What the price depends on
The rate is per flue. A house with a fireplace, a boiler and ventilation has several, and each is a separate line. Then there’s access: working from the roof, or through a soot door in the loft or boiler room. Condition matters too. Loose soot comes out with a brush, but the hard, glossy tar left by wet wood won’t. Labour rates are in the table.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Chimney cleaning | 220–270 zł/szt |
Indicative prices. Ranges for a typical scope. Fixings included, materials separate. Minimum order 300 zł.
Milling off hard tar, a camera inspection, repairing any damage found and taking away a large amount of soot are all paid separately. Parts for repairs, such as a new soot door, are extra too. The sweep lists what will be needed in their offer.
What it costs and how to book: handyman services in Warsaw.
How often, and who does it
The intervals come from Polish fire safety rules. Flues from stoves and fireplaces burning solid fuel are cleaned at least every three months, those from oil and gas appliances every six months. Ventilation ducts once a year, unless the way they’re used calls for more often.
The work is done by a chimney sweep (kominiarz). A general handyman won’t take it on, and rightly so: it needs proper kit, roof access and the experience to judge what you’re looking at inside the flue. Ask for the sweep’s qualifications in the offer and get written confirmation of the cleaning afterwards. It’s useful if your insurer has questions after a fire.
Safety: chimney fires and carbon monoxide
Soot and tar burn. Is the chimney roaring, are sparks coming out of the top, has the wall next to the flue got very hot? That’s a chimney fire. Don’t pour water down it, as sudden cooling can crack the masonry. Close the air supply to the firebox, get everyone out of the house and call the fire brigade.
A clogged flue also draws badly, so carbon monoxide can come back into the room. It has no smell and no colour. Any home with a fireplace, stove or boiler needs a CO alarm.
How the cleaning works
- The sweep asks what’s connected to the flue and what you burn, then decides whether to work from the roof or from below.
- The firebox and flue opening are covered and the floor around the fireplace or boiler protected.
- The flue is brushed through on a weighted line or flexible rods.
- Soot is collected through the soot door at the bottom of the flue.
- If the brush won’t shift the deposit, the flue is checked with a camera to decide on milling.
- Finally the draught is tested and you’re told what state the flue is in.
Common mistakes
- Burning wet wood or rubbish, which builds a hard layer of tar in the flue.
- Waiting until smoke comes into the room, even though the cleaning intervals are known in advance.
- The fireplace gets cleaned, and nobody remembers the gas boiler flue in the same house.
- Sweeping logs instead of a brush. They soften some of the deposit but don’t clear the flue.
- A soot door blocked by a cupboard or tiled over, so there’s no way into the bottom of the flue.
What to prepare
- A list of what’s connected to the chimney (fireplace, stove, boiler) and what you burn.
- Access to the soot doors in the boiler room, cellar or loft.
- A way onto the roof or into the loft if there is one, and space for a ladder outside.
- A cold firebox: don’t light it the day before, the sweep will tell you more precisely.
- Free space by the fireplace, with the rug and furniture moved away.
- Last year’s inspection report, if you have it.
Frequently asked questions
How is cleaning different from an inspection?
The yearly inspection checks the condition of the flues and ends with a report. Cleaning removes soot and deposits, and it’s needed more often. People often book both in one visit, but they’re two separate lines in the offer.
Does a flue need cleaning if I heat with gas?
Yes. A gas boiler flue is cleaned too, just less often than one from a wood or coal stove.
I live in a block of flats. Is this my job?
Usually not: flues in a block are handled by the building administration or cooperative, and the sweep then comes out for the whole building at once. You book cleaning yourself for a house, or if your flat has its own stove or fireplace.
Can I clean the chimney myself?
Brushes are on sale, but without experience it’s easy to damage the liner or knock soot into the boiler. And you won’t have written confirmation of the cleaning.
How to order
Describe the house in the app, how many flues there are and what’s connected to them, and add photos of the fireplace or boiler, the soot doors and the chimney on the roof. Chimney sweeps near you will send offers with their own price, timing and qualifications. Compare reviews and pick one; only that person sees your address.
You pay directly and the sweep issues the invoice. They stand behind their own cleaning: if soot is left behind or they’ve made a mess, they’ll sort it out. Cracked masonry, an old liner and mistakes by previous installers are not on them. Their job is to spot those and tell you.
Sweep chimneys and hold the qualifications? Jobs from your town come in through the app once you have a profile: Create a tradesperson profile. You work for yourself and choose your own business setup.
Order in the app
Describe the job, add photos and the address. Tradespeople send their own prices and dates, and you pick one of the offers.
Open the app