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 is shaped by the town’s housing stock: dense rows of brick two-flats and bungalows built between 1900 and 1930, most still carrying their original clay tile flues sized for coal, not gas or wood. Wexford Chimney Sweep has served Cicero since 2013, and the repair calls we get here follow a pattern. Freeze-thaw spalling from lake-effect winters, undersized flues pushing creosote into every void, and mid-century remodels that buried cleanout doors behind drywall. Call (866) 361-2607 when you need a specialist who knows these chimneys, not a generalist guessing at them.
Why Cicero Homes Are Different
Cicero’s housing stock does most of the explaining. The overwhelming majority of homes went up between 1900 and 1930, workers’ cottages, brick two-flats, and brick bungalows built around a single interior masonry chimney. Those chimneys were designed for coal combustion, which runs cooler and produces different byproducts than gas or wood. The clay tile liners are undersized by modern standards, and many now vent a gas furnace and a gas water heater into the same flue, a setup that needs a careful sizing and clearance check before any sweeping or repair work begins.
The climate adds a second layer. Cicero’s winters are cold and snowy, with lake-effect moisture working into old brick and the freeze-thaw cycle spalling mortar joints and crown surfaces year after year. Summers bring humidity that softens creosote inside the flue and keeps it sticky against the liner walls. Technicians working the tight alleys off Cermak Road and Cicero Avenue routinely find cleanout doors that mid-century remodels buried behind drywall or siding, meaning a straightforward sweep sometimes starts with locating access that no one has opened in decades. This is not suburban new construction. It is older, denser, and more particular.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Main Cicero Services
Two services account for most of what Cicero homeowners call Wexford Chimney Sweep about, and they are related: keeping the flue clean so it drafts safely, and keeping the dryer vent clear so it exhausts safely. Both are fire hazards when neglected. Both deserve a specialist who treats the house as a system, not a checklist.
Chimney Sweep in Cicero
A sweep in Cicero almost always involves an older masonry chimney with a clay tile liner, often shared by a furnace and water heater. We inspect first, sweep second, and report what we find with camera evidence. The clay liners in these homes were sized for coal, so creosote from wood burning accumulates faster than a homeowner expects, and the humid summers keep it sticky against the liner. If you have not had the flue opened and inspected in years, start with a Chimney Sweep in Cicero before the heating season.
Dryer Vent Cleaning in Cicero
Dryer vents in Cicero’s older homes are often long, poorly routed runs through basements and out narrow side yards, and lint packs into the turns quickly. That lint is fuel. We clean the full run, inspect the termination, and confirm airflow. Pairing dryer vent service with a chimney sweep is the single most practical fire-prevention step a homeowner can take, and it means one visit instead of two. For the full scope, see Dryer Vent Cleaning in Cicero.
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 most often means restoring what a century of use and fifty freeze-thaw winters have done to an original masonry flue. The problem is specific here: clay tile liners sized for coal, now asked to handle gas and wood, spall in the cold, crack under creosote heat, and let flue gases into the chase. We sweep it, inspect it, and if something is wrong, we fix it, with professional-grade materials, not hardware-store substitutes. That is the full-service work we do through our Chimney Repair service.
Chimney Cap Installation
Signs you need it
Rain water inside the firebox, rusting damper hardware, or birds and debris inside the flue usually mean there is no functional cap, or the existing cap has gaps around the flue tile.
What it costs in Cicero
Chimney cap installation in Cicero typically runs $285 to $650 depending on the flue size and whether a custom stainless or copper cap is required for an odd-sized older flue.
How we do it
We measure the flue opening, secure a correctly sized cap to the crown with mechanical fasteners, and seal the edges so it stays put through Cicero’s winter wind.
Chimney Cap Replacement
Signs you need it
A rusted-through cap, a cap missing its screen, or one that has lifted from the crown and rattles in high wind needs replacement before water and animals get in.
What it costs in Cicero
Replacing an existing cap in Cicero generally falls between $285 and $650, with the final number set by flue dimensions and the material you choose.
How we do it
We remove the failing cap, check the flue tile edge beneath it, and install a new cap sized to the opening, using brands like Olympia Chimney and Famco.
Chimney Liner Installation
Signs you need it
Clay tile fragments in the firebox, a sulfur smell in the house, or a camera inspection showing gaps between flue tiles are all signs the existing liner has failed.
What it costs in Cicero
Chimney liner installation in Cicero typically costs $2,200 to $4,400 depending on flue height, diameter, and access from the roof.
How we do it
We size the liner to the appliance and run a DuraFlex flexible liner down the existing flue, insulating and connecting it properly at the appliance and the cap.
Chimney Flashing Repair
Signs you need it
Water staining on ceilings near the chimney, damp attic framing, or visible gaps where the chimney meets the roof line point to flashing that has lifted or corroded.
