Fox Lake IL | Chimney Sweep & Service

Chimney Sweep and Repair in Fox Lake, IL

Fox Lake sits on the Chain O Lakes, and a large share of its housing began as seasonal cottages that were converted for year-round living. That history is the single most useful thing to know about chimneys here, because heat was usually added to these houses rather than designed into them. Call 847-994-4388 or book online. We serve the 60020 zip code and the surrounding communities, including Ingleside, Spring Grove, Antioch, Round Lake and Volo.

Converted Cottages and Added Heat

When a summer place becomes a year-round house, the heating gets added along the way: a wood stove connected into an existing fireplace flue, a furnace vented into a chimney that was built for something else, or a flue added during a renovation with clearances that were never checked. None of that is necessarily wrong. It just means nobody can tell you what is actually there without looking.

These are the appointments where the inspection earns its fee. We document the flue, the connector, the liner size and the clearances, and we say plainly when something should be corrected before the next fire. What matters is what is actually connected, not what anyone remembers being connected.

Wood Stoves and Real Burning Seasons

More houses burn wood here, and burn it harder, than in most of the villages we serve. That means more creosote, and glazed creosote in particular, which does not come off with a brush and is what turns an ordinary flue into a chimney fire. A flue that gets used every day from November to March needs annual sweeping, not an inspection every few years.

We also check the connector pipe and the clearances around a stove, because on converted houses those are frequently the part that was improvised.

Lake Exposure and the Top of the Chimney

Chimneys on the water take driven rain and wind from directions a sheltered chimney never does. The windward face stays wet longer and goes through more freeze-thaw cycles, so joints open there first while the other faces look fine. Crowns, caps and the top course of brick take the worst of it, and a cracked crown with no drip edge keeps the whole upper stack wet. We look at the whole water path rather than the one thing you noticed.

What We Repair and Maintain in Fox Lake

• Level 1 and Level 2 chimney inspections — a documented condition report on the flue, firebox and chimney exterior, with photographs.
• Chimney cleaning and sweeping — creosote removal and draft correction on wood-burning fireplaces and stoves.
• Wood stove and insert service — connector pipe, liner and clearance checks.
• Chimney relining — for cracked, offset or missing clay tile.
• Brick and mortar repair and tuckpointing — repointing joints before water gets behind the brick.
• Crown repair and replacement — with a drip edge, so water leaves the chimney instead of soaking into it.
• Flashing repair and replacement — including steep-roof and slate details.
• Chimney caps and spark arrestors — stock, custom and multi-flue caps sized to the flue.
• Firebox and smoke chamber repair — parging voids and rebuilding deteriorated fireboxes.
• Water heater and furnace chimney liners — correctly sized stainless liners for appliance flues.
• Obstruction and animal removal — and the cap that stops it happening again.
• Chimney leak repair — finding the actual entry point before anything gets sealed.
• Dryer vent cleaning — including long and rooftop runs.

Areas We Cover

All of Fox Lake, including the lakefront and channel neighborhoods, the blocks around Grand Avenue and the Metra station, and the areas bordering Ingleside, Spring Grove, Antioch, Round Lake and Volo.

Why Our Inspections Are Paid

We charge for inspections because the inspection is the service: we document what is actually happening with photographs and, where conditions allow, a camera survey of the flue, then explain what is urgent, what is maintenance and what can reasonably wait. A free estimate prices a known job. A diagnostic inspection determines what the job actually is. The report is yours whether or not we do the repair.

Who You Are Hiring

Chimney Monkey has been in business since 2017 and works out of Buffalo Grove. We are members and sponsors of the National Chimney Sweep Guild — our partner Brett Conklin serves on the NCSG board as an at-large director through 2027 — and we belong to the regional North Central Chimney Guild. Our technicians are NFI certified across wood-burning, gas and pellet appliances, we have SPRAT-certified technicians for rope-access work, and our crew trains through the year. One of our three partners is a U.S. military veteran. More than 1,100 Google reviews.

Fox Lake Chimney Questions

We have a wood stove connected into the fireplace flue. Is that acceptable?

It depends on how it was done. The connector, the liner size and the clearances all have to be right, and in converted cottages they frequently are not. The inspection documents what is actually there and tells you what needs correcting before the next fire.

We burn wood most nights all winter. How often should the chimney be swept?

Annually at minimum, and a flue in heavy daily use may want checking mid-season. Heavy use produces glazed creosote, which does not come off with a brush and is what turns an ordinary flue into a chimney fire.

One side of our chimney looks much worse than the others. Why?

That is usually exposure. The face taking driven rain off the water stays wet longer and goes through more freeze-thaw cycles than the sheltered faces, so joints open there first. It is the normal pattern on the lake and it tells us where to start.

How much does a chimney sweep cost in Fox Lake, IL?

A chimney sweep runs $300 to $350 and includes the Level 1 inspection. An inspection on its own is $200 to $300, and the same range covers a utility chimney serving a furnace or water heater. A Level 2 inspection with a camera survey of the flue is around $300. Typical rates as of September 2026.

Do you charge for the inspection?

Yes. You are paying for a documented answer: photographs, a camera survey of the flue where conditions allow, and a written explanation of what needs correcting now versus what can wait. That report is yours whether or not we do the repair.

Our Prices

Typical rates as of September 2026. Prices change, so call 847-994-4388 to confirm current pricing. A chimney sweep runs $300–$350 and includes the Level 1 inspection. An inspection on its own is $200–$300, and the same range covers a utility chimney serving a furnace or water heater. A Level 2 inspection with a camera survey of the flue is around $300. Fireplace liners are sized per flue, and most complete jobs land between $3,000 and $4,000; a utility flue liner for a furnace or water heater typically runs $3,000–$3,800. Relining, masonry repairs, crowns and flashing are quoted in writing after the inspection, because pricing an unknown condition is guessing. Call 847-994-4388 to book or to confirm current pricing.