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.
Fast, Reliable Chimney Sweep Across Upland
If you’re searching for a chimney sweep in Upland, you want someone who understands what these foothill chimneys go through, not a generic cleaning crew that treats every flue the same. A proper sweep and inspection on an Upland home usually runs $189 to $289, takes about an hour to ninety minutes, and tells you exactly what’s happening inside the stack before you light that first fire of the season. We work Upland ZIP codes 91784, 91785, and 91786 from our Pomona base, and we know the difference between a flue that just needs debris pulled and one that has real liner damage. Call (855) 341-8132 to schedule, and we’ll show you camera footage of everything we find. Len Castorena leads our crew, and he’s the one who’ll talk you through any repair recommendation with the video to back it.

Why Lantern Chimney Sweep Is Upland’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
The bulk of our Upland work happens in two waves: the pre-season rush before the first cold snap hits the foothills, and the days right after a Santa Ana wind event leaves chimneys loaded with dried leaves and grit. Homeowners in the 91784 blocks nearest the San Gabriel mountain front call us because their flues don’t behave like the ones down in the flat basin. Wind-driven debris gets packed into caps, smoke backs up on the first burn, and the original clay-tile liners in these older homes need someone who won’t just sweep and leave. That’s the Lantern difference: sweep, assess, repair. One visit, a camera run down the stack, and a straight answer about what actually needs fixing.
We don’t sell you a reline because a script says to. We show you the video. If the clay tile is spalling or joints are failing, you’ll see it on the monitor and we’ll talk through options like HeatShield resurfacing or a DuraFlex liner only when it’s justified. If the flue is structurally fine and the problem is a bent cap full of wind-blown leaves, that’s what we fix, and we leave the original liner in place. Our Chimney Sweep team has built its reputation in Upland on that transparency, and it shows in repeat calls from homeowners who appreciate being told the truth rather than upsold into work they didn’t need.
Styles & brands we work with





Chimney Maintenance in Upland
Chimney maintenance for Upland homeowners has to account for two realities: months of hot, dry inland summers when the flue sits idle and bakes, followed by Santa Ana wind events that drive leaves, ash, and grit straight into the stack before you ever light a fire. A standard maintenance visit in Upland runs $189 to $229 and includes a full sweep, damper check, and a visual inspection of the cap, crown, and accessible masonry. If you’re in 91784 near the mountain front, we also check for wind-driven debris blockages that flatter neighborhoods south of Baseline rarely see.
Level 1 Inspection Included
Every maintenance visit includes a Level 1 inspection of the readily accessible portions of your chimney. We check the cap, crown, flashing, damper, and firebox, and we note any creosote accumulation levels so you know what grade you’re dealing with. In older Upland ranch homes, this is where we often catch cracked crowns and spalling mortar before they let water into the stack during the winter rains.
Creosote and Soot Removal
Creosote removal is not optional on wood-burning Upland fireplaces. The build-up might be light and flaky, or it could have glazed into a hard, shiny layer from fires that burned hot then cool. Our equipment removes both, and we’ll tell you which kind you had and why it matters for your next burn.
Chimney Sweep Services in Upland
Chimney sweep services in Upland start with the understanding that most of these homes are not new construction. They’re mid-century single-story ranches and older detached houses with brick or masonry fireplaces, many with original clay-tile flues that have seen decades of fires from previous owners. A full sweep in Upland typically costs $209 to $289 depending on flue condition and whether a wood-burning insert is present. We bring a camera down the stack on every job, because you should see what we see.
Annual Sweep and Fireplace Cleaning
An annual sweep is the baseline for any Upland home with a working wood fireplace. We clean the firebox, pull the grate and andirons, brush the flue, and vacuum the smoke chamber and shelf. You get a clean firebox and a flue that won’t smoke back on the first cold evening.

Camera-Verified Findings
Before we quote any repair, you’ll see the condition of your flue on our monitor. Bent cap? Packed leaf load? First-degree creosote glazing? You’ll watch the footage with us. If we tell you a liner has failed, it’s because the video shows spalling tile or separated joints, not because we have a quota to hit. That’s how we work in Upland, and it’s earned us the kind of word-of-mouth no ad budget can buy.

