From Santa Paula Down the Valley and Out to the Coast
Which Town Is the House In?
Send the town and a rough build year. We call back to set a time.
Why the order matters
The towns at the top of this list are where we work most, and where the chimneys run oldest. Santa Paula's historic downtown has brick chimneys from the early 1900s. Fillmore and the Santa Clara River Valley took real damage in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and some of those stacks were patched rather than rebuilt.
Toward the coast, Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo add salt air to the list, which goes after metal caps and old mortar. Ojai and the foothill edges carry the memory of the 2017 Thomas Fire, so spark screens get a close look there.
our home town in the Santa Clara River Valley
Santa Paula
Santa Paula's historic downtown and the streets around it hold some of the oldest houses in Ventura County, and some chimneys here went up in the early 1900s. On a stack that old we look for a liner before anything else, then read the mortar from the crown down.
Fillmore, a short drive up Highway 126 from Santa Paula
Fillmore
Fillmore owners often call after buying an older place with a fireplace nobody has lit in years. We date the chimney, run a camera up the flue, and say plainly what is safe to burn, what needs a liner, and what can wait.
the county seat, where the Santa Clara River meets the coast
Ventura
Ventura runs from historic downtown houses to newer developments in east Ventura, so one day's route can hold two very different chimneys. We sort out which kind you have on the phone, then bring the right gear for that era.
Ojai and the oak-covered valley over the hill from Santa Paula
Ojai
Ojai fireplaces get real use on cool valley evenings, so creosote builds faster here than in a house where the fireplace is mostly decoration. We sweep, grade the buildup, and tell you how often your own burning really calls for a cleaning.
Ventura County's largest city, from the Shores to the fields
Oxnard
Oxnard is the largest city in Ventura County, and its chimneys split by distance from the water as much as by age. Near the beach we ask what the cap is made of before we ask when the house was built.
Camarillo and the farm country of central Ventura County
Camarillo
Camarillo houses span several decades of building, so one block can mix a masonry firebox with a gas insert next door. We work out which system you have first, because the checks for each are not the same.
Moorpark, at the east end of the route from Santa Paula
Moorpark
Moorpark grew from the 1980s on, and some of those houses came with a factory-built fireplace and a metal flue inside a framed chase. Those systems are only as safe as their listed parts, so our report says whether the cap, firestop and liner are still the right ones.
Agoura Hills, on the inland face of the Santa Monica Mountains
Agoura Hills
Half the houses here date from 1979 or earlier, right when builders were moving from brick to metal. We settle which one you have before anything else, because a factory-built flue in a framed chase gets judged by different rules than masonry in Old Agoura.
Alhambra, the western doorway to the San Gabriel Valley
Alhambra
A 1930s house in Alhambra probably has a brick chimney built on site, so mortar and old quake cracks lead our list. Landlords get the same plain answer as owner-occupants on what can wait, which matters when most households rent.
Arcadia, below the San Gabriels and around Santa Anita Park
Arcadia
Teardowns have changed whole blocks, so the address alone tells us little about the flue. We ask the build year, because an untouched 1960s ranch and its oversized new neighbor, likely with a metal system in a framed chase, need different checks.
Artesia, old dairy country along the 91 Freeway
Artesia
Three of four homes here went up before 1980, which makes most local chimneys old enough to deserve a real look. Half the households rent, so we keep the verdict plain enough for an owner or a tenant to act on.
Avalon, Catalina's harbor town across the water
Avalon
More than half the homes in this island city predate 1950, on lots laid out tight after the 1887 plan. About 82 miles from Santa Paula and across the water, a chimney here deserves a clear list before anyone touches it: safe now, needs work, or fine for later.
Azusa, where the valley floor meets the San Gabriel foothills
Azusa
Age varies sharply by street: downtown bungalows are among the oldest, while Rosedale above town is a newer master plan on old nursery land. Our camera and the build year together decide how much a given flue needs, and a younger house may need very little.
Baldwin Park, mid San Gabriel Valley on the Metrolink line
Baldwin Park
Walnut and citrus land became tracts fast after the war, and half the homes went up before 1964. That age makes the liner the big question on a small ranch house, and a camera answers it better than a guess.
Bell, a dense southeast Los Angeles city of renters
Bell
Roughly three households in four rent here, so a fireplace may have gone years with no one responsible for it. We date the brick, check the flue, and tell the landlord or tenant plainly whether lighting it makes sense.
