Chimney camera scan: what it is, when you need it, what to ask for
Updated Sep 2026·National·Inspection
What is a flue camera scan?
A camera scan sends a camera on a rod or a pole up the flue so the inside of the liner can be seen on a screen. It is a tool used inside an inspection rather than a product of its own, and it is the usual way the internal part of a Level 2 is carried out.
What you are shown afterwards is evidence; what you are only told about is not.
When is it actually needed?
Whenever the inside of the flue is in question — at a sale, after a chimney fire, before relining, or when damage is claimed that you cannot see for yourself.
What standard does it answer to?
NATIONAL · NFPA 211
- NFPA 211, the Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances — the national standard that sets the yearly inspection and the three inspection levels.
What should the invoice or report show?
Ask for a copy of the footage or the stills, dated, before agreeing to any repair based on them.
What does it cost?
Quote after inspection. We have no researched national range for a flue camera scan, so expect a written quote once someone has looked at the job — with the work named on its own line.
Does your state regulate this?
NFPA 211 is a national model document, not state law: which edition applies to your home, if any, depends on the codes your state and city have adopted. Few jurisdictions name chimney or hearth work in a credential at all; the rule that usually touches a job like this is about the company — a general contractor or home-improvement license or registration where the state has one, sometimes only above a dollar threshold. Our 50-state laws table and licensing by state set out what each state requires.
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Questions about a flue camera scan
When is a flue camera scan needed?
Whenever the inside of the flue is in question — at a sale, after a chimney fire, before relining, or when damage is claimed that you cannot see for yourself. The work answers to NFPA 211.
Is a flue camera scan regulated by state law?
NFPA 211 is a national model document, not state law: which edition applies to your home, if any, depends on the codes your state and city have adopted. Few jurisdictions name chimney or hearth work in a credential at all; the rule that usually touches a job like this is about the company — a general contractor or home-improvement license or registration where the state has one, sometimes only above a dollar threshold. Our 50-state laws table and licensing by state set out what each state requires.
What should I ask before agreeing to a flue camera scan?
Ask for a copy of the footage or the stills, dated, before agreeing to any repair based on them.