BEFORE YOU CLOSE
Homebuyer fireplace inspection checklist
A planning aid for buying a home with a fireplace, stove or insert. It does not replace a chimney inspection.
CHIMNEY / FIREPLACE / HOMEUSA CHIMNEY PROS
Before the inspection
Identify every system
- Each fireplace, stove and insert in the home
- The flue each one uses
- Model information for each appliance
- Installation records and permits
- Earlier inspection reports and repairs
Confirm the inspection scope
- What the home inspection covers at the chimney
- Which chimney parts the home inspection could not reach
- What our chimney inspection covers and leaves out
- Which inspection standard and scope fit a property transfer where the home is
Findings to ask for
An inspection is only as useful as its findings. Whatever form they take, ask for each of these points to be answered, with photographs of any defect.
- What was examined, and what could not be reached
- Any defects, and where they are
- Whether the fireplace or appliance should be used until repairs are made
- Whether further evaluation is recommended, and why
- Findings for each appliance or flue
- Unresolved questions answered in writing before you decide
Plan the handover
- Operating manuals for each appliance
- Maintenance records
- Instruction for any appliance you have not used before
- A maintenance schedule
Record the inspection
- Inspection date
- Findings received
- Recommended work
- Next maintenance date
Stop and seek help when something changes
If there is a gas odor, carbon monoxide alarm, active fire, or substantial smoke indoors, leave the building and contact emergency services from outside.
About this checklist
Gather the records, identify each appliance, agree the inspection scope, and keep the findings. The checklist condenses the guide to buying a home with a fireplace; it is a planning aid, not an inspection.
Sources
- U.S. Fire Administration: Heating Fire Safety ↗Source checked September 10, 2026.
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Carbon Monoxide Fact Sheet ↗Source checked September 10, 2026.
- U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration: Pipeline Leak Recognition and What to Do ↗Source checked September 10, 2026.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Book the inspection before you close.
Request an inspection estimate and choose “Buying or selling a home” as the reason.
Request an estimateA request does not confirm an appointment.