Bell Gardens, a southeast county city of duplexes and small houses
Bell Gardens
Gas logs in an old firebox can hide a block or brick chimney nobody has looked at in decades. We treat the chimney as what it still is, masonry on a 1950s house, and check it whether or not wood ever burns there.
Bellflower, beside the San Gabriel River
Bellflower
About half the homes here are single-family, and many of the rest are rented, so who pays for a chimney is a fair question. We sort the results: a gas-log conversion may need a simple check, while a cracked 1960s flue needs a decision.
Beverly Hills, the Flats and the blocks south of Santa Monica
Beverly Hills
A fine Tudor from the 1930s can still carry its original chimney, and looks say nothing about what the flue has been through. We date it, run the camera, and give a plain answer on whether that fireplace should be lit.
Bradbury, a tiny foothill town beside the Angeles National Forest
Bradbury
Nearly all of this town is detached and owner-occupied, with half the houses up before 1969, just as metal fireplaces were arriving. That timing means we confirm the system before advising on anything.
Burbank, from the flats up toward the Verdugo Mountains
Burbank
Over a third of local houses go back before 1950, and plenty of younger ones hide gas logs in a masonry firebox. We date your particular chimney from the neighborhood and build year, since the answer changes from the hillside to the flats.
Calabasas, in the hills at the western edge of Los Angeles
Calabasas
Most houses here came after the 1970s, so expect a metal flue in a framed chase rather than brick. Those systems wear out by their own rules, and we check the chase and cap before talking about any repair.
Canoga Park, a west San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles
Canoga Park
Annexed by Los Angeles in 1917, this neighborhood has some pre-war brick alongside its postwar ranch houses. We ask which street and which year, then check whether a gas-log conversion is covering a chimney that still needs attention.
Carson, the South Bay suburb grown from Dominguez rancho land
Carson
Tracts went up here after World War II, and three of four homes are owner-occupied, so the decision on a chimney usually sits with the person living there. Mobile home and condo owners may have little to inspect, and we say so.
Cerritos, a 1970s suburb served by the 91 and 605
Cerritos
Half the homes here went up before 1974, just when factory-built fireplaces were taking over from brick. A look at the flue tells us which you have, and a metal system comes with different questions than masonry.
Claremont, college town under the San Gabriels
Claremont
The City of Trees has about three in four homes built before 1980, from pre-war brick to postwar block with gas logs added. We date yours, then separate real needs from things that can sit another season.
Commerce, an industrial city with small residential pockets
Commerce
Home life here fits into a few neighborhoods like Rosewood and Bandini, where half the houses went up before 1957. An older chimney on one of those streets gets dated and checked before it goes back into use.
Compton, among the older cities in southeast Los Angeles County
Compton
Nearly a third of homes here predate 1950, and a bungalow that old may have a flue nobody has checked in a generation. Our camera shows whether it needs a liner, and we say so in plain terms.
Covina, an old citrus town in the east San Gabriel Valley
Covina
Very few homes here predate 1950, though some early bungalows stand near downtown. For everything else, a 1950s or 1960s chimney with gas logs raises one question: is the old masonry sound enough to need nothing more than a look?
Cudahy, a small dense rental city on the southeast side
Cudahy
Owner-occupants are scarce, about one household in seven, and a single lot here often holds a house with added rentals. A landlord should know which unit's fireplace is actually in use, because that drives how often we suggest a sweep.
Culver City, on the Westside near the Baldwin Hills
Culver City
A 1970s Fox Hills condo and a 1930s brick-chimney house share a city but little else up on the roof. We start by asking the address and build year, because one may need a quick check and the other a hard look at its mortar.
Diamond Bar, hillside tracts by the 57 and 60
Diamond Bar
This city splits almost evenly on chimney age, half before 1980 and half after. We ask the year and check what is really inside, since a stucco hillside house may be metal where you expected masonry.
Downey, southeast county tracts on tree-lined streets
Downey
Streets of ranch homes give this city a uniform look, but each chimney has had its own life since the 1950s. We ask whether you run gas logs or burn wood, because that decides how often a sweep makes sense.
Duarte, a former citrus area on the foothill side of the valley
Duarte
Half the homes here were up by 1968, which puts many chimneys right at the line between site-built masonry and the metal units that followed. Owners get a straight answer on which they have and what it can safely burn.
El Monte, between the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel
El Monte
A narrow lot leaves little room around a chimney, and one that has stood since the 1930s or 1940s can lose mortar where it is hard to see. We get eyes and a camera on it, then rank the repairs by what actually matters.
