Fireplace Inspections That Fit the 10-Day Window

Short answer: on the standard Arizona REALTORS resale contract, the buyer's inspection period is 10 days after acceptance unless the parties write in a different number. A general home inspector often notes the fireplace only as present or not working. Our inspection is free, takes about an hour on site, and gives buyer or seller written findings with photos for the fireplace, chimney, chase and gas unit.

The fireplace in a Valley house tells you a lot about its age. A home built before 1999 may have a brick wood-burning fireplace, sometimes converted to gas logs along the way. A home built after 1998 should have a gas or electric-log unit or an EPA-certified wood unit, because of the clean-burning fireplace rule in A.R.S. 9-500.16. In Phoenix, a fireplace installed on or after December 31, 1998 cannot be altered to burn wood or other solid fuel. If a newer home's fireplace has been changed to burn wood, a buyer should know before closing.

Signs you need this

• You are under contract and the inspection period clock is running
• The home inspection report says the fireplace was not tested
• You are selling and want to know what a buyer's inspector will find
• The listing says gas fireplace but there is no visible gas key or valve
• Water stains, a rusty chase top or cracked stucco show up in listing photos

How we do it

1. Book around the contract datesTell us when the inspection period ends. We offer 3-hour windows Sunday to Friday and call to confirm.
2. Full visual checkRoof, chase or crown, cap, flashing, firebox, damper and the gas unit lit and run, or the wood fireplace checked through the flue.
3. Written findingsA short report with photos, each item marked as safety, repair or maintenance, plus a written price for any repair.
4. Camera only if neededIf something points to a hidden problem inside the flue, a camera scan is priced at the inspection and done only with your go-ahead.

For buyers: what the 10 days are for

The 10-day inspection period is when buyers find out what they are buying and decide what to ask for. Under the AAR contract, the buyer delivers the BINSR (Buyer's Inspection Notice and Seller's Response) within that period, and the seller then has 5 days to respond. A fireplace finding with photos and a written price gives that request a firm number instead of a guess.

Things we most often find on Valley resale homes: rusted chase covers on 1990s and 2000s tract homes, cracked crowns on older brick chimneys, missing caps, a gas valve that will not light the burner after years of no use, and firebox panels cracked from logs dropped in hard.

For sellers: know before the buyer does

Arizona sellers fill out the Seller Property Disclosure Statement, which asks about known problems with the property. An inspection before listing tells you what is there, so the disclosure is accurate and nothing comes as a surprise during the buyer's 10 days. Small items like a dead remote, a missing cap or cloudy glass are cheap to fix before listing and look bad in a buyer's report.

What our report covers

Each report covers the same ground, so buyer and seller are reading the same thing.

• Type of fireplace and fuel, and whether it matches its era
• Exterior: chase cover or crown, cap, flashing, stucco or brick
• Interior: firebox, panels or brick, damper, glass and gasket
• Gas unit: lit and run, pilot and burner condition, vent
• Each item marked safety, repair or maintenance, with photos