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 Cicero, IL
Chimney repair in Cicero usually means undoing a century of coal-era shortcuts. Most homes here were built between 1910 and 1930 with chimneys sized for coal furnaces, then switched to gas without a reline, and now someone wants a wood fire in a flue that was never designed for it. Crossroads Chimney Sweep handles repairs, relining, and full restoration for these older brick two-flats and bungalows, and we stock the materials that actually hold up: HeatShield resurfacing, DuraFlex liners, and proper crown and cap systems. Call (877) 265-6720 when you want the flue assessed before you light anything.
Why Cicero Homes Are Different
Cicero’s housing stock is not like the newer subdivisions in Oak Park or Berwyn. The dominant structures are 1910s and 1920s brick two-flats, bungalows, and courtyard apartment blocks, most still sitting on their original foundations with the original chimney stack intact. Those chimneys were built for coal. The flues are narrow, often unlined or lined with terracotta tile that has spent a century absorbing coal soot and then gas exhaust. When a homeowner in the 60804 zip code lights a wood fire in one of these, they are asking a flue to do something it was never built for.
Shared party walls make everything tighter. In many two-flats, the chimney serves both units, so a repair on one side affects the neighbor. Roof access is often off a narrow gangway or a flat roof with limited staging room. And Cicero’s Lake Michigan winters bring the freeze-thaw cycles that crack old mortar crowns and let water into brick that is already old enough to remember the Works Progress Administration. Every spring we see the same pattern: spalled brick faces, deteriorated caps, and flues that need a camera inspection before anyone should use them again. This is not a town where a chimney can be swept blindly. It has to be looked at first.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Main Cicero Services
Cicero homeowners call us most often for two things: a chimney sweep before the first burn of the season, and a dryer vent cleaning when they realize the vent has not been touched since the dryer was installed. Both are fire-safety ventilation jobs, both get ignored until something smells wrong, and both are covered by one company.
Chimney Sweep in Cicero
A Chimney Sweep in Cicero on a 1920s brick bungalow starts with an inspection, because you cannot safely sweep a flue that was built for coal and later converted to gas without knowing what is actually in it. We run a camera down the flue, check the terracotta tile for cracks, and look for the creosote or coal residue that changes how we approach the job. Then we sweep to match the flue condition, not just on a schedule. This is the page for the full breakdown, but the short version is simple: in Cicero, an inspection happens before the first fire, not after.
Dryer Vent Cleaning in Cicero
Many Cicero two-flats have dryer vents that run through the back wall or up through a shared chase, and lint builds up fast when the vent run is long or makes a couple of turns. A clogged vent means longer dry times and a real fire risk, since lint is the leading fuel in residential dryer fires. Our Dryer Vent Cleaning in Cicero service pulls the appliance, cleans the full run, and checks the termination with Famco components where the existing cap has failed. It is a single-call job that most homeowners only think about after the dryer takes two cycles to dry a load.
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 Cicero
Chimney repair in Cicero is less about fixing one broken brick and more about correcting what the last hundred years of fuel conversions did to the flue. The classic job is a terracotta tile liner that cracked decades ago, a mortar crown that has been letting water in since the Reagan administration, and a homeowner who wants to burn wood again. That is exactly what our Chimney Repair work addresses. We start with a camera inspection so you can see the damage yourself, then we recommend the repair that actually fits the flue, whether that is HeatShield resurfacing for a liner that can be saved or a full DuraFlex reline when it cannot.
Chimney Cap Installation
Signs you need it
Rainwater pooling at the base of the flue, rust stains on the firebox, or a cap that is missing entirely and letting birds and debris into the chimney.
What it costs in Cicero
A new chimney cap in Cicero typically runs $180 – $430 installed depending on the flue size and whether it is a standard single-flue cap or a custom multi-flue cover for a two-flat stack.
How we do it
We measure the flue opening, install a properly sized stainless or copper cap with the right screening, and seal the base so it stays put through a Lake Michigan winter.
Chimney Cap Replacement
Signs you need it
The existing cap is rusted through, the screen has been pulled apart by animals, or the cap is so corroded that water and embers can pass through it.
What it costs in Cicero
Replacing a damaged or missing cap on a Cicero home generally falls in the $180 – $430 range, with the final price set by the flue dimensions and whether the old cap can be removed cleanly or needs grinding out.
How we do it
We take the old cap off, clear any rust or old sealant from the flue crown, and fit a new cap rated for the flue size and the local exposure.
Chimney Liner Installation
Signs you need it
Flaking terracotta tile at the cleanout, a cracked liner visible on camera inspection, or a gas water heater venting into a flue that was never relined after the coal furnace came out.
What it costs in Cicero
Chimney liner installation in Cicero typically ranges from $2,500 – $5,000 depending on the flue height, the liner material, and whether insulation is required for code compliance.
How we do it
We run a camera to confirm the liner condition, then pull a DuraFlex flexible liner through the existing flue, insulate if needed, and reconnect the appliance with proper terminations.
Chimney Flashing Repair
Signs you need it
Water staining on the ceiling near the chimney, damp drywall in an upstairs bedroom, or flashing that has pulled away from the brick and shows gaps at the roofline.
What it costs in Cicero
Flashing repair on a Cicero chimney typically lands between $450 – $1,500, with the spread driven by how much of the old flashing has to be cut out and whether the roof pitch makes roof access tight.
