Do I need a chimney inspection when buying or selling a home?
In Arden, a pre-sale chimney inspection is well worth it, because the 1980s-90s homes in Royal Pines and Skyland tend to have tired open masonry fireplaces that pull heat out of a room — and a drafty firebox can hide a worn liner or crown behind it. A home inspector won't camera the flue. For a real-estate deal the Level 2 scan is the standard, permitted through Buncombe County.
The drafty open firebox, examined
Plenty of Arden homes from the Royal Pines and Skyland era were built with open masonry fireplaces that look handsome and heat almost nothing — a lot of a room's warm air goes straight up the flue. In a sale, that inefficiency is worth naming, but the more important question is what the scan finds behind it: after 30-plus years, the clay liner may be cracked, the crown weathered, the damper corroded. A Level 2 with a camera documents the flue's real condition, so a buyer knows whether it needs relining or would work far better as a sealed insert — which turns that heat-losing firebox into a real heater — and a seller isn't caught out by the buyer's inspector.
Homes and Biltmore Park, quickly reached
Arden also carries a lot of commercial square footage around Biltmore Park, and gas fireplaces or outdoor features there get the same treatment in a transaction — confirmed as permitted, or corrected by a licensed contractor, since connecting fuel in North Carolina is licensed work no handyman can legally touch. We pull the permit with Buncombe County and meet the inspector, then give you a written report for the lender or insurer. Arden is about 15 minutes south of our Asheville showroom, so it's an easy fit in a closing window. Call (828) 545-0525, and any repair is quoted upfront and honestly.
Insert as the fix
If the scan shows a marginal flue, a sealed insert with a correctly sized liner is often the move — it addresses the safety question and the draft at once. Knowing that before closing tells a buyer what a fair credit should cover.
Fireplace help in Arden
We install and service fireplaces throughout Arden and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- I just moved into a home with a fireplace — should I have it inspected before using it?
- What are Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 chimney inspections?
- What is the difference between a chimney inspection and a chimney sweeping?
- Does homeowners insurance require proof of chimney or fireplace maintenance?
- What certifications should a chimney sweep have?