El Segundo, the South Bay refinery town west of Sepulveda
El Segundo
Small worker houses around the 1911 refinery set the pattern here, and an old chimney on one can be easy to overlook. We date it, look up the flue, and give a straight yes or no on lighting it.
Gardena, South Bay card-club city with a Japanese American community
Gardena
Less than half the homes are detached and about half are owner-occupied, so not every address has a chimney to think about. Where one exists, a 1950s or 1960s stack with gas logs is common, and we check the masonry behind the logs too.
Glendale, below the Verdugos, from Rossmoyne to the Brand corridor
Glendale
Rossmoyne, Royal Boulevard and Cottage Grove hold 1920s homes whose chimneys may be as old as the house. In a historic district we look closely before suggesting anything, and we say what can stay as it is.
Glendora, along Route 66 under the San Gabriels
Glendora
Four of five homes here predate 1980, and the ranch tracts rely on 1950s and 1960s brick or block, often with gas logs added later. A camera tells us more than the age does, so we use it before advising.
Hawaiian Gardens, a tiny, tightly packed city in southeast Los Angeles County
Hawaiian Gardens
Small as the city is, about three of four homes predate 1980, and fewer than half are owner-occupied. In a place this packed, we keep the answer simple: is the flue safe, and if not, what has to happen before the next fire?
Hawthorne, the aviation-era South Bay city along its namesake boulevard
Hawthorne
Aviation work filled these streets with tract houses for three decades after the 1930s, and today only about a quarter of households own. A landlord weighing a chimney repair needs to hear what is urgent and what is not, and that is how we report it.
Hermosa Beach, a South Bay beach town along The Strand
Hermosa Beach
Apartments and condos are the majority here, so many homes have no masonry to worry about at all. Where a pre-war house survives, its brick deserves a slow look, because salt and age tend to loosen mortar together.
Hidden Hills, off the Ventura Freeway at the Valley's west end
Hidden Hills
Every home here is detached, and custom rebuilds keep replacing the older ranch houses with their masonry chimneys. We check which kind you have, since a surviving ranch chimney from around 1970 carries different risks than a new system.
Huntington Park, an early Pacific Electric suburb
Huntington Park
Streetcar-era building from the 1910s to 1940s left a lot of old brick here, with over 40 percent of houses dating before 1950. With most households renting, we explain what the chimney needs in words both landlord and tenant can use.
Industry, a mostly industrial city in the Puente Valley
Industry
Only about 210 people and 40 housing units share this city, so a residential chimney here is an unusual thing. If yours is one of them, the build year is the starting point, and we treat it like any other older stack.
Inglewood, the old townsite on the Newport-Inglewood Fault
Inglewood
The 1920s building boom and the postwar one left two different kinds of chimney here. Nearly a third of homes predate 1950, so we date yours before talking repairs, and owners of rental buildings get a clear order of what comes next.
Irwindale, gravel quarries and industry with few homes
Irwindale
Quarries and open land take up most of the map, and the population is under 1,400. With so few homes, each one is its own case, so we start with what the house is and when it was built.
La Canada Flintridge, foothill estates at the base of Angeles Crest
La Canada Flintridge
Flintridge estates date from the 1920s, and nearly every home in town is a detached house run by its owner. That leaves room for real decisions on a chimney, so we spell out which repairs belong on this year's list and which do not.
La Habra Heights, rural lots in the Puente Hills
La Habra Heights
Wood as main heat is unusually common in this town, so creosote builds the way it does on a working fireplace. We grade the buildup and set a cleaning schedule to fit how hard you burn.
La Mirada, tract country on old olive land
La Mirada
Very few houses here go back before 1950, so pre-war brick is not the usual story. A 1960 tract fireplace is typically masonry anyway, now over sixty years old, and that age alone justifies a look up the flue.
La Puente, postwar suburbs on the old rancho land
La Puente
Eight in ten homes here were built before 1980, most as modest single-story tract houses. A chimney on one of these may have gone decades without a serious look, and the question we answer is simple: can this flue still be used as it stands?
La Verne, the old Lordsburg citrus town near the foothills
La Verne
A Lordsburg-era bungalow near Old Town and a 1980s tract house need completely different conversations. Nearly 4 in 10 homes postdate 1980, so we ask the year first, then decide whether brick or metal is the subject.
Lakewood, an early mass-produced suburb from the 1950s
Lakewood
Most of this city went up between about 1950 and 1953, and not every model the builders offered came with a fireplace. Where one exists, count on it being as old as the tract, and we check it as seventy-odd-year-old masonry.
Lancaster, Antelope Valley desert city
Lancaster
Growth came late here, with about two of three homes built after 1980. A younger chimney often needs less, and we say so when that is true.
Lawndale, a South Bay city along the 405
Lawndale
Older places here, where they have fireplaces, usually have plain brick chimneys and not much attention paid to them since. With most households renting, we keep our report direct: safe to use, not safe, or fine for now.
Lomita, the Harbor area town at Pacific Coast Highway and Narbonne
Lomita
Owners and renters are close to an even split here, and half the units are detached. A ranch house chimney from the 1960s is the usual subject, and we begin with its date and what has been burned in it.
Long Beach, from Bluff Park to the postwar tracts out east
Long Beach
Building came in waves, so a California Heights house and an east side tract can be a generation apart. We ask which neighborhood before saying anything, because the east side may have factory-built units where older districts hold masonry.
Los Angeles jobs we take on from our Ventura County route
Los Angeles
Los Angeles covers 469 square miles, so we ask for the neighborhood as well as the build year. A house in Woodland Hills and one in Silver Lake can be decades apart, and their chimneys show it.
Lynwood, where the Century and Long Beach Freeways meet
Lynwood
Nearly half the homes in this city predate 1950, an unusually old mix for the area. A bungalow chimney that age can have mortar trouble long before it shows from the street, so we go up and check rather than guess.
Malibu, coast and canyons along Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu
Fires in 2018 and 2025 mean many lots here are in the middle of rebuilding, often with modern gas units rather than masonry. Where an older wood-burning chimney survived, we look closely at whether heat did harm that never got inspected.
Manhattan Beach, Sand, Hill and Tree Sections
Manhattan Beach
Old cottages have largely given way to big new houses on narrow lots, and those usually run factory-built gas units. Where an older place remains, brick may still be up there, and we tell you which one you are dealing with before anything else.
Maywood, among the most densely populated cities in the county
Maywood
Tight lots here often carry a bungalow plus added units, and most households rent. An old brick chimney in that setting may serve one fireplace that nobody has used in years, and we say whether it should stay out of service.
Monrovia, foothill streets above Foothill Boulevard and the canyon park
Monrovia
Owners and renters are nearly even here, and period homes north of Foothill Boulevard tend to carry older chimneys. With 28 percent of houses from before 1950, the age conversation comes first, followed by what the flue shows.
Montebello, oil-boom suburb below the Montebello Hills
Montebello
Farms and then oil after 1917 started this suburb, so a bungalow chimney can be about a century old. Postwar stucco houses make up most of the rest, and we match the inspection to the age of yours.
Monterey Park, hillside neighborhoods near Garvey Ranch Park
Monterey Park
Slopes were built on heavily after World War II, and a chimney on a steep lot can be hard to judge from the ground, so the camera and a close look count for more. Roughly half the homes are owner-occupied, so landlords and residents both get the plain version.
Norwalk, one-time dairy land along the 5 and 605
Norwalk
Where a 1950s tract fireplace exists here, it is typically brick, and at close to seventy years old it has earned an honest look. We tell you if the flue still holds up or if a liner is the sensible next step.
Palmdale, high desert suburb around Lake Palmdale and the Joshua trees
Palmdale
Four of five homes here came after 1980, in the commuter and aerospace growth of the 1980s through 2000s. That usually means less old masonry to fear, and we are honest when a younger system needs only a simple check.
Palos Verdes Estates, Olmsted-planned, above Malaga Cove
Palos Verdes Estates
Olmsted Brothers planning from the 1920s gave way to postwar custom ranch and mid-century houses, nearly all detached and owner-occupied. Hillside lots can make a masonry chimney harder to reach, and we plan for that before we climb.
Paramount, the old Hynes and Clearwater farm towns
Paramount
Two farm towns grew together into this city by mid-century, and half the homes went up by 1971. Many households rent, in complexes with no chimney question at all; on a postwar house, we start with the age of the flue and what it has been burning.
Pasadena, home of the Arroyo Seco and the Rose Bowl
Pasadena
In a city of Craftsman bungalows and period houses, over 36 percent of homes go back before 1950, and a chimney is part of the house's character. We say what has to change for safety and what can stay exactly as it was built.
Pico Rivera, formed in 1958 by joining Pico and Rivera
Pico Rivera
Nearly nine in ten homes here predate 1980, and the typical one is a modest single-story house with a brick firebox if it has one at all. We date the stack and tell you how much life is left in it.
