Pacific Palisades Chimney Work for Smoky, Smelly Hearths
Eighteen jobs, sorted by the symptom that usually leads to them
Smoke in the room points to fireplace repair or a sweep. A gas flame that lifts or dies points to gas repair. Leaks, cracks and new installs follow after.
Chimney Sweep
Soot, nests and creosote narrow the flue until smoke backs up; brushing them out is usually the first draft fix we try.
See the jobChimney Inspection
Flashlight, mirror and a smoke test: a visual look at every reachable part of the chimney, priced at $57 for Level 1.
See the jobChimney Repair
Cracked liners, gaps in the smoke chamber and broken caps all leak draft; we repair the part that lets smoke escape.
See the jobFireplace Inspection
Firebox, damper, lintel and hearth looked over with a draft test at the opening, so you learn why smoke spills.
See the jobFireplace Repair
Warped dampers, oversized openings and missing smoke guards push smoke indoors; we fix the one causing your spillage.
See the jobChimney Level 2 Inspection
Camera footage from the full flue, used when smoke, a chimney fire, a sale or an earthquake raises questions; $355.
See the jobChimney Cap Installation
Downdraft from gusty canyon wind often stops with the right cap; we fit stainless caps sized to the flue, $170 to $695.
See the jobChimney Flashing Repair
Damp, musty fireplace smells often start where roof meets chimney; we reseal that joint so the masonry dries out.
See the jobChimney Masonry Repair
Loose brick and crumbling joints let air leak into the flue and water into the walls; we repoint and rebuild them.
See the jobChimney Rebuilds
Sometimes a short or damaged stack can only draw properly once rebuilt taller or straighter; we quote that honestly.
See the jobFireplace Cleaning
Lingering campfire odour usually comes from ash and creosote left in the firebox; a deep clean removes most of it.
See the jobGas Fireplace Cleaning
Yellow, lazy flames and soot on the glass mean the burner or logs need attention; we clean and reset them yearly.
See the jobGas Fireplace Repair
Pilot that will not hold, burner that shuts off, a gas smell or a headache near the unit: we find the failed part.
See the jobFireplace Remodel
Remodeling a smoky fireplace? We fix the draft first, then change the surround, mantel or opening so it stays fixed.
See the jobFireplace Inserts
Sealed inserts with their own liner end most smoke spillage for good; gas inserts installed run $2,900 to $5,800.
See the jobPellet Stove Repair
Sooty glass, smoke puffs on startup or a stove that shuts down: often a dirty exhaust path or a tired fan.
See the jobWood Stove Repair
Smoke leaking from the door, a stove that runs hot or will not hold a fire: worn gaskets and baffles are the usual culprits.
See the jobGas Logs
Burning wood but tired of smoke? Vented gas logs in the existing firebox give a cleaner fire, with the damper clamped open.
See the jobWhat Happens After You Call About Smoke
You describe the problem, we test the draft and look up the flue, then you get the cause and a written price. Nothing is booked until you agree to it.
Describe the Smoke
Call or send the form and tell us what you notice in your own words: smoke in the room, a smell, a fire that will not catch, or a gas flame that drops out. When it happens and what is running in the house at the time helps a lot.
We Set a Visit
We book a time that suits you, often the same day, and tell you the starting price for the visit type before anyone arrives. If you have photos of the chimney top or the firebox, send them along.
Draft Test on Site
The technician checks the damper, flue and cap, then uses a smoke pencil or a small test fire to watch where the smoke goes. Fans and doors are switched on and off to see whether the house is pulling air down the chimney.
The Cause, Explained
You hear what is causing the problem and see photos of it. Every repair option comes with a written price, including the simplest one that may be enough on its own.
Fix and Retest
Once you agree, we do the work and run the same draft test again so you can see the change. For gas units we also measure carbon monoxide before we pack up.
Fireplace acting up tonight?
Call (424) 677-4493Smoky Rooms, Explained Before They Are Fixed
Everett Chimney Works answers Pacific Palisades homeowners who are tired of opening a window to light a fire. We measure, test and explain before we suggest any work.
Smoke that spills, a smell that lingers and a fire that will not catch all have physical causes: a cold or narrow flue, a damper that sticks half shut, a cap that lets wind push down, or a house that pulls air the wrong way.
We test for each in turn, show you what we found, and price the smallest repair that makes the fireplace draw again before suggesting anything larger.
Your Words First
We start with how you describe the problem, whether it is a smell, a haze, or a fire that will not catch, and work back to the cause from there rather than leading with a standard package.
Test, Then Fix
Every smoky fireplace gets a draft test before any work is suggested and after it is finished, so a repair is matched to a cause you have seen with your own eyes.
Safety Over Comfort
Haze indoors carries the same gases a flue is meant to carry away. We check for carbon monoxide on gas units and draft repairs, and we tell you plainly when a fireplace should not be used until it is fixed.
Coastal Chimneys, Known Problems
Damp ocean air, canyon winds and remodeled rooflines all affect draft in Pacific Palisades and the nearby coast. We know how those shape a smoke problem here and plan the repair around them.
Smoke and draft calls across the Westside / Malibu Coast
10 towns are on the list. Type yours, or open the directory and read the draft notes for it.
Pacific Palisades
the bluffs, canyon rims and rebuilt streets between Sunset Boulevard and the ocean
Here the smoke call often comes from a house that was just rebuilt or remodeled: a new tight envelope pulls air down the old flue, or a new roofline now sits higher than the chimney. Owners who stayed through the January 2025 fire also ask us whether heat or ash reached the flue, which a camera answers.
Beverly Hills
the flats below Sunset and the winding hillside streets above it
Large Beverly Hills living rooms often have wide, tall fireplace openings that look grand but are too large for the flue above them. That mismatch is a classic cause of smoke spilling at the top of the opening, and a smoke guard or glass doors usually cure it without changing the look much.
Brentwood
the leafy streets and canyon roads north of Sunset and down toward San Vicente
Big Brentwood houses often have two or three fireplaces sharing one masonry stack. When one fire is lit, smoke can drift down a neighboring flue into another room, a problem that looks like a leak but is really a short flue partition or uneven flue heights at the top.
Culver City
Culver City streets from Culver Crest and Blair Hills down to the Expo line
Plenty of Culver City bungalows have added a second storey or a large rear addition, and the original chimney now sits lower than the new roof. When we hear that a fireplace started smoking after a remodel, chimney height relative to the new roof is the first thing we measure.
Further along the route
6 further towns on the full list
The full list has every town and its notes.
Booking a Draft Check
Your town is likely on the route; call or send the form
Describe the smoke, the smell or the flame and give us the street. The desk confirms the town and offers the first open morning.
Why It Smokes, Smells or Will Not Light
The questions below are the ones we hear on the phone most, worded the way people ask them. If yours is different, ring the Pacific Palisades desk and describe it.
Your fireplace does something odd?
Describe it on the phone. Odd symptoms are usually the useful ones.
(424) 677-4493A Fireplace in Pacific Palisades That Smokes Back at You?
We find why the smoke turns around, show you, and put the repair price on paper. Visits run across Westside / Malibu Coast.
Smoke, Smell or Weak Draft?
Give us a name, a number and the symptom. The desk calls you about timing.