Chimney Sweep Cost: 2026 UK Price Guide

A chimney sweep costs between £60 and about £135 in the UK, depending on the type of appliance and whether any additional work is needed. Most sweeps include a visual inspection and issue a certificate on completion, essential if your home insurer requires evidence of annual maintenance.

The busiest time for a chimney sweep is September to November, so booking in spring or early summer usually gets you a slot sooner, though at the same standard rates.¹

Chimney Sweep Cost Breakdown

The table below shows typical 2026 prices for the most common sweep types. These are ballpark figures for mainland England and Wales. HETAS’s 2026 survey of its approved sweeps puts the average stove sweep at £82 in London and £60 in the East Midlands, against a UK average of £72.¹ Some rural areas may carry a call-out surcharge.

HETAS puts a standard sweep of a stove on a lined flue at £60–£85 in 2026.¹ Open fires and inglenooks cost £35–£50 more, because they are usually larger, sootier and more complex to sweep.¹ A CCTV inspection adds £50–£100.¹ Clearing a bird’s nest or a blocked flue adds £100–£200.¹

What Drives the Price?

Appliance type is the biggest variable. A stove on a lined flue is the cheapest sweep. Open fires and inglenooks are larger and sootier, and AGA and Rayburn ranges have complex flue routes and need more time on site, hence the higher rates.

Location matters. Urban areas with parking restrictions and congestion charges add to a tradesperson’s costs, and these tend to be passed on. Some sweeps add a call-out or travel charge for longer journeys.

Access difficulty can add time. A swept flue that runs through two or more bends, or one that enters the chimney stack via a back boiler, will take longer to clear. HETAS puts the extra for difficult access, such as a tall property or a chimney with restricted access, at £30–£100.¹

Additional services such as a CCTV inspection, smoke draw test, or carbon monoxide alarm check will add to the bill but are often worth including, particularly before buying a property or recommissioning a long-dormant fireplace.

Multiple Flues

Most chimney sweeps operate as sole traders and price per job rather than per day. If you need several flues swept, common in period properties, ask for a price for the whole visit, as sweeps often discount additional chimneys swept on the same visit.¹

Worked Example: Victorian Semi with Two Open Fires

A homeowner in the East Midlands with two open fireplaces books a HETAS-registered sweep in July 2026:

• First flue sweep (open fire): £95
• Second flue sweep (same visit): £40
• CCTV inspection of one flue (suspected crack): £60
• Total: £195

The sweep identified a displaced flue liner on the CCTV footage, allowing the homeowner to get repairs quoted before the heating season, a potentially costly problem caught early.

How Often Should You Have Your Chimney Swept?

The frequency depends on what you burn:

• Solid fuel (wood, coal, smokeless fuel): HETAS recommends at least twice a year when burning wood and at least once a year on smokeless fuels, with one sweep just before the heating season starts. Daily-use wood-burning stoves sit firmly at the twice-a-year end.²
• Gas fires: annually, alongside the appliance service. Approved Document J’s model commissioning notice for a gas fire specifies an annual service by a Gas Safe registered engineer.³
• Oil-fired appliances: annually.⁴
• Solid fuel AGA or Rayburn: annually as a minimum; twice yearly for continuous-use installations.

These are minimum recommendations. Your home insurer may specify a particular frequency, check your policy documents, as failure to maintain a chimney can invalidate a fire claim.

When to Use a HETAS or NACS Registered Sweep

Several bodies register chimney sweeps in the UK. HETAS runs an Approved Chimney Sweep scheme for members of four recognised associations (APICS, the Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps, NACS and Sweep Safe), who must also complete HETAS training.⁵ The two names you will see most often are:

• HETAS, the competent person scheme for solid-fuel heating: its approved sweeps belong to an association that trains, assesses and monitors its members.⁵
• NACS (National Association of Chimney Sweeps): its code of conduct requires every member to hold valid insurance, and all its sweeps have completed its training course.⁴

Using a registered sweep matters for several practical reasons. A HETAS Chimney Sweeping Certificate records the work and any findings, and your home insurer may ask for it if you ever need to make a claim.¹ If you are installing a wood-burning stove, Building Regulations (Part J in England, Section 3 in Scotland) apply to the appliance and its flue, but the compliance certificate comes from whoever installs it, not from your sweep. HETAS is an authorised competent person scheme in England and NACS is not, so an installer outside a scheme has to notify building control instead.⁶

For listed buildings, any work to a chimney may require listed building consent from the local planning authority before it proceeds. Always check with your local conservation officer if in doubt.

Off-Season Booking

Demand for sweeps peaks from September to November. Booking in spring or early summer means shorter waits, at the same standard rates.

DIY Chimney Sweeping: What Not to Do

Chimney sweep rods and brushes are available from DIY retailers, and some homeowners attempt to sweep their own flues. This is not recommended for several reasons: without proper dust sheets and a closed-throat fireplace, soot will spread through the room; you cannot perform a proper draw test; and you will not receive a sweep certificate. For rental properties, a certificate from a registered sweep is particularly important in demonstrating compliance with your duty of care as a landlord.

Getting Quotes

When contacting sweeps for quotes, give them:

• The type of appliance (open fire, stove, gas fire, AGA)
• The fuel type
• When the flue was last swept
• Whether you have noticed any smoke spilling into the room or unusual smells

This information lets a sweep give an accurate price upfront and flag any services, such as a CCTV inspection, that may be advisable given your situation.