Pomona, old citrus town at the basin's east end
Pomona
An 1880s citrus town left Victorian and Craftsman houses standing in Lincoln Park and Wilton Heights, often with brick stacks. Newer streets can have metal units instead, so the roof gets checked before any talk of mortar.
Rancho Palos Verdes, the peninsula city around Portuguese Bend
Rancho Palos Verdes
Ground around Portuguese Bend has been on the move since at least 1956, and a shift like that is not something a chimney forgives. If your house sits near it, we look for a lean and separation first, and we say plainly if lighting a fire is a bad idea.
Redondo Beach, the South Bay port and resort town around King Harbor
Redondo Beach
Masonry on older houses and factory-built gas units in the condos and townhomes that came later make for two separate chimney worlds here. A condo owner needs different answers than someone in an 1890s cottage, and we treat them that way.
Rolling Hills, horse trails high on the Palos Verdes Peninsula
Rolling Hills
Almost every home here is a large detached ranch house, and half went up before 1960, often with a brick chimney still in place. We date it, and if a remodel added gas, check that the old masonry was not simply forgotten.
Rolling Hills Estates, peninsula neighborhoods around the Promenade
Rolling Hills Estates
Four of five homes here predate 1980, yet almost nothing goes back before 1950, so the typical chimney is middle-aged rather than antique. Whether it is ready for another winter of fires comes down to what the camera shows, not to its looks.
Rosemead, San Gabriel Valley near the Whittier Narrows
Rosemead
A quarter of homes here predate 1950, older than the postwar building that replaced the walnut groves. Those are the chimneys we want to look at hardest, and a 1960s stack gets its own simpler check.
San Dimas, foothill town near Bonelli Park and Puddingstone Reservoir
San Dimas
Condos, mobile homes and big Via Verde properties all share this city, and each has its own chimney question. We sort out which system yours is, then tell you how often it really needs cleaning, based on how you burn.
San Fernando, a small separate city inside Los Angeles
San Fernando
After the 1971 and 1994 shaking, the chimney on an older house here may not be the original. We try to tell what was rebuilt and when, since a repair from decades back can look sound and still be the weak spot.
San Gabriel, around the mission founded in 1771
San Gabriel
Many chimneys here are brick from before modern seismic rules, so some are unreinforced or only lightly reinforced. A camera and the build year help settle which one you have, since postwar stacks often do have some steel in them.
San Marino, estate lots around The Huntington
San Marino
Roughly 7 in 10 houses go back before 1950, nearly all of them detached on generous lots. With period chimneys that old, we go slowly, date the work, and separate what is original from later repairs.
Santa Clarita, the valley joining Valencia, Saugus, Newhall and Canyon Country
Santa Clarita
Newhall Land's Valencia plan began in the 1960s, other tracts came in waves, and most flues here are metal or gas, not brick. We check those for what wears them, meaning caps and joints, instead of hunting for mortar problems they do not have.
Santa Fe Springs, the old oil field town on Telegraph Road
Santa Fe Springs
After the oil boom, housing here filled in mostly through the 1950s and 1960s, and a single brick fireplace is the common setup. Steel reinforcement may be present, but decades of age still matter, so we look before saying anything.
Santa Monica, on the ocean, Montana to Ocean Park
Santa Monica
Detached houses are under 20 percent of homes, and most residents rent, so many addresses have no chimney question at all. For a bungalow in Ocean Park or a larger house near Montana, we date it and tell you plainly what the next step is.
Sierra Madre, a preserved foothill village below the mountains
Sierra Madre
Small lots and steep upper streets make a chimney harder to reach here than the village look suggests. Craftsman-era brick should be dated before anyone lights it, and we say clearly what it can handle.
Sherman Oaks, a Valley neighborhood below Mulholland Drive
Sherman Oaks
Lots were laid out from the late 1920s, yet most of this Los Angeles neighborhood was built after World War II, and its tracts lean on single brick fireplaces. We ask for the street and the year, because steel in an old stack does not mean it is sound.
Signal Hill, the oil hill rising above the Long Beach flats
Signal Hill
Redevelopment from the 1980s on left this city's homes younger than those in the Long Beach neighborhoods around it. Condos and townhomes may have little to inspect, and the older houses are where we spend the time.
South El Monte, homes mixed among San Gabriel Valley light industry
South El Monte
Between the warehouses and shops, the residential blocks are small stucco ranch homes, three quarters of them older than 1980. We keep it simple: find the chimney's age, put a camera in the flue, and tell you whether it can be used.
