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.
Famco Chimney Sweep in Las Vegas: What to Know First
An independent Famco chimney sweep in Las Vegas typically runs $189 – $289 for a standard cleaning and Level 1 inspection, with most jobs completed in under two hours. We’re Alcott Chimney Las Vegas, and we’ve been servicing Famco fireplaces and stoves across the Las Vegas Valley since 2002. If your Famco unit hasn’t been swept in 12 months or longer, or if you’ve noticed smoke backing into the room, call (725) 227-7352 and we’ll give you a straight answer before we ever step through your door.
This page is for homeowners in Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin, and North Las Vegas who own a Famco fireplace, stove, or insert and want to know exactly what a proper sweep involves, what it costs, and what can honestly wait. If you’ve been putting off a cleaning because you’re not sure who you’re letting into your home, you’re in the right place.
How Famco Products Fail – and How We Fix Them
Famco builds a wide range of residential fireplace and venting products, and over two decades in Las Vegas we’ve learned exactly how they age in this climate. Here are the five most common Famco-specific issues we see on sweep calls:
- Glazed creosote on Famco zero-clearance fireplaces. Many Famco zero-clearance units installed in Las Vegas homes were sized for occasional use. When owners burn more frequently or use unseasoned wood, the smoke path cools faster than designed, and creosote hardens into a glass-like glaze. This is the tar-like buildup that causes chimney fires. A standard brush sweep won’t remove it. We use a rotary cleaning system to break it down, then run a camera inspection to confirm the flue is clear.
- Warped baffles on Famco stoves. On older Famco wood stoves, the steel baffle plate above the firebox can warp or crack from repeated over-firing. A warped baffle disrupts airflow and sends more unburned particles up the flue, which means faster creosote accumulation and poor draft. During a sweep, we check the baffle shape and report it to you with photos. If it’s still serviceable, we’ll tell you plainly. If it’s not, we’ll quote a replacement before any work moves forward.
- Famco anchor plate and flue collar seal deterioration. Famco units that transition from the firebox to a metal chimney use an anchor plate and flue collar. In Las Vegas, the dry air and extreme temperature swings between summer afternoons and winter evenings cause the sealant at this joint to dry out and crack. That’s a carbon monoxide and smoke leak path, and it often gets missed in a basic sweep. We inspect the seal on every Famco job and reseal it with high-temperature silicone when needed.
- Damper hinge binding on Famco masonry fireplace adapters. Some Famco setups integrate with an existing masonry chimney through an adapter. If the damper hinge on that adapter gets coated in creosote and soot buildup, the damper binds open or shut. A bound-open damper leaks air-conditioned air out in summer; a bound-shut damper sends smoke into the living room. We free the hinge, remove the buildup, and verify the damper opens and closes smoothly before we finish.
- Aftermarket gasket failure on Famco stove doors. Famco stove door gaskets are fiberglass rope that wears out, especially with daily winter use. We see homeowners replace them with box-store gasket kits that are the wrong diameter, which lets air in and throws off the burn. We stock the correct-density gasket for the Famco door channel we’re working on, and if a previous repair used the wrong size, we’ll show you the gap before we correct it.
One thing we’ve learned that doesn’t show up in any Famco manual: in Las Vegas, the problem is less often the fire, and more often the months of disuse. A Famco fireplace that sits unused from March to November builds dust, and that dust bakes onto creosote residue during the first fire of fall. That’s why we recommend a pre-season sweep even when the fireplace hasn’t been burned much since spring.
Styles & brands we work with
Our Famco Chimney Sweep Process
Every Famco job we do follows the same sequence, whether it’s a zero-clearance fireplace in Summerlin or a wood stove in a North Las Vegas ranch. Here’s how it goes from the first call to the final handshake:
- 1
You call (725) 227-7352 and speak to a live person. We ask what you’re seeing, what the fireplace has been doing, and when it was last swept. We’ll give you a price range on the phone, and we’ll tell you the technician’s name and send their photo before the visit.
- 2
We arrive, verify the setup, and lay down protection. The technician shows a photo ID badge at the door. We cover the work area with drop cloths and set up a HEPA-filtered vacuum before any sweeping starts.
- 3
We inspect the Famco unit as-found. We check the firebox, baffle, gaskets, damper, flue collar, and the full length of the flue. We take before photos and show you anything that’s worn, cracked, or below spec.
- 4
We sweep using the correct method for your Famco configuration. Standard creosote and soot removal for most Famco fireplaces uses a properly sized brush run from the top down. When creosote is glazed, we step up to a rotary attachment. We don’t improvise with the wrong-size brush, and we don’t use chemical powders that mask the problem.
- 5
We document everything, then review the findings with you. After the sweep, we run a camera up the flue and walk you through the after photos. If we found a repair issue, you get a written price before any work continues. If the system is clean and in good shape, we tell you that too.
- 6
You get the written guarantee before we leave. Every repair carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the fix fails within a year, we come back and make it right at no charge. Every job is backed by that, no exceptions.
