About Grand Rapids Elite Chimney Sweep, a Camera-First Chimney Crew
Grand Rapids Elite Chimney Sweep is a Grand Rapids chimney crew built around one habit: show you what the camera sees before anyone talks about the price. Dale Brinkman leads it, with 22 years on West Michigan roofs.
A Roofing Summer and a Better Camera
Dale Brinkman grew up in Grandville and spent one summer on a roofing crew in Wyoming. That was enough. He kept noticing chimneys falling apart in places nobody could see. A year later he was sweeping them. In his second year he earned his CSIA card.
What bothered him was the guessing. A flashlight shows the first few feet of a flue, and everything above that is somebody's opinion. Honestly, we think that's no way to sell a repair. So the crew works with a camera that rotates 360 degrees up the whole flue and a screen the homeowner can watch. The report comes by email with photos. Quotes follow from the pictures.
His sister Karen runs the schedule and the phones. The crew is four people who sweep, scan and do the masonry, and we work Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm. We've learned to leave weekends alone. In our experience, a chimney job done in a hurry on a Saturday is the one you redo in March.
- Typical sweep and scan, one fireplace
- 45 min
- Camera view up the whole flue
- 360°
What You Can Count On
The Screen Comes First
Every sweep includes a camera scan, and you can watch it live. No repair quote shows up without a picture behind it.
A Clean House Afterward
Tarps and runners from the door to the hearth, a HEPA vacuum on the sweep and a quick check that nothing is left on the carpet.
A Report You Keep
A digital report with photos is emailed to you after each visit, with the repair options and what they cost.
Honest Advice
If the flue is in good shape, we say so and see you next fall. We do not sell a repair we cannot show you.
What Sets Grand Rapids Elite Chimney Sweep Apart
- Camera scan of the full flue on every sweep
- Written report with photos, emailed to you
- Our crew sweeps one fireplace in 45 to 60 minutes
- Sweeps done from inside, with a HEPA vacuum
- Repairs quoted from the scan, never before it
- Level 2 inspections for home sales
- Soot depth that means sweep now
- 1/8 in
- Snow a year on Grand Rapids chimneys
- 75 in
The Owner
“People ask why we bother with the camera when a sweep takes 45 minutes anyway. Because the 45 minutes is the easy part. The picture is what lets you decide in your own kitchen.”
Dale Brinkman
Owner, Grand Rapids Elite Chimney SweepDale still takes the first look at most jobs. If you call the office, Karen picks up, and she knows where the crew is that day.
What Our Customers Are Saying
Learn more about how we work.
Certified & Accountable
Book Your Sweep, Inspection or Repair Quote
Leave your name, number and a line about the chimney. We call you back during office hours to set a time.
- Camera scan with every sweep
- Written report with photos
- CSIA-certified sweeps on the crew