Boiler Chimney Inspection in NYC
Find out what is happening inside your flue — before heating season does.
Your boiler is only as safe as the chimney it breathes through. In New York City, that chimney is often a decades-old clay-tile flue nobody has looked inside in years. We inspect boiler flues across Brooklyn and Manhattan and hand you a plain-English report.
Heating season is weeks away. Get your flue checked before the first cold snap. Level 1 inspection starts at $99 in Brooklyn ($199 in Manhattan).
The 7-point boiler flue inspection
Every inspection covers the same seven checkpoints — what determines whether your flue is safe for another winter.
Blockage
Nests, leaves, and fallen liner pieces collect in idle flues. A blocked flue can push exhaust and carbon monoxide back into the building.
Soot and scale
Buildup narrows the passage, weakens draft, and can signal the boiler is running inefficiently.
Liner cracks
Clay tiles crack with age, heat cycling, and freeze-thaw, letting heat and gases escape the flue.
Masonry deterioration
Crown, joints, and brickwork — the parts NYC weather attacks first — checked from the rooftop down.
Backdrafting test
Draft and spillage checks verify exhaust goes up the flue, not into the basement or boiler room.
Flue sizing
Wrong-sized flues cannot draft properly — especially common after oil-to-gas conversions.
CO safety check
Ambient CO readings around the boiler and flue connections confirm exhaust stays where it belongs.
Carbon monoxide and your boiler flue: safety first
A cracked, blocked, or badly drafting flue can let carbon monoxide — odorless and invisible — seep into living spaces. If you suspect CO, act immediately:
If your CO alarm sounds or anyone feels ill
- Get everyone into fresh air right away.
- Leave the building. Do not stop to find the source.
- Call 911 from outside.
- Do not re-enter until responders say it is safe.
Once the danger is handled, an inspection can show whether the flue played a role. Blockages, liner breaches, and backdrafting are the most common flue-related causes — identifiable during an inspection, with a Level 2 camera scan used when the flue needs a closer look.
Worried about your flue? Call (347) 297-9646.
Converted from oil to gas? Your flue may be the wrong size now
Many NYC buildings switched from oil to gas. Gas exhaust is cooler and wetter — a flue sized for oil often cannot stay warm enough, causing acidic condensation that eats the liner plus lazy draft that spills exhaust.
We check flue size against the appliance, look for conversion-related damage, and tell you plainly whether flue and burner are a safe match. We also handle chimney services from cleaning to liners and masonry.
Heating season is weeks away — inspect before you fire up
September through November, NYC boilers wake from summer idle — when nests get built, debris collects, and moisture works into cracks. The first cold snap then stresses the flue at full load: the worst moment to find a blockage or breached liner.
A pre-season inspection finds it while there is still time to fix it — before the winter rush.
Two inspection levels
Level 1 — visual inspection
Draft, spillage, and CO checks plus a visual inspection of the flue. No camera.
Starts at $99 in Brooklyn · $199 in Manhattan.
Level 2 — endoscopy camera
Full A-to-Z check with an endoscopy camera: the roof, the flue, and the inside of the liner — with photos and a written report.
Starts at $199 in Brooklyn · $399 in Manhattan.
Need cleaning too? Chimney cleaning starts at $199 in Brooklyn ($299 in Manhattan). We provide chimney cleaning in Brooklyn and chimney cleaning in Manhattan.
Boiler chimney inspection FAQs
What is a boiler chimney inspection?
How is it different from a fireplace chimney inspection?
How often should a boiler chimney be inspected?
What are warning signs my boiler flue needs attention?
My building converted from oil to gas — check the chimney?
Can a blocked boiler chimney cause carbon monoxide indoors?
What if the flue liner is cracked?
Do you inspect co-ops, condos, and apartment buildings?
How long does the inspection take?
How do I get a quote?
Get a quote for your boiler chimney inspection
Every building is different — boiler type, fuel, flue height, and access all matter. Tell us about yours for a fast, no-pressure quote.
Level 1 inspection starts at $99 in Brooklyn ($199 in Manhattan) · Level 2 endoscopy camera inspection starts at $199 in Brooklyn ($399 in Manhattan).