On a Famco unit, the process usually runs 90 minutes to two hours for a standard sweep. If we’re replacing gaskets, repairing a baffle, or resealing a flue collar, the job extends accordingly. We tell you that before we start.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterWhat Famco Chimney Sweep Costs in Las Vegas
A standard Famco chimney sweep and Level 1 inspection in Las Vegas runs $189 – $289, depending on the configuration, the amount of buildup, and whether it’s a fireplace, stove, or insert. If glazed creosote is present, the rotary cleaning adds $80 – $150. A Level 2 inspection, which we recommend when you’ve just bought a home with a Famco fireplace or when a wildfire has forced heavy use, runs $299 – $449 and includes full video documentation of the flue interior.
Here’s what that looks like on a typical recent job in the Las Vegas area:
- Standard Famco fireplace sweep + Level 1 inspection: $189 – $249
- Famco stove sweep with gasket replacement: $250 – $340 (gasket included)
- Glazed creosote removal (rotary), added to sweep: $80 – $150
- Level 2 inspection with camera report: $299 – $449
- Baffle replacement on a Famco stove: $180 – $320 depending on the model
What moves the price: the length of the flue run, how heavy the soot and creosote buildup is, and whether the unit is an insert that requires removal from the firebox to access the full flue. We give you a written price before we start, so the number you agree to is the number you pay. Call (725) 227-7352 for an exact quote on your Famco setup. Estimates are free.
Why Las Vegas Homeowners Call Alcott Chimney Las Vegas for Famco Work
Most chimney companies in Las Vegas can run a brush through a flue. Fewer can tell you exactly what they’re looking at on a Famco zero-clearance fireplace, and fewer still will show you the before-and-after proof before you pay. We’ve built this company around a simple promise: you know who’s coming to your door, you know the price before the work starts, and you know the repair is guaranteed for a full year if it fails.
Every technician who walks onto your property is background-checked and identity-verified through the Threshold Standard. That’s the process we set up in 2002 when we joined the Threshold Group family, and it hasn’t changed. We also carry and install DuraFlex liner systems, HeatShield resurfacing material, and Gelco products, so when a Famco unit reveals a liner problem or a cracked smoke chamber, we can correct it in one visit using professional trade materials. No box-store substitutes, no improvised fixes.
When you call about your Famco fireplace, Ruben Castellano and the team answer with a live person, not a script. Tell me what you’re seeing, and I’ll tell you straight what it means. That’s how we’ve handled every inspection and cleaning across Las Vegas, Summerlin, Henderson, and North Las Vegas for more than two decades.
Frequently Asked Questions About Famco Chimney Sweep
Once a year, ideally before the first fall fire. Even if you burn infrequently, dust and debris accumulate in the flue during months of disuse, and that material can ignite or block draft when the fireplace finally gets used. Homes that burn more than three times a week through winter may need a mid-season sweep. Call (725) 227-7352 and we’ll help you set a schedule based on how you actually use the unit.
No. A professional sweep and inspection by an independent service provider does not void a Famco warranty. What can compromise coverage is improper installation, unapproved modification, or damage from neglect such as creosote fires. We document every sweep with photos and a written condition report, which also gives you a paper trail if you ever need to make a warranty claim with Famco. We’re not authorized by Famco, and we’ll never suggest we are. We’re an independent Famco service provider, and we’ll tell you plainly when a repair should be handled as a warranty claim instead of paying us to do it.
That’s often a cold flue. In Las Vegas, the flue can be chilled by overnight winter air or by reverse airflow from the home’s ventilation. The column of cold air sits in the flue and blocks the smoke path until the flue warms up. It can also be a damper that isn’t fully open, or a flue collar seal that’s cracked. A sweep and inspection will identify which one applies to your unit. If it turns out to be only a cold-flue startup habit, we’ll show you how to correct it in under a minute, and you won’t pay for a repair you don’t need. Call (725) 227-7352 for a free estimate on the inspection.
Yes. We stock common Famco gaskets, baffle plates, and flue collar seals, and we can order model-specific components when a unit needs them. For most sweep-day repairs, the part and labor are quoted in writing before we begin, so there’s no surprise on the invoice. We use OEM parts where they’re available and priced reasonably, and quality aftermarket equivalents when they perform identically and save you real money. We’ll tell you which is which and why before we order anything.
Creosote and soot build tighter and burn hotter with each fire you skip, and on a Famco zero-clearance unit, that buildup concentrates in the smoke path just above the firebox where most chimney fires start. You may also start noticing weak draft, smoke spillage, and a stale smoke odor that settles into the house. The sooner we see it, the less it costs. We’re honest about this: a sweep we do today that finds a minor issue costs less than a repair we do in two years that finds the result of the fire. If you haven’t had your Famco swept in 12 months or more, call (725) 227-7352 and let’s get you on the schedule before the next cold front hits Las Vegas.
Written by Ruben Castellano, Owner, Alcott Chimney Las Vegas at Alcott Chimney Las Vegas, serving Las Vegas and nearby areas.