Chimney sweep cost
A sweep brushes the soot out of the flue. National cost guides put a visit at about $80 to $375, and many visits include a basic look at the chimney.
This Old House, using Fixr and HomeAdvisor price estimates, says a yearly sweep usually costs $80 to $200, and one that hasn't been cleaned for several years "may cost as much as $800."
A basic inspection is a look at what can be seen. This Old House, using the same Fixr and HomeAdvisor estimates, puts a more detailed one, with camera equipment, at $300 to $600 or more. Ask which kind a price covers.
Costs at a glance
Nationally, sweeping a chimney usually costs $80 to $375 a visit, a basic chimney inspection $100 to $250, and a new EPA-certified wood stove $750 to $4,000.
| Job | Typical cost | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Sweeping a chimney | $80 to $375 per visit | Sources: [1][2][3] |
| Basic chimney inspection | $100 to $250 per visit | Sources: [1][2] |
| New EPA-certified wood stove, stove only | $750 to $4,000 per job | Sources: [4][5] |
- This Old House, How Much Does Chimney Repair Cost?, updated March 12, 2026.
- Kiplinger, Home Maintenance Tasks to Do Before the First Snow, updated October 8, 2026.
- Today's Homeowner, Are Chimney Cleaning Logs Effective?, updated March 19, 2025.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Frequent Questions about Wood-Burning Appliances, updated March 5, 2026.
- Alliance for Green Heat, Wood Stove Technology, updated October 2025.
National ranges from the sources listed, checked October 2026. These aren't prices from businesses listed on Huck's Guide. Costs in Boundary County can be higher or lower.
Wood heat around here
Wood heat is common here. The Census Bureau estimates that 1,465 of Boundary County's 5,046 occupied homes heat mainly with wood. That's nearly 3 in 10, against about 1 in 20 homes across Idaho.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024, table B25040 (House Heating Fuel). Wood heat counts for Boundary County and Idaho checked in the five-year estimates, Oct 28, 2026.
The stove season is long, too. From 1907 to 2012, the Bonners Ferry weather station logged about 155 nights a year at or below freezing. In January, it drops to zero or below on about 3 nights.
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Bonners Ferry temperature summary. Freezing nights checked in the station's general climate summary, Oct 28, 2026.
Wood stove installation cost
A new stove comes with two parts to the bill: the stove itself, and the chimney or flue it vents into. The second part depends on what's already in the house.
Hybrid stoves, which use both catalytic and non-catalytic burning, cost more. The Alliance for Green Heat, a nonprofit that tracks wood stoves, puts them at about $2,500 to $4,000.
When a bid comes in, ask for the stove, the chimney or flue work, the stovepipe and the permit as separate lines. That makes two bids easy to compare. Who handles stove permits in Idaho is on the wood stove and chimney page.
Wood stove installation requirements: where to look
Clearances, codes and fire safety aren't covered here. These official pages cover them:
- EPA Burn Wise, Wood-Burning Installation and Maintenance: clearances, yearly inspections, and how to check an installer's credentials. Last checked Oct 28, 2026.
- EPA's certified wood heater database: whether a stove model is EPA certified. Last checked Oct 28, 2026.
- U.S. Fire Administration, Heating Fire Safety: fire safety for wood stoves, fireplaces and other heaters. Last checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Idaho DOPL, HVAC questions: Idaho's permits and inspections. Last checked Oct 28, 2026.
Ask before you hire
These help you compare prices on a sweep or a new stove.
Sources
| Source | What was checked | Last checked |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024, table B25040 (House Heating Fuel) | Wood heat counts for Boundary County and Idaho checked in the five-year estimates | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Western Regional Climate Center, Bonners Ferry temperature summary | Freezing nights checked in the station's general climate summary | Oct 28, 2026 |
| USDA Forest Service, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Gathering Firewood | Free permit and 12-cord limit checked on the forest's firewood page | Oct 28, 2026 |
| U.S. EPA Burn Wise, Frequent Questions about Wood-Burning Appliances | Stove and installation price ranges checked on EPA's questions page | Oct 28, 2026 |
| U.S. EPA Burn Wise, Wood-Burning Installation and Maintenance | Topics (clearances, inspections, credentials) checked on EPA's page | Oct 28, 2026 |
| U.S. EPA, certified wood heater database | Link checked from EPA's Burn Wise home page | Oct 28, 2026 |
| U.S. Fire Administration, Heating Fire Safety | Wood stove coverage checked on the agency's heating page | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Idaho DOPL, HVAC FAQs | Permit and inspection topics checked on DOPL's HVAC questions page | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Alliance for Green Heat, Wood Stove Technology | Hybrid stove price range checked in the section updated October 2025 | Oct 28, 2026 |
| This Old House, How Much Does Chimney Repair Cost? (updated March 12, 2026) | Sweep, neglected-chimney and inspection figures checked in the article | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Kiplinger, Home Maintenance Tasks to Do Before the First Snow (updated Oct. 8, 2026) | Cleaning and inspection ranges checked in the article | Oct 28, 2026 |