South Gate, factory-era suburb where the river and Rio Hondo meet
South Gate
Factory jobs at Firestone and General Motors built this suburb, and 47 percent of its houses go back before 1950. An old chimney on a mixed block gets dated first, then we look at whether the mortar and flue still do their job.
South Pasadena, old Pacific Electric streets on Mission
South Pasadena
Some brick stacks here are old enough to predate standard clay liners, which makes a camera inspection more than routine. Close to half of homes are from before 1950, so the liner question comes up for many of them.
Temple City, the Camellia Festival town of the San Gabriel Valley
Temple City
Rebuilds have swapped some old ranch houses for larger homes, usually with gas fireplaces, so two neighbors may have nothing in common above the roofline. We check yours as it really is, masonry or gas.
Torrance, the planned South Bay industrial city from 1912
Torrance
Two kinds of city share this name: the small original houses of the 1912 plan and the postwar tracts that fill the rest. Homes from before 1950 are scarce at 8 percent, so we start by asking which of those worlds you live in.
Vernon, an industrial city with a very small population
Vernon
Only about 330 people live here, and the city built most of its new housing as one small apartment complex in the 2010s. Fireplaces are rare as a result, so if you have one, we treat it as the unusual case it is and look closely.
Walnut, a strictly residential city around its big college campus
Walnut
With about 95 percent of homes detached and few multi-unit buildings, most chimney decisions here rest with the person living under it. Half the houses came after 1982, so some need only a light check, and we will say when that is the case.
West Covina, valley floor and the South Hills around Galster Park
West Covina
Tracts began getting factory-built metal fireplaces around the 1970s, and those flues and caps wear differently than brick. In the South Hills or on the flats, we confirm which kind you have before discussing anything else.
West Hollywood, apartments and condos below the Sunset Strip
West Hollywood
About 9 in 100 homes are detached, and one in five is owner-occupied, so a chimney here is likely to belong to a building or a landlord. Whoever decides, we give a plain verdict on whether the fireplace can be used as it stands.
Westlake Village, the lakeside master plan on the old Albertson Ranch
Westlake Village
A man-made lake and a 1960s master plan mean almost no pre-war brick here, so a chimney is middle-aged at most. About 6 in 10 homes predate 1980, and we check yours at the flue rather than guessing from the style.
Whittier, the Uptown streets below the Puente Hills
Whittier
Homes older than 1980 make up close to 90 percent of this city, and many predate modern seismic rules, so expect brick with little or no reinforcement. We are direct about what that means for anyone planning to light a fire this season.
Port Hueneme, the low coastal town beside the naval base
Port Hueneme
A wharf from 1871 and later the naval base grew this town, and about two homes in three are attached or multi-unit. Only 16 miles from Santa Paula, it is close to home for us, and we tell you what a salt-worn chimney really needs.
Simi Valley, on the far side of Moorpark
Simi Valley
Simi Valley was built out from the 1960s through the 2000s, with both brick and factory-built fireplaces. Brick stacks here that were patched after the 1994 earthquake get a close look at how the old repair is holding.
Thousand Oaks and the Conejo Valley, down Highway 23 from Moorpark
Thousand Oaks
Many Thousand Oaks homes were built between the 1960s and the 1990s with prefabricated fireplaces and factory-built chimneys. Dating one tells us which maker's parts to look for, and whether the original cap is still on it.
Aliso Viejo, San Joaquin Hills in south county
Aliso Viejo
Very few homes here predate 1980, so old masonry is rarely the question. We would sooner tell a condo owner that a quick check is enough, if it is, than talk up work the unit does not need.
Anaheim, from the old Mother Colony to the Anaheim Hills
Anaheim
Disneyland's 1955 opening brought a wave of tracts, and half the city's homes went up before 1973, when metal fireplaces were gaining ground. Only about 1 in 25 predates 1950, so we check for metal as often as masonry.
Brea, the old oil-seep town against the Puente Hills
Brea
Gas or factory-built units are the norm in Olinda Ranch and La Floresta, while small houses near downtown may have something older. That makes the neighborhood our opening question, because metal flues wear differently than brick.
Buena Park, the north Orange County home of Knott's Berry Farm
Buena Park
Half the homes here went up before 1965, and that stucco tract age puts many chimneys past sixty. A fireplace that old may still work well, and we go by what the flue shows, not by the calendar.
Costa Mesa, the former Harper, home of the Orange County Fair
Costa Mesa
Postwar tracts spread here after the Army Air Base years, often with one brick fireplace and steel inside. That steel is now decades old, and we check whether the chimney is still holding together as it should.
