A compiled reference of 20 verified statistics on US chimneys, from how often heating and chimney fires happen and what they cost, to what a sweep, an inspection, and a repair actually run. Every figure is drawn from a named public source (the US Fire Administration, HomeAdvisor, and This Old House) and independently checked against the original before publishing.
Key statistics
5 highlights from this report
Key statistics
Key takeaways
A chimney is cheap to maintain and dangerous to neglect: sweeping and inspection cost a few hundred dollars, chimney and flue fires are the single largest slice of confined heating fires, and the difference between a contained chimney fire and one that spreads is roughly $330 versus $28,000.
US heating fires average about 34,200 a year, causing 165 deaths and $367M in loss.
Chimney or flue fires make up about half of all confined heating fires.
A chimney sweep averages $254 ($129 to $381).
Heating is the 2nd leading cause of residential building fires (9% of them).
A confined chimney fire averages $330 in loss; one that escapes, $28,180.
How we built this report
Every figure below was compiled in September 2026 from named public sources and checked against the original document before publishing.
- Compiled from primary sources
The US Fire Administration's Topical Fire Report on residential heating fires and its residential-fire trend estimates, plus two national cost guides.
- Only explicitly stated figures
We include only numbers a named source states directly, and attribute each inline at the point it appears.
- Fire and cost kept separate
Fire-incidence and loss figures come only from the US Fire Administration; dollar costs of sweeping and repair come only from the cost guides. We do not blend the two.
- Independent review
Written by one co-founder and reviewed by the other before publishing.
Scope note: fire figures are US Fire Administration NFIRS-based estimates (2017-2019 for the detailed breakdowns, with 2023 trend estimates noted where used). Cost figures are guide-level national ranges and vary by chimney height, material, and region. Confirm any single figure against the specific source before relying on it.
Chimneys and heating fires, by the numbers
All 20 figures, grouped into four themes: how often heating fires happen, the chimney's share of them, what chimney service costs, and what repairs cost. Each is drawn from a named public source and independently verified.
How often heating fires happen
Heating equipment is one of the largest fire risks in a home. According to the US Fire Administration (usfa.fema.gov), residential building heating fires averaged 34,200 a year from 2017 to 2019, causing 165 deaths, 600 injuries, and $367 million in property loss, which made heating the second leading cause of residential building fires (after cooking) and 9% of them. The good news is the long-term trend: heating fires fell from 200,000 in 1983 to about 33,100 by 2019, and 2023 estimates put them at 27,900 fires and 115 deaths. Risk is seasonal, peaking in January.
Statistic 1
US residential building heating fires averaged 34,200 a year (2017-2019), causing 165 deaths, 600 injuries, and $367 million in property loss.
US Fire Administration
Statistic 2
Heating is the second leading cause of residential building fires and accounts for 9% of them.
US Fire Administration
Statistic 3
Heating fires fell from about 200,000 in 1983 to 33,100 by 2019; 2023 estimates put them at 27,900 fires and 115 deaths.
US Fire Administration
Statistic 4
Residential heating fires peak in January, at 20% of the year's total, and reach their lowest point in June, July, and August.
US Fire Administration
Statistic 5
80% of residential heating fires occur in one- and two-family homes, which see 93% of the deaths and 83% of the dollar loss.
US Fire Administration
What this means: The single-family homes with fireplaces and their own chimneys carry the overwhelming share of heating-fire deaths, in part because their chimneys are maintained by the homeowner rather than a building's professional staff. The season to act is fall, before the January peak.
The chimney's share
Most heating fires are minor, and the chimney is where they concentrate. According to the US Fire Administration (usfa.fema.gov), 77% of residential heating fires are "confined" fires that stay within the equipment, and of those, chimney or flue fires make up about 49%, with fuel-burner or boiler malfunctions another 27%. The stakes are captured in one comparison: a confined chimney fire averages just $330 in loss and virtually no deaths, but a heating fire that escapes containment averages $28,180 and 10.2 deaths per 1,000 fires.
Confined chimney fire
$330
average loss per fire
Fire that escapes containment
$28,180
average loss per fire
Source: US Fire Administration, residential building heating fires (2017-2019 averages). The 85x figure is $28,180 divided by $330.
Statistic 6
77% of residential heating fires are confined fires that stay within the equipment.
US Fire Administration
Statistic 7
Chimney or flue fires make up about 49% of all confined residential heating fires.
US Fire Administration
Statistic 8
Fuel-burner or boiler malfunctions account for about 27% of confined heating fires.
US Fire Administration
Statistic 9
A confined heating fire averages $330 in loss and 0.0 deaths per 1,000 fires; a nonconfined one averages $28,180 and 10.2 deaths per 1,000.
