The rule behind a sale inspection, and the report it makes

The written report and its photos are sent the day we inspect. You pick the readers: buyer, seller, either agent, or every one of them.

If an insurer or a city inspector ever asks about the chimney, this is the file you can hand over, photos included.

NFPA 211 is a published standard covering chimneys, fireplaces and vents. It singles out four moments for a Level 2. One is a change of owner. Three more are a burn inside the flue, a damaging quake and a switch from one fuel to another.

A change of owner is the moment that applies to a sale, and a buyer's contingency has an end date.

A Level 1 is an eyes-only look at parts within reach. With a Level 2, a camera travels the flue end to end, and then we check any attic, crawlspace and roof area open to us.

The report sets what the camera saw beside NFPA 211 and the local building code. Anything under that mark is listed as needing repair before the fireplace is lit.

Once conditions are listed, a buyer can press the seller for the work, a credit, or another look from us. Buyer, seller and agents sort that out among themselves. Legal and contract advice is not part of our service.

Jobs such as an insert or a rebuild can involve a city permit, which the city office can confirm. We start in West Carson and reach Long Beach, Torrance, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes.