Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 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.
Fast, Reliable Chimney Sweep Across Hudson Bend
A chimney sweep in Hudson Bend usually runs $180 – $340 for a standard open fireplace, and $250 – $450 when the job involves a wood stove or a flue that hasn’t been touched in several years. Most Hudson Bend calls we take are booked within the same week, often sooner. If you own a weekend place off Singleton Bend Road or a full-time home above the lake, call (877) 274-1247 and we’ll get you on the schedule with a straight answer on cost before we ever show up.
Hudson Bend isn’t a typical suburban sweep route. The lots are steep, the chimneys sit exposed on limestone ridges, and a surprising number of fireplaces belong to owners who live somewhere else most of the year. That changes what a sweep actually needs to do here. Our Chimney Sweep crew drives these canyon roads weekly and knows what to look for before the first brush ever goes up the flue.
Why Boardwalk Chimney Sweep Is Hudson Bend’s Preferred Chimney Sweep Company
Around Hudson Bend, the work we get called for is different from what a Round Rock or Leander tech typically sees. We get property managers in 78645 who need a chimney documented and cleared before a guest checks in. We get full-time residents running wood stoves as primary heat through January cold snaps. And we get owners who show up at the lake house in October, open the glass doors, and find a raccoon has been living in the firebox since March.
Brent Holloway built this company around the repair-to-maintenance cycle. We sweep, we inspect, and when we find a cracked flue tile or a deteriorated liner, we can actually fix it, using DuraFlex liner systems or HeatShield resurfacing rather than telling you to call somebody else. That matters on Hudson Bend, where a second trip over the dam or down 2222 is an afternoon gone. One call covers the whole thing.
We also pair chimney sweeping with dryer vent cleaning on the same visit. Both are fire hazards that sit quietly in weekend homes and rentals. “One call, two fire hazards addressed” isn’t a tagline for us, it’s the way we work this area.
Styles & brands we work with
Chimney Cleaning in Hudson Bend
Chimney Cleaning in Hudson Bend is a heavier job than most people expect, because the fireplaces and stoves out here don’t follow a suburban burn pattern. A standard fireplace sweep on the west side of the lake runs $180 – $300. A wood stove flue, especially one burning oak or cedar as primary heat, runs $250 – $400 because of the creosote load and the liner access involved.
The process is the same whether we’re on a flat lot off 620 or a steep driveway above the lake: set drop cloths, run a HEPA-filtered vacuum, brush the flue to the smoke shelf, clear the damper and firebox, and inspect the cap and crown for ridge damage. If the flue hasn’t been touched in a few years, we photograph everything so you can see the buildup before and after.
Creosote Removal on Primary-Heat Stoves
Wood stoves used as the main heat source on Hudson Bend rural lots build third-degree creosote faster than a fireplace that burns twelve nights a year. That’s the hard, tar-like glaze that clings to a liner and can ignite at around 2,000 degrees. We remove it mechanically with rotary tools rather than just sweeping, and we’ll tell you if the burn practice needs adjusting.
Rental and Weekend-Home Documentation
When nobody has burned a fire in two years, the sweep is as much about documentation as cleaning. We clear nests and debris, then photograph the flue before and after so an absentee owner or property manager has a record showing the chimney was inspected and clear. That’s the piece a generic chimney company usually skips.
Fireplace Cleaning in Hudson Bend
Fireplace Cleaning in Hudson Bend means more than vacuuming out last season’s ash. We open the glass doors, pull the logs and grate, remove debris and animal nesting, inspect the refractory panels on prefab units, and clear the damper so it actually opens and closes. A standard fireplace cleaning runs $180 – $300, and if there’s significant animal intrusion or a packed cap, it trends toward the higher end.
On 78645 properties, we routinely find the glass doors sealed shut, not by a mechanical failure but by a raccoon or squirrel nest packed behind the facade. That’s the Hudson Bend pattern. The firebox becomes a den, and by the time an owner or guest tries to light a fire, the damper won’t budge and the smell is unforgettable.
Prefab Metal Fireplace Cleaning
Most Hudson Bend homes built in the 1980s and 1990s have prefab metal fireplaces, and those need a different cleaning approach than a traditional masonry firebox. We clean the refractory panels without damaging them, clear the smoke shelf, and verify the termination cap is intact. The sun and wind on these ridge lots beat up caps fast.
Animal and Debris Clearing
Blown grit, cedar pollen, and leaves pack into chimney caps on exposed lots above Lake Travis. Before we clean the firebox, we check the cap and flue top, because a blocked cap will push smoke back into the house no matter how clean the firebox is. If a bird or raccoon got in, we remove the nest and clear the flue path completely.
