Service illustration · not a completed customer projectTHE WORK, EXPLAINED
Start with the condition.
Understand the scope.
Ask the inspector to identify the readily accessible chimney, fireplace and connected-appliance portions included in the proposed inspection. Request the findings and any access limits in writing, keeping separate any cleaning or repair work recommended afterward.
What may be involved
- inspection tools
- camera light
- written findings
Ask the provider to distinguish existing parts to inspect, proposed replacements, and tools, materials or reports included in the service. Confirm the work and exclusions after assessment; this list does not mean that every item will be supplied or replaced.
LOCAL RESEARCH / Portola Valley
Local context
The Bay Area Air District's wood smoke pages set out rules that reach beyond air quality alerts into the equipment itself. The district states that no wood-burning devices of any kind may be installed in new homes or buildings being constructed in the Bay Area, and that a chimney or fireplace remodelling project costing over a stated threshold that requires a building permit may only install a gas-fuelled, electric or EPA-certified device. It also requires an EPA-certified device to be registered with the district for a sole-source-of-heat exemption from burn ban alerts. Check the current rule with the district before choosing a replacement appliance; this page does not decide what applies to your property.
Source ↗Area-wide context does not establish the condition of your property or equipment.
Before the visit
If smoke is entering the room, stop using the fireplace and arrange an assessment.