What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees — you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Upland
We stock and work with professional-supply materials because mid-century Upland chimneys deserve better than hardware-store substitutes. For replacement liner systems we specify DuraFlex, the same flexible stainless standard restoration contractors choose. For cap and cover work, we install Gelco components, which hold up to the wind and grit that come off the San Gabriels every autumn. And for dryer vent work in Upland homes, we keep Famco-compatible vent parts on the truck, so one visit can handle the chimney and the dryer exhaust without a second trip. These are trade-grade materials sold through Olympia Chimney and Copperfield supply networks, not what you’ll find in a big-box aisle, and they’re what we use on every Upland job where replacement parts are needed.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Upland Homes
- Wind-blown debris blockages after Santa Anas. A flue that was clean in October can be packed with leaves and grit by November in the 91784 foothill blocks. We pull the debris and check the cap, which is often bent or compromised by the same wind event.
- First-degree creosote glazing on original clay tile. Older Upland fireplaces with clay-tile flues tend to accumulate a shiny, glazed creosote layer after decades of use. It’s flammable, it’s stubborn, and it requires mechanical removal rather than a quick brush-through.
- Smoke backing into the room on first burn. The classic foothill setup: damper open, fire lit, and smoke rolls back into the living room. Usually it’s a debris-loaded flue or a wind-damaged cap that never got inspected after the last Santa Ana.
- Cracked crowns and spalled mortar on idle chimneys. Hot inland summers bake the masonry crown on mid-century Upland homes. Then winter moisture finds the cracks. We spot these during a routine sweep and can address them before they become a water intrusion problem inside the stack.
Pricing for Chimney Sweep in Upland, CA
Here’s what you should expect to pay for chimney sweep work in Upland. A straightforward annual sweep with a Level 1 inspection runs $189 to $229 on a standard masonry fireplace. Add a wood-burning insert and expect $239 to $289 because of the extra disassembly and access work. If we’re addressing a heavy creosote load or pulling a wind-packed debris blockage, the upper end of that range applies. A Level 2 inspection with a full interior camera scan runs $349 to $429 and is what we recommend after any Santa Ana wind event that may have damaged your cap or displaced the flue. Every estimate is free, and before any repair quote you’ll see the camera footage yourself. Call (855) 341-8132 to book a sweep and get an exact number for your specific chimney.
We Also Serve Cities Near Upland
Our service area covers Upland and the neighboring foothill and basin communities. We regularly work in San Antonio Heights, Claremont, Montclair, and Rancho Cucamonga, and we know how each area’s housing stock and wind exposure affects chimney conditions. If you’re just outside Upland proper, give us a call and we’ll let you know our next available date for your ZIP.
Serving Upland, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Upland area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Chimney Sweep in Upland
Smoke backing into the room on your season’s first fire in 91784 is almost always a debris or cap problem, not a failed liner. The Santa Ana winds that come off the San Gabriel foothills drive dried leaves, ash, and grit straight into your flue, and if the chimney cap is bent or missing, that load just piles up. When you light that first fire, the smoke has nowhere to go but back into the living room. The fix usually involves pulling the debris, repairing or replacing the cap, and doing a camera run to confirm the clay-tile flue is still intact. We show you the footage before quoting anything beyond the sweep. Call (855) 341-8132 and we’ll get a tech to your Upland address to figure out exactly what’s blocking your draft.
No. We will not quote a reline on an original clay-tile flue until we’ve run a camera down the stack and you’ve seen the footage. In our experience, most Upland chimneys with original clay tile don’t need relining; they need debris removed, a new cap, or crown and joint repair. HeatShield ceramic resurfacing and DuraFlex liners are options only when the video shows genuine spalling, separations, or cracks that any honest technician would call a safety issue. If your flue is sound, we’ll tell you it’s sound and we’ll leave the original liner in place. That’s the standard Len Castorena set for every job, and we don’t deviate from it in Upland.
First-degree creosote is soft, sooty, and brushes off with a standard sweep. Third-degree creosote is a hard, shiny glaze that forms when flue temperatures stay consistently high, and it’s concentrated fuel. In older Upland ranch homes with masonry chimneys and decades of fires, glazed creosote is common and far more dangerous than what you’d find in a newer, more efficient setup. Mechanical removal tools and, in severe cases, chemical treatment are required. We’ll tell you which grade you have and show you what it looks like. If you’re not sure when your flue was last swept, call (855) 341-8132 for a free estimate and we’ll check.
A wood-burning insert in an older Upland ranch home should be swept at least once per burn season, and ideally twice if you use it as a primary heat source during the foothill’s colder months. Inserts trap creosote differently than open fireplaces, and because many Upland inserts vent into original clay-tile flues that were never really designed for them, build-up happens faster and hides more. An annual sweep with a Level 1 inspection runs $189 to $289, and we recommend scheduling it before the first cold snap, not after you’ve already run a month of fires through it. Book early and you won’t be waiting behind all of 91784.
We cover all of Upland, including ZIP codes 91784, 91785, and 91786, from the foothill edge at the base of the San Gabriels down to the neighborhoods near Baseline and Foothill Boulevard. From our Pomona base, we usually reach Upland addresses within 30 to 45 minutes for scheduled appointments. Emergency smoke-back calls after a Santa Ana wind event get prioritized, and we do our best to get someone out same-day when the schedule allows. If you’re in San Antonio Heights, Claremont, Montclair, or Rancho Cucamonga, ask about our next available window. Call (855) 341-8132 for scheduling and a free estimate.
Written by Len Castorena, Owner at Lantern Chimney Sweep, serving Upland and the surrounding foothill communities.