Cypress, once called Dairy City, near Cypress College
Cypress
Dairy land became tract neighborhoods here from the 1950s through the 1970s, so three of four homes predate 1980. A chimney that age may sit unused for years, and we tell you whether it deserves attention.
Dana Point, bluff-top south Orange County around Lantern Village
Dana Point
Sidney Woodruff's 1920s Lantern Village and the gated estates at Monarch Beach could hardly be more different on the roof. We ask where you are and what you burn, then say plainly what a house like yours actually needs.
Fountain Valley, former artesian farmland along the Santa Ana River
Fountain Valley
Farmland here became tracts largely during the 1960s and 1970s, and close to 82 percent of houses predate 1980, with almost none before 1950. That narrow window lets us make a good opening guess on what your flue is, then confirm it.
Fullerton, home of Cal State Fullerton and the West Coyote Hills
Fullerton
Masonry fireplaces come with the Sunny Hills ranches, while the newer Amerige Heights houses, built where Hughes Aircraft stood, run factory-built or gas units. Same city, opposite inspections, so we start by asking the street and the year.
Garden Grove, the old orchard city near Little Saigon and Little Seoul
Garden Grove
Tract houses replaced the orchards after the war, and site-built brick is likely in those fireplaces. Later homes may have metal instead, so we tell you which you have before discussing any repair.
Huntington Beach, Surf City, from downtown to Huntington Harbour
Huntington Beach
Build year is a useful guide here: 1960s tract fireplaces lean masonry, and metal ones arrive over the next two decades. A Huntington Harbour condo and an early downtown cottage will get very different advice from us.
Irvine, planned villages near the Great Park
Irvine
Half the homes in this city are newer than 2002, and condos or apartments outnumber detached houses in many villages. For many addresses the honest answer is that not much is needed, and we would rather say so than invent work.
La Habra, at the pass through the Puente Hills
La Habra
Small bungalows near downtown are the oldest houses here, and most of the city followed by 1980. Given what this ground did in 2014, we check an old chimney's mortar and upper courses before anyone lights it.
La Palma, the old Dairyland, planned in the 1960s
La Palma
Incorporated as Dairyland in 1955, this small city went up almost all at once, so fireplaces here split between old brick or block and factory-built units from later on. We look at yours directly, because the age alone will not settle which.
Laguna Beach, ocean frontage below steep canyons
Laguna Beach
Art colony cottages in town and up the canyons often carry brick or stone chimneys, and 27 percent of houses go back before 1950. Newer custom houses run anywhere from masonry to gas, so we do not assume anything until we have looked.
Laguna Hills, south county hills around Nellie Gail Ranch
Laguna Hills
Homes here split almost evenly on either side of 1980, and only about 1 in 100 goes back before 1950. On a semi-custom house in Nellie Gail Ranch, we confirm what was actually built before advising on it.
Laguna Niguel, south county hillsides by Aliso and Wood Canyons
Laguna Niguel
Roughly 1 house in 4 predates 1980, and condos and townhomes make up much of the rest. A big hillside house in Bear Brand or a condo near Salt Creek gets the same treatment: we set a sweep schedule by how you actually burn.
Laguna Woods, the age-restricted community beside Irvine
Laguna Woods
This community is generally for residents 55 and older, very few units are detached, and the associations handle exterior work. We tell a unit owner what the fireplace needs, often factory-built or gas, and what belongs to the association.
Lake Forest, in the Saddleback Valley near Foothill Ranch
Lake Forest
About 6 in 10 homes here are newer than 1980, and Baker Ranch is newer still. Those younger chimneys can be fine with light attention, and the older places get a closer look at crown and flue.
Los Alamitos, small city east of the San Gabriel River
Los Alamitos
Multi-family buildings make up much of this small city, with fewer than half of homes owner-occupied. A 1960s tract house with a masonry fireplace is the main chimney question, and we answer it with the flue in view, not by assumption.
Mission Viejo, Saddleback Valley around the lake and the college
Mission Viejo
Almost nothing here predates 1950, but about half the homes were up by 1979. With detached owner-occupied houses the rule, the decision is yours, so we keep it practical: what the flue shows, and how often a fireplace used your way needs cleaning.
Newport Beach, from Balboa Island to Newport Coast
Newport Beach
Corona del Mar cottages, Lido Isle rebuilds and Newport Coast estates sit under one city name with very different chimneys. We ask the neighborhood and the year, since salt, age and construction change completely from one to the next.