US Fire Administration
Statistic 10
An average residential heating fire causes $6,850 in loss across all severities.
US Fire Administration
What this means: A chimney fire caught while confined to the flue is a cheap event; the entire risk is that it goes unnoticed and spreads. That is the mechanism a routine sweep and inspection is designed to interrupt, by removing the creosote that fuels the confined fire in the first place.
What chimney service costs
Prevention is inexpensive. According to HomeAdvisor (homeadvisor.com), a chimney sweep averages $254, with most homeowners paying $129 to $381 (as low as $89 for a simple job, up to $1,023 for a heavy wood-stove flue). Inspections scale with depth: a basic Level 1 runs $160 to $300, a Level 2 (required at a sale or after a change to the system) $260 to $460, and a Level 3 (when serious damage is suspected) $500 to $800. Caps, dampers, and liners are the common small repairs.
Statistic 11
A chimney sweep averages $254, with most homeowners paying $129 to $381 (from $89 up to $1,023).
HomeAdvisor (2026)
Statistic 12
Cleaning cost by appliance: gas fireplace $80 to $130, pellet stove $130 to $200, wood stove $150 to $300.
HomeAdvisor (2026)
Statistic 13
Chimney inspection cost by level: Level 1 $160 to $300, Level 2 $260 to $460, Level 3 $500 to $800.
HomeAdvisor (2026)
Statistic 14
Chimney cap replacement $75 to $1,000; damper repair $150 to $450; flashing repair $150 to $1,600.
HomeAdvisor (2026)
Statistic 15
A routine sweep takes 45 minutes to two hours; heavy creosote buildup can take three hours or more.
HomeAdvisor (2026)
What this means: At roughly $250 for a sweep and a similar amount for a basic inspection, annual chimney maintenance costs less than 1% of the $28,180 average loss from a heating fire that gets out of the flue.
What repairs cost
Repairs span two orders of magnitude depending on scope. According to This Old House (thisoldhouse.com), chimney repair averages $750 and ranges from $250 to $13,300, with masonry pros charging $50 to $150 an hour and tuckpointing (repointing crumbling mortar joints) running $10 to $45 per square foot. Relining is the big-ticket common repair: HomeAdvisor (homeadvisor.com) puts a new chimney liner at $625 to $7,000 installed, depending on liner type and chimney height.
Statistic 16
Chimney repair averages $750 and ranges from $250 to $13,300.
This Old House (2026)
Statistic 17
Masonry professionals charge $50 to $150 per hour for chimney work.
This Old House (2026)
Statistic 18
Tuckpointing crumbling mortar joints costs $10 to $45 per square foot.
This Old House (2026)
Statistic 19
Installing a new chimney liner costs $625 to $7,000, depending on liner type and chimney height.
HomeAdvisor (2026)
Statistic 20
Removing a nesting animal from a chimney costs $180 to $560.
HomeAdvisor (2026)
What this means: A crumbling crown or unlined flue is exactly the kind of slow-developing masonry defect that a routine inspection catches while it is a tuckpointing job rather than a rebuild, and before it becomes the path a chimney fire takes into the house.
Cite this study
Academic or press use: copy a ready-made reference. RapidEye is the publisher.
Quick FAQ
How much does a chimney sweep cost?
A chimney sweep averages $254, with most homeowners paying $129 to $381, according to HomeAdvisor (homeadvisor.com). Simple gas-fireplace cleanings can run $80 to $130, while a heavy wood-stove flue can reach $1,023.
How common are chimney and heating fires?
US residential building heating fires averaged 34,200 a year from 2017 to 2019, causing 165 deaths, 600 injuries, and $367 million in property loss, according to the US Fire Administration (usfa.fema.gov). Heating is the second leading cause of residential building fires, and chimney or flue fires make up about half of all confined heating fires.
How much does chimney repair cost?
Chimney repair averages about $750 and ranges from $250 to $13,300, according to This Old House (thisoldhouse.com). A chimney liner runs $625 to $7,000 (HomeAdvisor) and tuckpointing $10 to $45 per square foot.
How often should a chimney be inspected?
Chimneys and heating equipment should be professionally inspected and cleaned every year before the heating season. Residential heating fire incidence peaks in January, per the US Fire Administration (usfa.fema.gov), and the confined chimney fires that a sweep prevents are the largest slice of all heating fires.
Data sources
Every figure traces to one of these named public sources, each checked against the original before publishing. We name each source and show its root domain, but do not link out: it keeps this reference the terminal citation. Internal links stay live.
US Fire AdministrationTopical Fire Report on residential heating fires and residential-fire trend estimatesusfa.fema.gov
HomeAdvisorChimney cleaning, inspection, and liner cost datahomeadvisor.com
This Old House2026 chimney repair cost guidethisoldhouse.com