Level 2 inspections for home sales

Your home inspection probably didn't look inside the flue

A home inspector checks an entire house in one visit. The inside of a chimney is one of the places that scope stops.

The American Society of Home Inspectors standard says inspectors are not required to inspect the interiors of vent systems, flues and chimneys that are not readily accessible. The InterNACHI standard says inspectors are not required to inspect or evaluate the interiors of flues or chimneys. Many inspectors shine a light up the throat of the fireplace anyway, and that is useful. It is not a full look at the liner.

Read the fireplace section of the report closely. If it recommends further evaluation, that sentence is telling you the flue is still an open question.

What NFPA 211 calls for when a home changes hands

NFPA 211 is the national standard for chimneys, fireplaces and vents. It defines three levels of inspection, and a sale or transfer of the property is a listed reason for Level 2.

Home inspection
Visible exterior and the firebox opening. Flue interiors that are not readily accessible are not required.
Level 1
Readily accessible exterior and interior areas. The right level for a maintained system with no changes.
Level 2
Everything in Level 1, the full flue by video or similar means, plus accessible attics, crawl spaces and basements.

Masonry and exterior Flue and firebox Accessible attic and crawl space

The reasoning is simple. A new owner has no history with the system. They don't know how it was used, whether it was maintained or what happened to it during the last chimney fire or hailstorm. Level 3 is different again: it involves opening up parts of the structure, and it is only needed when a concealed area has to be reached.

NFPA 211 is a safety standard, not a state real estate rule. Don't assume someone will order this inspection for you. Ask your agent whether a lender, insurer or local authority has made it a condition of your deal.

Level 1 inspection Level 3 inspection

What a Level 2 inspection covers

The camera is the part people remember. The written record is the part that helps during a sale.

Level 1 components first
Firebox, damper, smoke chamber and the accessible exterior masonry.
Full flue camera scan, cap to firebox
Internal surfaces and joints of the liner, including conditions you can't see from either end.
Offset angles documented
Older Denver Metro homes often have angled flue sections. Bends are where damage and deposits are easy to miss.
Accessible attic, basement and crawl space
Portions of the chimney that pass through those spaces, reached without removing any part of the building.
Written report with still images
Something you can hand to an agent, the other party or an insurance carrier.

Want the full scope of the service, including what triggers it outside a sale?

See Level 2 inspection

If you are buying: book it inside your inspection window

The standard Colorado contract sets separate Inspection Objection, Inspection Termination and Inspection Resolution deadlines. A chimney report that arrives late doesn't help you.

A timeline that works

As soon as you're under contract. Schedule the chimney inspection for the same week as the home inspection, and give us your deadline.
Before the visit. Ask the listing agent to confirm access to the fireplace, attic, basement and any crawl space.
When the report arrives. Get a written repair scope for anything significant, so you are negotiating over a defined job.
Before the Objection Deadline. Work with your agent on what goes in your written objection, and attach the report if it helps.

Dates and rights depend on your own contract. Your agent or attorney should confirm them. We can tell you what is in the chimney, not how to structure the deal.

If you are selling: decide whether to look first

A pre-listing inspection gives you time to get repair bids on your schedule, rather than on a buyer's deadline.

It also lets you price with the condition in mind, and it can give a buyer something concrete to review.

There is a tradeoff, and you should know it before you book.

The standard Colorado contract requires sellers to disclose adverse material facts they actually know about. Once a report tells you the liner is cracked, you know it. Fixing the problem and keeping the paperwork is usually a stronger position than leaving it for the buyer's inspector to find, but talk to your agent or attorney about what you'd need to disclose.

How to choose a chimney company

How to read what the report finds

Not every finding is a deal problem. Ask two questions about each one: is the chimney safe to use as it stands, and what exactly would fix it?

Cracked or gapped flue liner

The liner contains heat and combustion gases. Damage here is the finding most likely to change whether the chimney should be used until it is fixed.

Chimney relining

Heavy creosote or glaze

Often a cleaning job rather than a structural one, but the deposit type decides the method and the price.

Creosote removal

Failed crown

Cracks in the crown let water into the top of the chimney, where Colorado freeze-thaw cycles keep working on it.

Crown repair

Leaking flashing

Stains near the chimney are not always the chimney. Flashing at the roof line is one of the first places to check.

Flashing repair

Worn mortar or spalling brick

Open joints and flaking brick faces tell you water is getting in. Extent matters more than appearance.

Mortar repointing

Damper or cap problems

Usually smaller items, but a missing cap or a damper that won't seal still belongs in the repair list.

Damper repair

Ask for the repair scope in writing, item by item. It is much easier to negotiate a list than a feeling.

How freeze-thaw damages Colorado chimneys

Common questions from buyers and sellers

Does Colorado law require a Level 2 chimney inspection to sell a house?

NFPA 211 lists a sale or transfer as a reason for a Level 2 inspection, but NFPA 211 is a national safety standard, not a state real estate rule. Your agent, lender, insurer or local building department can tell you whether it is a condition on your specific deal. Even when nobody requires it, it is the level built for a change of ownership.

Can my home inspector do this?

Some home inspectors add a chimney service, so ask. A standard inspection under the ASHI or InterNACHI standards does not require the inspector to evaluate flue interiors that are not readily accessible. If the report says the flue was not evaluated, that part of the chimney is still unknown.

The seller had the chimney swept last year. Is that enough?

A sweep is a cleaning. It can tell you the flue was cleaned, but it does not document the condition of the liner along its full length. Ask for any past reports, then decide whether they actually cover the flue from top to bottom.

How long does a Level 2 inspection take?

Published guides commonly put it at about one to two hours. Flue height, offsets, the number of flues and attic or crawl space access can change that. Tell us your contract dates when you call so we can plan around them.

Who pays for the inspection?

Under the standard Colorado contract, the buyer's inspection is at the buyer's expense. A seller who orders one before listing pays for that visit. Anything beyond that, including who pays for repairs, is something the two sides negotiate.

What happens if the camera can't get through?

Size limits and multiple offsets can stop a camera. The CSIA guidance for Level 2 work says that should be noted in the report. If a concealed area still needs to be evaluated and that takes opening the structure, a Level 3 inspection is the next step.

Areas we serve for home sale inspections

AR Chimney Pros covers the Denver Metro from our Lakewood location, and reaches into the foothills for mountain area home sales.

Lakewood
Denver
Wheat Ridge
Arvada
Englewood
Littleton
Edgewater
Morrison
Golden
Aurora
Thornton
Highlands Ranch
Evergreen
Conifer
Idaho Springs

Sources

General information, not legal advice.

Level 2 Chimney Inspections for Colorado Home Sales