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Usually, yes, though light use changes what we look for. The fire-safety standard NFPA 211 calls for a yearly inspection even on chimneys that see little use, because birds and rodents nest in idle flues and masonry keeps aging whether you burn or not. If the inspection shows a clean flue, we'll tell you it doesn't need sweeping yet.

Before you plan to use it. In San Diego most rain falls between December and March, and most fireplace use lands in the same stretch, so late summer or early fall is a sensible time for a sweep and inspection. That also leaves room to fix a cap or crown before the wet months.

Not by default. The EPA's guidance is to clean ducts when there's a reason, such as visible mold inside the system, pests, or dust and debris blowing out of the registers, rather than on a fixed schedule. We'll look first and tell you honestly whether yours need it. See air duct cleaning for what a full job covers.

Clothes that need a second cycle, a dryer that's hot to the touch, a burning smell, or an outside flap that barely moves are the usual signs. Federal fire data puts uncleaned vents at the top of the list of causes behind home dryer fires, so it's worth checking. More on our dryer vent cleaning page.

Yes, that's the point of having both under one roof. Tell us everything you want looked at in your request so we can plan the time and bring the right equipment for each.

You get a plain explanation of what we found and where, the repair we'd recommend and a written price. Nothing gets done until you approve it. If the fireplace isn't safe to use in the meantime, we'll say so.