Chimney Inspection Report Template

What the template covers

• The visit. Business, inspector, customer, property, date, weather and who requested the inspection.
• Inspection level and reason. Level 1, 2 or 3, and why: annual check, sale or transfer, a change of appliance or fuel, or after a chimney fire or other event.
• Appliance and flue. Fireplace, insert, stove, gas or oil appliance, fuel, flue size and shape, liner type, number of flues.
• Exterior components. Cap or spark arrestor, crown, masonry or chase, mortar joints, flashing, clearances.
• Interior components. Firebox, damper, smoke chamber, flue liner, hearth extension, connector pipe, deposits observed.
• One result per component. OK, concern, not inspected, or not applicable, with what you observed.
• Page two. Areas not inspected and why, a photo log, work done during the visit, recommendations with priority, a follow-up date, limitations and signatures.

Inspection levels in one paragraph

In the US, chimney inspections are commonly described using the three levels in NFPA 211, the National Fire Protection Association standard for chimneys, fireplaces, vents and solid fuel-burning appliances. Broadly, Level 1 covers the readily accessible parts of the chimney, Level 2 adds accessible areas such as attics and crawlspaces and a video scan of the flue, and is the level usually called for on a property sale or a change to the system, and Level 3 involves removing parts of the structure to reach concealed areas. Check the edition your jurisdiction uses and your own training for the exact scope; the template simply records which level you performed.

Write findings someone else can follow

• Say where, not just what: “crown, northeast corner, crack about 6 in” is more useful than “cracked crown”.
• Tie each concern to a photo number and a recommendation.
• Mark components you could not see as not inspected and give the reason. A blank box reads as “fine” to a buyer or an insurer.
• Separate what you observed from what you recommend, and say who should do the work.

The same principles apply to dryer vents; see the dryer vent inspection report form if your crew does both.

Do chimneys and dryer vents?

Many chimney companies also clean dryer vents. VentProof for Android is built for dryer vent visits: photos, findings, airflow readings, customer sign-off and a branded PDF report produced on the phone. The free report generator makes a dryer vent report PDF in your browser without signing up.