Level 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.
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Before
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Before
AfterFamco Chimney Liner & Rebuild in San Mateo: What to Know First
We provide independent Famco chimney liner and rebuild service in San Mateo, with most liner replacements completed in one day and full rebuilds typically scheduled within a week of your written approval. Every job starts with a camera-scan inspection and a written price before any work begins - no exceptions, no surprises. If you own a Famco liner, cap, or damper and you’re seeing rust flakes in the firebox, smelling smoke in upstairs rooms, or patching the same crown crack every rainy season, this page is for you. Call (650) 600-3117 to book a free estimate or bring us a competitor’s written quote for a free second opinion.
How Famco Products Fail - and How We Fix Them
- Famco 304 stainless flex liners in coastal San Mateo: The 304-grade series that shipped with many pre-fab fireplace installations from 2005 to 2015 develops pinhole corrosion faster here than inland because salt air accelerates chloride attack at the flex joints. We replace with 316Ti or 316L alloy through our Haven buying network, which carries a longer expected service life in Bay Area marine air.
- Famco top-sealing dampers with seized cables: The cast-aluminum frame and stainless cable assembly on the TC and TSC series traps moisture when the cap crown is cracked, usually freezing the butterfly plate halfway open. We free or replace the cable, but we also camera the flue below - a stuck damper often masks liner offset joints that were dumping condensate onto the mechanism.
- Famco galvanized chimney caps on Baywood and Aragon homes: The standard galvanized cap on older Famco installations was never meant for decades of Pacific moisture cycling. We see the seam welds fail and the mesh rust through, which sends water straight to the terra cotta flue liner below. We fabricate or source a stainless or copper replacement, matched to the existing flue dimension.
- Famco smoke chamber adapters in partial rebuilds: The stamped-steel transition piece between firebox and flue liner can warp from decades of thermal cycling, creating a gap that leaks smoke and creosote into the surrounding masonry. On partial rebuilds we remove the adapter, parget the smoke chamber with Chamber-Tech 2000 or a HeatShield cerfractory mix, and install a properly sized new adapter.
- Famco chimney pots and decorative shrouds in Hillsdale and San Mateo Park: The bolt-on shroud series looks sharp but traps water at the flue tile shoulder when the mortar bed shrinks. We see spalling brick directly below the shroud flange, sometimes three courses down. Our fix: remove the shroud, repoint or rebuild the affected courses, and reinstall with a proper cricket or diverter if the roof pitch sends runoff that direction.
Our Famco Chimney Liner & Rebuild Process
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Book the inspection. Call (650) 600-3117 and a live person answers, 24/7. We schedule your NFPA 211 Level 2 camera inspection - included as standard under Haven Standard Clause 4, not an upcharge.
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Camera down the flue. Corrine or one of our background-checked, uniformed techs runs the scan. You see what we see: liner condition, joint offsets, creosote class, crown integrity. The camera doesn’t guess. Neither do we.
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Written price, written scope, written warranty. Before any tool comes off the truck, you get Haven Standard Clause 1: the full cost, the full scope, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing. No verbal estimates. No “we’ll see once we start.”
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Parts decision with full context. If your Famco component can be sourced OEM, we’ll quote it. If a DuraFlex, HeatShield, or Gelco equivalent meets or exceeds the spec at better value through our buying network, we’ll show you both options and explain the trade-off. You choose.
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The rebuild or liner swap. Partial rebuilds get new brick, mortar matched for San Mateo’s freeze-thaw cycle, and a poured or stainless crown. Full rebuilds include tear-down to the shoulder, inspection of the footing, and rebuild with proper clearance to combustibles. Liners are sized to NFPA 31 or 211 tables, not eyeballed.
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Smoke test, photo record, cleanup. We pressure-test or smoke-test every liner installation, deliver your documented photo record per Haven Standard Clause 4, and leave the work area cleaner than we found it. The archive goes back to 2009 - your record is permanent.
Before
AfterWhat Famco Chimney Liner & Rebuild Costs in San Mateo
| Service | Typical Range | What Moves the Price |
|---|---|---|
| Famco liner repair (patch, joint, or local resurfacing) | $850 - $1,400 | Height of damage, access, whether HeatShield or similar cerfractory is suitable |
| Famco stainless steel liner replacement (flex or rigid) | $2,800 - $4,500 | Flue length, diameter, number of appliance connections, 304 vs 316 alloy |
| Famco partial chimney rebuild (crown to roofline) | $3,200 - $5,800 | Brick matching, scaffold needs, extent of spalling, smoke chamber work |
| Famco full chimney rebuild (below roofline) | $7,500 - $14,000 | Foundation condition, liner type, hearth extension, seismic strap requirements |
These are real San Mateo ranges based on jobs we’ve completed in Baywood, Aragon, and Hillsdale - not national averages. Your exact price comes after the camera inspection, never before. Call (650) 600-3117 for your free estimate.
Why San Mateo Homeowners Call Level Two Chimney San Mateo for Famco Work
We’ve inspected and cleaned more than 38,000 chimneys since 2009, and every one left with a written price before work started and a documented record when it was done. That includes hundreds of Famco installations across San Mateo County. Corrine Halstead and our crew know the difference between a Famco TC damper and a TSC, between 304 and 316 alloy in marine air, and between a crown crack that can wait and a liner failure that can’t. Because we’re independently owned and operated - not a franchise - we buy materials through the Haven network from Famco, DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, and Copperfield to keep customer prices honest. If another company already gave you a written estimate, bring it in for a free second opinion. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers every job we touch.
FAQs
Independent service does not automatically void a Famco product warranty, but warranty coverage on the original component is limited to defects in manufacture and does not extend to damage from installation error, weather, or lack of maintenance. As an independent Famco service provider, we document every step so you have a clear record if a warranty claim ever arises. Call (650) 600-3117 and we’ll review your specific component age and condition.
Many Famco components from the 1990s and 2000s are discontinued, but we source direct-fit replacements or fabricate equivalents from DuraFlex, Gelco, or our sheet-metal shop. During your camera inspection we’ll identify the exact model and give you both OEM-availability and aftermarket options with the price for each. Call (650) 600-3117 for a free estimate.
A liner can be repaired when damage is localized - a single cracked tile, a small hole in a stainless flex, a joint that has shifted but not collapsed. Full replacement is necessary when the liner is fractured in multiple locations, when the steel has thinned below code minimum, or when the sizing is wrong for the appliance and cannot be corrected with a liner alone. The camera shows the difference clearly. Call (650) 600-3117 and we’ll show you exactly what we found.
Most liner replacements are completed in one day. Partial rebuilds typically take two to three days, and full rebuilds from four to seven days depending on weather, scaffold setup, and whether custom brick matching is needed. We never rush the cure time on mortar or crown pour - San Mateo’s marine layer slows curing, and we account for that in the schedule. Call (650) 600-3117 to check current availability.
Water enters through the crack, freezes in winter, and expands the fracture. In San Mateo’s climate that freeze-thaw cycle is milder than the Midwest but persistent from November through March. A cracked liner or crown also allows carbon monoxide and smoke to leak into wall cavities or living spaces. The repair cost typically doubles or triples once water has reached the smoke chamber or damaged adjacent framing. Call (650) 600-3117 for a free camera inspection - we’ll tell you honestly if it can wait or if it can’t.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner, Level Two Chimney San Mateo at Level Two Chimney San Mateo, serving San Mateo and nearby areas.