Three Situations That Require a Level 2 Chimney Inspection
What ChimTech Delivers During a Level 2 Inspection
Home Sale or Change of Ownership
A real estate transaction or change of ownership — the buyer gets a documented flue condition report, the seller a document they can share proactively, and the attorney something they can act on.
System Change
A new appliance, fuel-type conversion, or BTU change — the previous liner assessment may have been based on a different operating condition, so the current liner is confirmed against the new appliance.
Post-Chimney-Fire Assessment
Even a brief flue fire generates enough heat to crack tiles in sections a routine pass wouldn't prioritize — so every inch is examined when a chimney fire triggered the job.
Why Minneapolis Home Sales Increasingly Require Flue Camera Documentation
Inside a ChimTech Camera Inspection
Liner Cracks
Hairline fractures along the tile face — common on 70-year-old clay. What matters is whether they run through the full tile thickness (a through-crack) or are surface stress fractures that haven't compromised containment yet. The camera shows the difference.
Joint Offsets
Where one tile section has shifted relative to the one above or below. A gap means combustion gases have a path around the liner, not through it — a carbon-monoxide concern where the flue runs through living space, not a cosmetic one. We stop and capture a still frame at every offset.
Creosote Glazing
Stage 3 glazed buildup, which may require chemical treatment or liner evaluation before the chimney is safe to use.
Structural Gaps
Where sections have separated entirely. When a chimney fire triggered the job, we look at every inch — no assumptions about which sections are safe.
What the Level 2 Report Contains and Who Can Read It
How ChimTech Documents Liner Findings on a Level 2
Camera equipment — a mounted camera on a flexible rod or drop line captures the full interior flue run.
On-site review — footage reviewed before the crew leaves the property.
Still frames — every flagged condition captured as a still frame in the written report.
Liner crack documentation — each crack or offset identified by location, character, and severity.
Report format — findings organized by component: liner, smoke chamber, accessible attic and crawlspace areas, and all exterior surfaces.
Readable output — formatted for buyers, sellers, attorneys, and homeowners without a technical background, with the tier noted clearly as NFPA 211 Level 2.
From Camera Access to Delivered Report
Assessment
The crew confirms the inspection trigger — home sale, system change, or post-fire assessment — then assesses exterior surfaces first: crown, cap, flashing at both step and counter layers, and mortar joints from ground level. This establishes the exterior baseline before camera access begins.
Camera Inspection
The camera is deployed from the top of the flue down or the firebox up, depending on geometry; the smoke chamber is assessed through the firebox opening, and accessible attic and crawlspace areas are checked where the chimney passes through. Every flagged condition is documented on camera before moving on.
Report Delivery
Footage is reviewed on-site while the crew is still at the property, still frames are selected and labeled, and the written report is delivered on-site or as a same-day digital document. It names every finding, shows the evidence, and states what each means — organized so a buyer's attorney can reference specific findings without interpreting trade language.
Level 2 Inspections by Minneapolis Neighborhood
Order Your Level 2 Inspection Before the Transaction Clock Runs Out
Level 2 Chimney Inspection — Frequently Asked Questions
NFPA 211 requires a Level 2 in three situations: a home sale or change of ownership, a system change such as a new appliance or fuel-type conversion, and any post-chimney-fire assessment. If any of those apply, a Level 1 visual check isn’t sufficient — the flue interior needs camera documentation.
A Level 1 is a visual surface check of readily accessible areas without specialized tools. A Level 2 covers everything a Level 1 reaches plus the interior of the flue via video camera and accessible attic, basement, and crawlspace areas, and it produces a written report with still frames of any flagged condition.
Four things: liner cracks (and whether they’re through-cracks or surface stress fractures), joint offsets where tile sections have shifted and gases can bypass the liner, Stage 3 creosote glazing, and structural gaps where sections have separated. Every flagged condition is captured as a still frame in the report.
Yes — it’s formatted so a buyer’s agent, seller’s attorney, or title company can read the findings without technical translation. It names the inspection trigger, identifies the NFPA 211 tier applied, and organizes camera evidence by component and flue location, so a buyer’s attorney can reference specific line items in an addendum and a seller can share it before an offer is made.
Homes built before 1960 often have clay tile liners sized for appliances that no longer exist in them, and a liner that’s never been camera-inspected may have offset joints or crack patterns that won’t show on any surface-level review. A camera finds those before a transaction closes rather than after.
Footage is reviewed on-site while the crew is still at the property, and the written report is delivered on-site or as a same-day digital document depending on the job. For transaction-triggered inspections, ChimTech coordinates with agents and attorneys when a tight closing window requires sequenced scheduling.