Does relining a chimney in Champaign need a permit?

In Illinois, permits are issued locally, and relining a chimney commonly requires one. Rules vary between jurisdictions, so confirm with the local building department before work begins.

We switched to a gas furnace. Does the old chimney need a liner?

Often it does. Gas appliances vented through an older masonry chimney need a properly sized liner, and without one acidic condensate can attack the masonry. The camera inspection shows what your flue needs.

Is One Call Chimney the company that does the work?

No. We are a referral and scheduling service. We arrange the job with an independent sweep or mason, and they inspect the chimney and give you the price.

Who regulates chimney work in Illinois?

Illinois does not license chimney sweeping, inspection or masonry repair as a separate trade at the state level. Many municipalities and counties set their own requirements, so you can check with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and your local building department.

I live in Savoy or Urbana. Can you still help?

Yes. Call (866) 576-7943 and tell us the town and what you were told about the liner. The same free estimate applies, with the price agreed before any work.

Stop using the fireplace

Liner damaged in Champaign, IL

Old Town Champaign and the blocks near downtown are full of early-1900s bungalows, foursquares and Victorians, and masonry chimneys are common on those older homes. If you were told the liner is cracked and needs relining, it almost certainly means the lining inside the chimney has split or broken. Heat, smoke and gas are no longer fully contained. This can be fixed, but the fireplace or appliance should not be used until it is.

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Illinois puts a lot of stress on a flue. The heating season runs from about October into April, so the liner sees months of constant use. Freeze-thaw cycles break down masonry, and wind-driven rain and snow off the open prairie add water at the crown and flashing. Humid summers leave moisture in masonry and rarely used flues, which speeds liner corrosion.

While you wait — please don't

Stop using the fireplace or stove. A damaged liner lets heat and carbon monoxide reach the structure of the house, and the appliance should not be used until the flue is verified.
Get outside and call 911 if you feel unwell. Headache, dizziness, nausea or a carbon monoxide alarm going off means leave the house first and call 911 from outside.
Do not keep running a furnace or water heater into the same flue. Any appliance venting through a flue you were told is cracked should wait until the flue has been checked.
Do not relight after a chimney fire. After any chimney fire the flue must be inspected before it is used again, because clay tiles crack in a fire.

What the technician does

Camera inspection firstThe technician runs a camera through the flue to see the cracks for themselves. You can ask to see the footage.
Price before any workThe estimate is free. The technician gives you the price after inspecting the chimney, and nothing starts until you approve it.
A liner sized to the applianceThat usually means a stainless steel liner, insulated where required. Cast-in-place lining is used where it is appropriate.
Appliance and flue matchedSize, material and termination are matched to whatever vents into the chimney, whether that is a fireplace, a stove or a gas furnace.
Cap and crown at the same timeThe top of the chimney is looked at during the same visit, so water does not get back in around the new liner.

Why this happens in Champaign, IL

Many Champaign homes are older, and masonry chimneys are common on them. Many Illinois homes burn natural gas and still vent a furnace or water heater through an old masonry chimney. If a house was converted to gas without relining, acidic condensate can attack the masonry from inside. A liner sized for the appliance is the usual answer. If your Old Town or downtown home has been through a chimney fire at some point, cracked clay tiles are the other common cause.

Central Illinois also sits in a severe-weather corridor. Spring brings tornadoes, large hail and straight-line winds that can damage chimney crowns and flashing. Winter freeze-thaw then works on whatever damage is there. Demand in Champaign tends to rise in spring after storm season and again in October and November, as people get chimneys checked before the first hard freeze. Masonry work is easier in the warmer months, when mortar can cure without freezing.

Questions people ask

Does relining a chimney in Champaign need a permit?: In Illinois, permits are issued locally, and relining a chimney commonly requires one. Rules vary between jurisdictions, so confirm with the local building department before work begins.
We switched to a gas furnace. Does the old chimney need a liner?: Often it does. Gas appliances vented through an older masonry chimney need a properly sized liner, and without one acidic condensate can attack the masonry. The camera inspection shows what your flue needs.
Is One Call Chimney the company that does the work?: No. We are a referral and scheduling service. We arrange the job with an independent sweep or mason, and they inspect the chimney and give you the price.
Who regulates chimney work in Illinois?: Illinois does not license chimney sweeping, inspection or masonry repair as a separate trade at the state level. Many municipalities and counties set their own requirements, so you can check with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and your local building department.
I live in Savoy or Urbana. Can you still help?: Yes. Call (866) 576-7943 and tell us the town and what you were told about the liner. The same free estimate applies, with the price agreed before any work.

One call

Call (866) 576-7943 and One Call Chimney will arrange a technician for your liner in Champaign. The estimate is free, and you approve the price before any work starts.

Call now · (866) 576-7943