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 Selma, CA
Selma’s chimneys face a specific set of conditions you won’t find 20 minutes north in Fresno. The city’s older bungalows, many built between the 1920s and 1940s, carry original unreinforced brick chimneys that were never designed for today’s high-efficiency gas appliances. Add in the Central Valley’s temperature swings, valley fog, and agricultural dust from surrounding raisin vineyards, and you get flues that need a different kind of attention than a newer suburban tract home. Alcott Chimney Sweep works on both ends of that spectrum across Selma, and you can reach us at (559) 215-1714 any time.
Why Selma Homes Are Different
We see two distinct Selma housing profiles, and they fail in different ways. The 1920s-1940s bungalows and ranch homes east of Highway 99 often have original brick chimneys with no clay liner to begin with, shallow fireboxes, and mortar that has spent 80 or 90 years absorbing Valley heat. The newer developments on the west side are built tighter, but their chimneys still face the same climate. Selma’s hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters force brick and mortar through repeated expansion and contraction cycles. That’s how hairline cracks start, and once moisture gets in, spalling follows.
Then there’s the dust. Fine agricultural particulate from the vineyards drifts with the prevailing breeze and settles into uncapped flues. On the east side of Selma, where homes back directly onto raisin vineyards, we regularly pull raisin stems and vineyard dust out of chimneys, mixed with soot and creosote. That combination catches fire more readily than clean wood soot alone. It’s not a scare story; it’s just what the flue looks like when we open it.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Main Selma Services
The two calls we get most from Selma homeowners are for sweeps on older masonry chimneys and inspections on homes where the fireplace hasn’t been used in years. Every Selma service has its own page with full pricing and details.
Chimney Sweep in Selma
A sweep in an older Selma home usually means more than pulling soot from the flue. We’re also clearing the raisin stems, vineyard dust, and creosote that the Valley air drops into uncapped chimneys. Creosote, the tar-like buildup that causes chimney fires, builds faster in Selma’s older shallow fireboxes because the smoke cools before it exits cleanly. The sweep removes that layer, and we tell you plainly if the flue is fine or if the camera shows cracks that need a closer look. Full details on our Chimney Sweep in Selma page.
Chimney Inspection in Selma
Most Selma homes with original brick chimneys were built before modern liners became standard. An inspection tells you whether that old flue is still safe to use, or whether you’re sending heat and gases into cracked mortar and wall cavities. We use a camera, and we show you the footage. If the chimney is fine, we tell you it’s fine. If it isn’t, you see exactly what we see before anyone recommends a repair. That’s the whole point. Details are on the Chimney Inspection in Selma page.
Gas Fireplace Repair in Selma
Gas fireplaces in Selma fail in predictable ways: thermocouples wear out, pilot assemblies clog with dust, and valves stick. In older Selma homes, the gas fireplace was often retrofitted into an old wood-burning box, and the venting runs were never ideal to begin with. We carry trade brands like Gelco and Copperfield parts locally, which means less waiting on a repair. See the Gas Fireplace Repair in Selma page for what we fix and what it costs.
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.
Brands We Service in Selma
We install and service Gelco, Olympia Chimney, and Famco components across Selma, and we carry the common replacement parts for these systems on our local trucks. When a gas fireplace needs a new valve or a pilot assembly, the part is usually on hand, not ordered from a warehouse two states away. Our full brand list is on our brands page.
See the difference
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AfterPricing for Chimney Company in Selma, CA
| Service | Typical range in Selma |
|---|---|
| Standard chimney sweep | $180 – $340 |
| Level 1 chimney inspection | $150 – $250 |
| Level 2 chimney inspection (camera) | $300 – $500 |
| Gas fireplace diagnostic | $90 – $140 |
| Thermocouple replacement | $150 – $250 |
| Pilot assembly replacement | $180 – $300 |
| Valve replacement | $250 – $450 |
| Minor masonry patch (single joint) | $80 – $150 |
| Chimney cap installation | $120 – $250 |
| Creosote log application | $40 – $80 |
What pushes price up in Selma is access and flue condition. A steep roof on a 1920s bungalow or a chimney buried behind a second-story addition changes the job. Heavily coated flues from years of agricultural dust also take longer to clean. Before any work starts, you get a written price. That number is the number; we don’t add charges at the end.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Selma
We work throughout Selma, including the older grid near downtown and the subdivisions on the city’s edges. Our crews are dispatched from the Central Valley office, so we’re already in the area on most days rather than driving an hour just to quote.
- Downtown Selma
- East Selma (vineyard-adjacent homes)
- West Selma (newer subdivisions)
- Rose Avenue corridor
- Golden Acres area
Service Area – Cities Near Selma
Selma homeowners aren’t the only ones we hear from. We also run regular routes through Fowler, CA, Parlier, CA, Kingsburg, CA, and Reedley, CA. If you’re in one of those towns with an older chimney or a gas fireplace that won’t stay lit, the same crew and the same upfront pricing apply.
Serving Selma, CA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Selma 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 Selma
Most Selma jobs are scheduled within a few days, not weeks. Because our crews run routes through Selma regularly, we can often fit an inspection or sweep in faster than a company based outside the Valley. Call (559) 215-1714 and we’ll give you a real date on the phone, not a callback promise.
Routine sweeps and inspections don’t require a permit anywhere in Fresno County. Repairs get murkier. A liner replacement or structural masonry repair may need city approval depending on scope, and we’ll tell you if your job does. We don’t skip permits on work that requires them, and we won’t tell you one isn’t needed when it is.
That’s a good reason to inspect before you light it. In Selma, an unused flue often becomes a home for birds, bees, or a season’s worth of vineyard dust. A Level 2 camera inspection shows you what’s actually inside. Call (559) 215-1714 for a free estimate and we’ll get it on the schedule before the first cold night.
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 Selma Customers Say
"Very respectful of my home. Took off his boots and wiped the hearth when finished."
- Carol D."Water was leaking around the flashing. They resealed it and installed a new crown coating. Dry through two heavy rains since."
- Douglas P."Good chimney cleaning. They found a small gap in the mortar and quoted the repair, which was a bit more than I wanted to spend. Did the sweep and left the repair for later without any pressure."
- Stuart L.