We do Level I, Level II and Level III Chimney Inspections.
Level I Inspections are included with a chimney sweeping and they cover the entire chimney inside and out and we note things as we clean and work. This inspection can also be purchased on its own, without a chimney sweeping. It is not an in depth inspection, so it would not be sufficient for the sale of the house, which requires a Level II Inspection at least.
A Level II Inspection covers the same chimney and parts of chimney as the Level I Inspection above, but it is in-depth and we spend a lot of time looking for structural issues, functional issues and anything else that could be a lost asset or liability, and any possible functional problems that we can identify. This is a visual inspection only, which means we do not take things apart, other than caps, spark arrestors and such to allow us to see the parts we need.
A Level III Inspection is usually done after a recommendation from the Level II Inspection and a Level III Inspection is an even more in-depth inspection than Level II Inspections. We are usually spending time looking for issues, or trying to figure out the extent of an issue and repair costs or issues involved. A Level III Inspection is charged by the hour, because we usually have to take something apart to see something else, or pull panels to inspect metal walls behind, or pulling off chase tops to inspect for water damage within a chase structure, etc. It allows us to inspect things that are too involved to be covered under the general Level II Inspection. Level III Inspections are usually more specific in nature.