Chimney animal removal, clean-out and caps in Shenandoah
No fire, no smoke and no sealed-in animal, only a plan that fits the species and the chimney.
- Owned and run locally
- Available for same-day service
- Fully licensed and insured
- Family owned and run
Clues that a bird or bat is nesting
- Chirping or chattering in the flue
- A damper that no longer closes
- Buzzing insects around the chimney top
- Sounds that stopped suddenly
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Identifying and removing chimney animals
Chimney swifts nesting in the flue
Chimney swifts attach small nests of twigs and saliva to the inside walls of masonry chimneys. USFWS explains that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it unlawful to harm the birds, their eggs or their nests. Active nests cannot be removed.
If swifts are using your chimney, the plan is to wait until they have left. Keep the damper closed so they cannot enter the room. Once they are gone, the flue can be cleaned outside the nesting season, as USFWS suggests. Whether to cap it afterward is a separate choice, and we explain what a cap would change.
When an animal job grows once work starts
Animal jobs can change once work starts. A second animal may appear, young may be found or damage may turn out to be worse than it looked. When that happens, we stop and explain.
You decide whether to add the new item, wait or go on as planned. The estimate is updated in writing before any extra work. Nothing is added to the bill that you did not approve. The written record shows what changed and why. Work already agreed carries on as planned.
When removal and clean-out happen on different days
An animal job may take more than one visit. An exclusion may need several nights, a wait may be required for young to leave or a wildlife professional may need to act first.
We tell you at the start if more than one visit is likely. Each visit has its own purpose and its own line on the estimate. Between visits, keep the damper closed and let us know if the sounds change. Each visit ends with a short account of where things stand.
Why some flues attract nesting birds
USFWS describes chimney swifts as preferring brick, stone or mortar chimneys, where the rough inner walls give them something to cling to. A smooth metal liner is harder for them to use. An open masonry flue with no cap is the easiest of all.
That does not mean every masonry chimney will draw birds, or that a metal liner is the answer to a bird problem. If you want birds kept out in future, a screened cap fitted once they have left is the way to do it. We explain the timing and the cap choice that suit your chimney.
Steps listed in a chimney animal estimate
- Separate price for each step
- Odor source traced after removal
- Torn or rusted screen repaired
- Top access planned for safety
Before you arrange chimney animal removal
How do you know the chimney is empty before capping?
We look into the flue from both ends where possible, listen, check that any one-way exit has been used and wait if needed. The written record notes how the flue was confirmed empty.
Do you clean the chimney after the animal is gone?
Yes. Nest material, droppings and debris are removed from the smoke shelf, damper and flue, bagged at the fireplace and hauled away. The flue is brushed and then looked at for damage.
Do you give a written record after the job?
Yes. It notes the animal found, what was removed, the damage seen and how the chimney was closed. If a wildlife professional handled a step, the record says so.
More Ways to Care for Your Fireplace
- Chimney Liner Installation and ReliningPlan a compatible chimney liner installation with the existing passage, connections and maintenance access considered together.
- Chimney WaterproofingTreat suitable chimney masonry after checking the surface, repair needs and product requirements.
- Smoke Chamber RepairRepair identified smoke-chamber surfaces with the access and material requirements clearly defined.
- Wood-Burning Fireplace Insert InstallationFit a wood-burning insert after assessing its host fireplace and full connection requirements.
- Chimney Masonry RepairRepair affected chimney brickwork and joints with materials selected for the construction already in place.
We received your request
Our team will contact you to arrange your inspection.
Chimney & Fireplace Brands We Work With
DuraVent 
Olympia Chimney and Venting 
Copperfield Chimney Supply 
Rutland 
Heatilator 
Heat & Glo