Plaines.
Dryer Vent Cleaning in Des Plaines
Lint blockage is a fire risk, full stop, and on the older Des Plaines homes the dryer vent run is often long, with a few bends, and sometimes still the original flexible foil from decades ago. We clean the full run, check for proper terminations, and tell you if the vent itself should be replaced. It’s the service most chimney companies treat as an afterthought; we treat it as part of the same venting system as your chimney. Details here: Dryer Vent Cleaning in Des Plaines.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees — you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Chimney Repair in Des Plaines
Chimney repair in Des Plaines is most often about two things: flue tiles that have cracked after decades of freeze-thaw cycles, and masonry crowns that have let water in for years without anyone noticing. On the 1950s and 60s homes that make up so much of this city, a chimney inspection frequently turns into a Chimney Repair recommendation, and the good news is that modern materials like DuraFlex liner systems mean many of these chimneys can be restored without a full teardown. We’d rather restore before we replace, and we’ll show you the camera footage to back up whatever we recommend.
Chimney Cap Installation
Signs you need it
Rain is getting down the flue, you hear birds or animals in the chimney, or the existing cap has rusted off and left the flue tile open to the Des Plaines weather.
What it costs in Des Plaines
A standard cap install in this area runs $250 to $650 depending on the flue size and whether the crown needs prep work first.
How we do it
We measure the flue, prep the crown surface so the cap sits flat and seals correctly, then secure the cap with mechanical fasteners rather than relying on caulk alone.
Chimney Liner Installation
Signs you need it
Your camera inspection shows cracked or missing clay tile sections, or a gas appliance was retrofitted without properly sizing the flue.
What it costs in Des Plaines
Liner installation runs $3,500 to $7,500 on most Des Plaines homes, depending on the flue dimensions and roof access.
How we do it
We size the liner to the appliance and the existing flue, run the new liner down the chimney, insulate if the code path calls for it, and secure it top and bottom.
Chimney Flashing Repair
Signs you need it
Water stains are appearing on the ceiling near the chimney or on the wall in the attic, and the leak shows up only after heavy Des Plaines rain.
What it costs in Des Plaines
Flashing repair generally lands between $400 and $1,000 depending on how much of the existing flashing has to come out.
How we do it
We pull back shingles and counter-flashing, get a look at the step flashing underneath, replace what’s rotted, and seal the assembly with a high-grade roofing compound.
Chimney Crown Repair
Signs you need it
The concrete crown on top of the chimney is cracked, spalled, or missing in chunks, and you see efflorescence staining on the brick below.
What it costs in Des Plaines
Crown repair runs $350 to $800 on most Des Plaines ranches and split-levels.
How we do it
We clean the existing crown, fill or resurface it with a weather-tolerant compound, and make sure the drip edge is correct so water sheds away from the masonry.
What Chimney Repair Costs in Des Plaines
| Item | Typical range in Des Plaines |
|---|---|
| Chimney cap installation | $250 – $650 |
| Flashing repair | $400 – $1,000 |
| Crown repair | $350 – $800 |
Do I need a new chimney liner or can the old one be patched?
If the camera shows one or two isolated cracks, a patch might buy you a few years. But on the 60-year-old clay tile chimneys common in Des Plaines, cracked tiles usually mean a reline is the safer call.
How much of this work can I actually verify myself?
Everything. We run a camera through the flue before and after any repair, and you get to see real footage of what we found and what we fixed. If a contractor won’t show you the inside of your own chimney, call us instead.
Brands We Service in Des Plaines
We stock and work with the professional-tier components the trade actually specifies: DuraFlex liner systems, Olympia Chimney components, and Copperfield specialty products. Having these on hand means a repair doesn’t stall waiting on a shipped part. That’s the point of working with our brands: the right material, here, when your chimney needs it.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterPricing for Chimney Company in Des Plaines, IL
| Service | Typical range in Des Plaines |
|---|---|
| Chimney cap installation | $250 – $650 |
| Chimney cap replacement | $250 – $650 |
| Flashing repair | $400 – $1,000 |
| Chimney crown repair | $350 – $800 |
| Chimney liner installation | $3,500 – $7,500 |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $139 – $329 |
| Chimney sweep (inspection included) | $199 – $449 |
Two things move the price in Des Plaines. Roof pitch and chimney height on the split-levels add labor time, and older clay tile flues that need prep work before a liner goes in add material time. Whatever the number, you get it before we start, not after. We don’t surprise people with a change order halfway through a job.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Des Plaines
We work all four Des Plaines zip codes, from the older ranches near the river to the split-levels and Capes closer to downtown. Dispatch times here are predictable: if you call on a weekday morning, we can usually get you on the schedule within a day or two.
- Riverside and the river-adjacent blocks off Thacker and Touhy
- Downtown Des Plaines near the Metra station
- The 60016 neighborhoods with the original 1950s brick ranches
- 60018 and the split-level belt east of Wolf Road
- North Side, up toward Golf Road and the Glen
Service Area – Cities Near Des Plaines
Duke Chimney Sweep is based in Schaumburg, and our service area covers the northwest suburbs and the O’Hare corridor. If you’re in Rosemont, IL or Mount Prospect, IL, we’re nearby. We also run regular routes through Elk Grove Village, IL and Schiller Park, IL. Same crew, same camera report, same straight answers.
Serving Des Plaines, IL — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Des Plaines 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 Company in Des Plaines
Most calls get scheduled within one to two business days. We base out of Schaumburg, so Des Plaines is a short dispatch. If you’re flexible on timing, we can usually fit you in faster.
Most liner installs and cap replacements don’t require a permit, but if a repair touches structural masonry or the city’s building department flags it, we’ll tell you what’s needed and handle the paperwork. You won’t get surprised with a permit after the work starts.
Yes. We handle single-family homes throughout 60016, 60017, 60018, and 60019, and we do work in condo buildings when the association grants rooftop access. Give us a call and we’ll sort out the details.
Need a chimney looked at in Des Plaines? Call Duke Chimney Sweep at (844) 660-6510 for a free estimate, and we’ll show you what’s going on before we ever ask you to spend a dollar.
What happens when you call
- 1A real person answersNo phone trees — talk to a local chimney cleaning pro.
- 2You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched. No surprises.
- 3We come out and measureLicensed & insured, at a time that suits you — the visit and the quote are both free.
- 4You get the price in writingLine-itemed, yours to keep, and nothing starts until you say go.
What Des Plaines Customers Say
"Creosote buildup was worse than I realized. He measured it, showed me the glazing on the flue with the camera, and was honest that we were closer to a chimney fire than I wanted to hear."
— Chris Ziegler"Good work. The written inspection report took about a week to arrive after I asked for it, which was slower than I expected."
— Michelle Meyer"Swept it, capped it, and installed a proper damper. The downdraft smell in the summer that we'd lived with for years is gone."
— Divya Rao