Chimney cap installation in Danville and the town's fireplace inspection list
The Town of Danville Building Services inspection-code guide lists five fireplace inspections: footings, damper, gas, spark arrestor and reinforcement (source: Town of Danville Building Services - Inspection Codes / Instructions to Schedule Inspections).
The item that matters most for a cap is the spark arrestor. A spark arrestor is a metal mesh screen at the top of the flue that catches embers before they leave the chimney. Many chimney caps have one built in, with a hood over the mesh to shed rain. So when the Town's list says "spark arrestor" and a contractor says "cap," they are often talking about the same assembly on top of your chimney.
The list itself doesn't say which projects need which inspections. If your cap is going on as part of a larger fireplace project that you're taking through Building Services, ask them what they will inspect and when. The other four items on the list (footings, damper, gas and reinforcement) belong to building or altering a fireplace, not to fitting a cap. If that's the bigger job you're planning, start with fireplace installation in Danville.
What to settle before a cap goes on
Points to decide with us at the estimate
- Whether you want a cap with an ember-catching mesh screen, given that the Town's inspection list names the spark arrestor as its own item.
- Whether the cap covers a single flue or the whole crown, if your chimney has more than one flue.
- How the cap will be fastened so wind can't lift it.
- Whether the top of the chimney needs attention first, such as a cracked crown or a nest, so the cap doesn't cover up a problem.
Chimney cap installation in brief
A new cap goes on top of the flue. We measure the flue opening or the crown, choose a cap that fits it, and fasten it securely. Most caps combine a hood that keeps rain out with a mesh screen that blocks birds and animals and catches embers. Before fitting, we check the top of the chimney for anything the cap would hide, like crown cracks or debris in the flue. For cap types, fit and what to expect on the day, read how chimney cap installation works.
When a new cap is the right job, and when it isn't
A new cap fits best when your chimney has no cap at all, or when the old one is missing its screen. If you're still deciding whether a cap is worth it, read do you need a chimney cap before you book. Sometimes a different job should come first or instead:
- The old cap is bent, rusted through or loose: replacing the existing cap is usually the right job.
- Birds or animals are already inside the flue: they need to be removed, and the flue cleared, before a cap or screen closes the top.
- The masonry crown under the cap is cracked or crumbling: the crown should be repaired so the new cap has a sound base.
- The chimney is a prefab metal chimney in a framed chase: the chase cover on top may need replacing, with the cap fitted to it.
- The cap is going on as part of a new fireplace: plan the cap with the fireplace project rather than as a separate visit.
Free estimates
Request an estimate and we'll look at the top of your chimney, confirm whether a new cap is the right job, and fit the one you choose.
More for Danville homes
- For cap materials, sizing and the full scope of the job, read about our chimney cap installation service.
- For everything else we do on chimneys, fireplaces and dryer vents, browse our work in Danville.
- For a new wood-burning or gas fireplace, see fireplace installation for homes in Danville.
Sources (1)
The sources of the Danville facts on this page.
- 1Town of Danville Building Services - Inspection Codes / Instructions to Schedule Inspections