Trusted Brands We Service in Hudson Bend
When a Hudson Bend chimney needs more than a sweep, we use the same brands chimney professionals specify. DuraFlex liner systems handle the offset flue configurations common in custom homes on steep lots. HeatShield resurfacing restores a deteriorated clay liner without a full teardown. Olympia Chimney and Copperfield supply the caps and chase covers that stand up to Hill Country sun and wind. We stock common replacement parts for these systems, which means less waiting when a repair is straightforward.
Common Chimney Sweep Problems We See in Hudson Bend Homes
- Raccoon and bird nests in unused fireplaces. Weekend homes and short-term rentals in 78645 sit empty for months, and raccoons move into the flue. We’ve pulled nests on Canyon Bend Drive, off Arrowhead, and along Hidden Shore. The fix is removal plus a proper cap, not just a sweep.
- Stuck dampers and sealed glass doors. When a lake house sits unburned for two or three seasons, the damper rusts or gets packed with nesting debris. Owners assume the fireplace is broken. Usually it just needs a mechanical clearing and the flue documented.
- Third-degree creosote in wood stoves. Full-time Hudson Bend residents who heat primarily with wood see heavy creosote buildup by mid-winter. A once-a-year sweep may not be enough, and we’ll say so plainly rather than letting you find out the hard way.
- Ridge wind and cedar pollen blocking caps. The dry, windy exposure on the limestone ridges above Lake Travis drives grit and cedar pollen into chimney caps all spring. That’s often the reason a fireplace suddenly drafts poorly, and it’s a fast fix once we’re up there.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterPricing for Chimney Sweep in Hudson Bend, TX
A standard fireplace sweep in Hudson Bend runs $180 – $300. Fireplace cleaning with animal removal or a heavily packed cap runs $250 – $350. Wood stove flue sweeps with creosote removal run $250 – $450 depending on how far the liner has glazed. Level 1 inspections are included with every sweep, and a Level 2 inspection runs $150 – $350 if we’re running a camera because of a suspected liner crack, a chimney fire, or a property transfer. We give you the flat price before we start, and the estimate is free. Call (877) 274-1247 for an exact quote.
We Also Serve Cities Near Hudson Bend
Our crews cover the whole north shore of Lake Travis and the Hill Country west of Austin. We regularly run sweeps in Hudson Bend, Jonestown, Lago Vista, Briarcliff, and Leander. If you’re in one of those areas and need a sweep or a dryer vent cleaning, call and we’ll fit you into the route.
Serving Hudson Bend, TX — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Hudson Bend area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Chimney Sweep in Hudson Bend
Every 40 to 60 fires, or whenever creosote reaches one-eighth inch on the liner, whichever comes first. On a primary-heat wood stove burning through a Hill Country winter, that usually means a mid-season sweep in January and another before the next burn season. If you’re burning cedar or unseasoned oak, the interval shortens because those woods build creosote faster. We’ll document the buildup at each sweep so you know the pace your stove sets. Call (877) 274-1247 and we’ll get a burner on the calendar.
We’ll open the firebox and check for animal nesting, remove debris from the damper and smoke shelf, sweep the flue, inspect the liner with a camera if the creosote or age warrants it, and verify the cap and crown are intact. You’ll get a photo record showing the chimney is clear and safe before your next guest arrives. That documentation is what property managers in 78645 are actually asking for when they book us, and it’s included with the sweep.
Almost every time, it’s a raccoon or squirrel nest packed behind the facade or around the door track. The doors aren’t broken, they’re jammed with debris and nesting material. We remove the nest, clear the track, and usually find the damper is also seized from disuse. If the animal chewed or damaged any door components, we’ll show you photos and go from there. Call (877) 274-1247 and we can usually get out within the week.
Yes, and it’s one of the more common Hudson Bend problems we fix. The dry ridge winds carry cedar and ashe-juniper pollen, grit, and leaf debris into chimney caps on exposed lots. A cap packed with pollen won’t draft, and the first sign is usually smoke rolling back into the room, not anything visible from the ground. We clear the cap and we’ll tell you whether your current cap design is making the problem worse. It’s a quick call at (877) 274-1247.
We can. Most Hudson Bend homes sit on sloped limestone lots, and many chimneys require ladder work or roof access that a standard sweep crew won’t touch. We carry the right ladders and standoffs for steep pitches, and we’ve worked properties all along the canyon edges above Lake Travis. If a chimney is unsafe to access, we’ll tell you that too, and we won’t charge for a sweep we couldn’t perform. Call (877) 274-1247 to schedule.
Call Boardwalk Chimney Sweep for Hudson Bend Chimney Service
If your Hudson Bend chimney hasn’t been looked at in a year or longer, don’t wait until the night before guests arrive at the lake house. We repair what we inspect, and we bring the full scope of sweeping, liner work, and structural repair to every job, using DuraFlex and HeatShield components built to last the next decade, not the next inspection. Call (877) 274-1247 today for a free estimate and a straight answer on what your chimney actually needs.
Written by Brent Holloway, Owner at Boardwalk Chimney Sweep, serving Hudson Bend and the Lake Travis area.