How we do it
We remove the failed flashing, install new step and counter flashing with proper sealant bedded into the brick joints, and tie it back into the roofline so water runs away from the penetration.
Chimney Crown Repair
Signs you need it
A crown that has cracked into pieces, spalled brick faces near the top of the stack, or water pooling on the crown instead of running off the edges.
What it costs in Cicero
Chimney crown repair in Cicero usually costs $450 – $1,200, with the range set by whether we are resurfacing a mostly intact crown or tearing out and repouring a crown that has failed completely.
How we do it
We strip the damaged crown material, form a new crown with the proper overhang and a weep edge, and seal it so freeze-thaw cycles stop driving water into the brick.
What Chimney Repair Costs in Cicero
| Item | Typical range in Cicero |
|---|---|
| Chimney cap installation | $180 – $430 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $450 – $1,500 |
| Chimney crown repair | $450 – $1,200 |
| Chimney liner installation | $2,500 – $5,000 |
The prices above are the ranges we quote most often in Cicero. Every job gets a camera inspection first, because a crown that looks fine from the ground can be hiding a cracked flue liner, and we would rather show you the problem than sell you a repair you cannot see.
Does a cracked chimney liner really need to be replaced in Cicero?
Not always. If the cracks are minor and the flue is otherwise structurally sound, HeatShield ceramic resurfacing can restore it without a full reline. Call (877) 265-6720 and we will camera-inspect the flue and show you what is actually there before recommending anything.
Can I repair my own chimney crown in Cicero?
You can patch it, but a proper crown repair involves removing the failed material, forming a correct overhang, and sealing against the same freeze-thaw cycles that cracked the first one. Most homeowners are better served by a professional who works at chimney height regularly.
Brands We Service in Cicero
We do not install whatever is on sale at the supply counter. Our Cicero jobs use materials from our brands: HeatShield for ceramic flue resurfacing, DuraFlex for flexible liner systems, and Gelco and Olympia Chimney caps and components where the job calls for them. The parts are not exotic, but they are the ones that survive a Lake Michigan winter without needing a callback. We stock common flue sizes locally, so most replacements do not require a second visit.
See the difference
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After
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AfterPricing for Chimney Company in Cicero, IL
| Service | Typical range in Cicero |
|---|---|
| Chimney sweep (inspection, cleaning, report) | $169 – $349 |
| Chimney cap installation | $180 – $430 |
| Chimney cap replacement | $180 – $430 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $450 – $1,500 |
| Chimney crown repair | $450 – $1,200 |
| Chimney liner installation (DuraFlex or similar) | $2,500 – $5,000 |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $129 – $249 |
| Dryer vent cap or termination replacement | $80 – $220 |
Two things push a Cicero chimney repair higher than the advertised range: shared party walls that make roof access slow, and flues that have been patched so many times the previous work has to be removed before the real repair can start. We quote the job up front, and the photograph report you get after the camera inspection is yours to keep whether you hire us or not.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Cicero
Cicero is not a town of winding subdivisions. It is a dense grid of brick blocks, and the chimneys are much the same from one corner to the next. We work throughout the 60804 zip code and the blocks around it.
- Morton East area
- Cicero West, near Austin Boulevard
- The commercial blocks around Cermak Road
- Residential streets south of Ogden Avenue
- Avenue 33 and the blocks east toward Central Avenue
Response time for a sweep or a repair quote in Cicero is typically within the same week, with early spring being the busiest stretch because that is when the freeze-thaw damage shows up. Schedule before November and you will not be waiting behind the winter rush.
Service Area – Cities Near Cicero
While this page is focused on Cicero, our service area reaches the neighboring towns that share the same housing era and many of the same flue problems. We work in Berwyn, IL, North Lawndale, IL, West Garfield Park, IL, and Oak Park, IL. If you are just over the line in one of those towns, the same camera-first inspection and the same material standards apply.
Serving Cicero, IL — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Cicero 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 Cicero
Many chimney repairs, like cap replacement or liner installation, do not trigger a permit in Cicero, but any repair that touches the structure of the chimney itself may require the town’s sign-off. We can tell you what your specific job needs, and we handle the paperwork when a permit is required.
Yes. Shared chimneys are common in Cicero’s two-flats, and we have worked on many of them. The access question is whether we can reach the flue from one unit or need roof entry, and we will confirm that before we schedule the job.
In most cases we can schedule a sweep or a repair inspection in Cicero within a few days, depending on the season. Spring is the busiest period because that is when homeowners find the winter’s freeze-thaw damage. Call (877) 265-6720 and we will give you a real schedule, not a vague window.
If your chimney was built for coal, converted to gas, and now you want a wood fire, call Crossroads Chimney Sweep at (877) 265-6720. We will inspect the flue before anything gets lit, show you what the camera sees, and quote the repair that fits. Free estimates for Cicero homeowners.
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 Cicero Customers Say
"Swept it, capped it, and installed a proper damper. The downdraft smell in the summer that we'd lived with for years is gone."
— Carmen Guzman"Thorough sweep and a clear report. He was running late from the job before and arrived near the end of the window, though he did call to warn me."
— Shanice Dawson"Drop cloths everywhere, HEPA vac, and not a speck of soot on the carpet. I'd been dreading the mess for nothing."
— Miguel Torres