What it costs in Cicero
Chimney flashing repair in Cicero typically ranges from $450 to $1,150 depending on how much of the flashing run needs to be replaced and the roof pitch.
How we do it
We remove the failing flashing, cut and fit new step and counter flashing into the mortar joints, and seal the roof-side edges against Cicero’s rain and snow.
Chimney Crown Repair
Signs you need it
Cracks in the concrete crown, spalling along its edges, or standing water on top of the chimney after rain signal a crown that is letting water into the masonry below it.
What it costs in Cicero
Chimney crown repair in Cicero generally runs $495 to $1,150 depending on the crown size and whether the old surface needs full removal or can be sealed and resurfaced.
How we do it
We remove deteriorated crown material, build a proper sloped form, and pour or seal the new crown with a flexible, weather-rated compound that handles Cicero’s freeze-thaw cycles.
What Chimney Repair Costs in Cicero
| Item | Typical range in Cicero |
|---|---|
| Chimney cap installation or replacement | $285 – $650 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $450 – $1,150 |
| Chimney crown repair | $495 – $1,150 |
Two things push repair prices higher in Cicero: roof access on narrow lots where ladders have to be set in tight gangways, and the condition of the original masonry once the crown or flashing comes off. We give a flat-price quote before work starts, and nothing gets recommended without camera evidence you can see for yourself.
Do I really need a new liner, or can the old one be repaired?
Not every cracked flue needs a full reline. We inspect with a camera first, and in qualifying cases use HeatShield to resurface and seal compromised clay tiles without tearing out the old liner. If the tiles have shifted or gaps are too large, a DuraFlex liner is the right call, and we’ll show you the footage that justifies either path. Call (866) 361-2607 for an assessment.
Can a cracked crown or flashing really damage my chimney that fast?
In Cicero, yes. Water gets into the crack, freezes, expands, and widens it, and one winter of that cycle can turn a hairline crack into a spalled crown edge. The fix is far less expensive before the masonry below starts moving. Call (866) 361-2607 for an exact quote, estimates are free.
Brands We Service in Cicero
We stock and install Olympia Chimney, Famco, Copperfield, and DuraFlex products for Cicero jobs, the same brands credentialed chimney contractors run nationwide. Parts are kept locally for the most common repair jobs, which keeps turnaround short when a cap, crown form, or liner component is needed. See our brands for the full range.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterPricing for Chimney Company in Cicero, IL
| Service | Typical range in Cicero |
|---|---|
| Chimney sweep | $180 – $340 |
| Chimney cap installation or replacement | $285 – $650 |
| Chimney flashing repair | $450 – $1,150 |
| Chimney crown repair | $495 – $1,150 |
| Chimney liner installation | $2,200 – $4,400 |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $140 – $260 |
In Cicero, three factors push pricing up: two-flat roof access that requires setting ladders in tight gangways, original clay tile flues that are smaller than modern code and take longer to clean, and brick that has already begun spalling so repairs involve a little more masonry work than expected. Every job is quoted flat-price before we begin, and nothing gets added after the fact.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Cicero
Wexford Chimney Sweep works across all of Cicero, from the two-flat blocks near Cermak Road to the bungalow streets south of Roosevelt, and the older workers’ cottages toward the Stickney line. Response time across Cicero is generally within a week, faster in the shoulder seasons before the heating rush.
- Old Town Cicero, near the original town core
- The two-flat blocks along Cermak Road
- The bungalow streets south of Roosevelt Road
- The Grant Works area and the neighborhoods around Cicero Avenue
- The residential blocks bordering Stickney and Berwyn
Service Area – Cities Near Cicero
Wexford Chimney Sweep serves Cicero and the surrounding western suburbs. Many of our repair and sweep customers call from Berwyn, IL, where the brick bungalow stock is nearly identical, and from Stickney, IL, where newer vents and older masonry mix. We also work in North Lawndale, IL and South Lawndale, IL, covering the city neighborhoods just across the line.
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
Most Cicero calls are scheduled within a week, and shoulder-season appointments in early fall or late spring are the fastest to book. If you have an active leak or a suspected flue problem during heating season, let us know and we will prioritize it. Call (866) 361-2607 to get on the schedule.
Most cap, crown, flashing, and liner repairs in Cicero do not require a separate homeowner permit because the work is within the existing chimney footprint rather than structural alteration of the building. If your job does require a permit, we will tell you before any work begins, not after.
Yes, and it is common work here. Many Cicero two-flats have a separate flue per unit, and the two flues are often in the same shared masonry stack. We camera-inspect each flue independently, because one side often needs work while the other is fine, and we quote each flue separately so you know exactly what each repair costs. Call (866) 361-2607 for a free estimate.
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
"Showed up when they said they would. That's most of the battle."
— Katie Parker"Fast, fair, done right. No notes."
— Elena Vargas"Swept it, capped it, and installed a proper damper. The downdraft smell in the summer that we'd lived with for years is gone."
— Jason Miller