Orange, from Old Towne's Plaza Square to the Eichler tracts
Orange
Original brick chimneys are common in Old Towne, where a house can date back well before 1950, while Eichler tracts bring a wholly different mid-century setup. We say what is safe and what is original, and we do not push one fix on both.
Placentia, the old citrus-packing town in north Orange County
Placentia
Half the homes here predate 1976, with brick or block fireplaces from that era and factory-built units afterward. A look up the flue ends the guessing, and we explain in plain terms which repairs make sense.
Rancho Santa Margarita, master-planned foothill town around its lake
Rancho Santa Margarita
Almost nothing here predates 1980, which makes an old masonry stack a rare sight. A master-planned house from the 1990s may need only a light check, and we are plain about that before suggesting anything bigger.
San Clemente, the Spanish Village by the Sea
San Clemente
Ole Hanson's 1925 plan called for red tile roofs over white walls, and many of those historic houses survive near downtown. About 44 percent of homes predate 1980, so we ask about the year, then match the inspection to it.
San Juan Capistrano, the mission town and Los Rios streets
San Juan Capistrano
Montanez Adobe and its Los Rios neighbors date from around the Mission period, while half the city went up by 1979. Equestrian properties add another kind of home, and we look at each chimney on its own terms.
Santa Ana, the county's old center around the 1901 courthouse
Santa Ana
Floral Park, Washington Square and French Park hold older houses, often brick-chimneyed, while apartments fill much of the rest of the city. Only about 1 in 8 homes predates 1950, so those historic neighborhoods are where our camera matters most.
Seal Beach, old town by the pier and the wildlife refuge
Seal Beach
Mid-century tracts fill College Park, while Surfside Colony sits on the sand, so salt and age affect them differently. Detached houses are just 36 percent of homes, and we tell you whether your unit even has a chimney worth inspecting.
Stanton, a compact city along Beach Boulevard
Stanton
Detached houses are barely a quarter of the homes in this compact city of about three square miles. If you own one of those small stucco tract houses, we check the flue and tell you if it still makes sense to use it.
Tustin, central Orange County from Old Town to the old air station
Tustin
Early 1900s houses and brick chimneys in the Old Town Cultural Resources District deserve care. Half the homes came after 1983, and those need a different talk, so we begin by asking which part of town you are in.
Villa Park, custom homes ringed by two larger neighbors
Villa Park
Some large houses here have a second site-built masonry fireplace, and each flue has its own history. We inspect each one and say which can keep burning and which should wait for repairs.
Westminster, an 1870 Presbyterian temperance colony
Westminster
Half the houses here date from before 1971, a time when fireplaces were still likely brick or block. Later houses moved to factory-built units, so we identify what you have and explain what a sound version of it looks like.
Yorba Linda, the old Quaker colony and Nixon's birthplace
Yorba Linda
Bigger lots here often come with gas or factory-built fireplaces, and custom houses are the likelier place for masonry. We check which one you have, since an older colony-era street and a 1980s stucco tract call for different attention.
Riverside, the Inland Empire's old navel orange city
Riverside
Victorian houses in Heritage Square may carry a very old chimney, while half the city came after 1976 and needs a different look. We ask the neighborhood and year, then say what is safe to use.
Corona, the Circle City around Grand Boulevard
Corona
Three of four homes here came after 1980, so old brick is the exception. When a house is this young, we say what it actually needs, which may be little.
Los Angeles County, from Malibu to Lancaster and Catalina Island
Los Angeles County
With roughly 3.65 million homes countywide, prewar brick clusters near downtown and the older suburbs. Whether you are in Marina del Rey, East Los Angeles or an incorporated city, the conversation opens with where you live and when the house went up.
Riverside County, inland valley out to the Coachella desert
Riverside County
Close to 870,000 homes, half of them younger than 1990, spread across cities as different as Temecula, Palm Springs and Corona. Desert homes from mid-century need other answers than a young inland tract, so we begin with where yours sits.
Orange County, from the coast to the Santa Ana Mountains
Orange County
This county holds some 1.15 million homes, half built before 1977 and only about 1 in 25 from before 1950. Floral Park and Old Towne Orange hold much of the older work, so we ask your neighborhood and date the chimney from there.
Ventura County, our home county from the coast to Mount Pinos
Ventura County
Old adobes and houses around Santa Paula, Fillmore and Ojai can still have masonry chimneys, while harbor homes in Oxnard face other wear. Close to home or out on a farm, we date the chimney and say what comes next.
Town not on the list?
Call anyway. If the house sits between two of these towns, we will tell you on the phone whether we can reach it.