What the general home inspection actually did
A standard home inspection is broad by design. The inspector opens the damper, looks up with a torch, notes that a fireplace exists and moves on to the next system. That is not a criticism — it is the scope of the job.
What it cannot tell you is whether the flue is lined, whether the liner is intact, whether the crown has cracked through, or whether a previous owner vented a gas appliance into a flue that was never sized for it. All four are expensive, and none of them are visible from the hearth.
Level 1 and Level 2, and which one a sale needs
A Level 1 covers everything readily accessible: the firebox, the damper, the visible portion of the flue and the exterior of the stack. It is the right inspection for a system that has not changed and is in routine use.
A Level 2 adds a camera run through the full length of the flue, plus accessible portions of the attic and crawlspace where the chimney passes through. It is the standard whenever something has changed — and a change of ownership is explicitly one of those occasions.
For a property transaction, a Level 2 is the one worth paying for. It is the only one that sees the part of the chimney nobody has looked at in decades.
Why it matters more on Atlanta's older stock
Intown Atlanta has a great deal of housing built before liners were standard practice. A bare brick flue is not an unusual finding in West End, Grant Park or Kirkwood, and it is a genuine safety matter rather than a technicality.
There is a second pattern specific to renovated older houses: a modern insert or gas appliance dropped into an original masonry flue during a flip, without relining. It looks finished and it draws badly, and the acidic condensate works on the masonry from the inside.
Neither shows up in a walkthrough. Both change what a house is worth.
Timing it around a closing
The practical constraint is usually the calendar rather than the inspection. Tell whoever you book the actual closing date, and expect a straight answer about whether it can be met.
What you should end up holding is a document: photographs of each component, a condition note for each, and clear recommendations. That is what gets attached to a negotiation. A verbal 'it looked fine' is worth nothing to either side.
Want a professional to take a look?
Fluora Prime Chimmey Sweep serves 20 cities across metro Atlanta, 24 hours a day. Estimates are free and there is no obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be a useful starting point, but it was commissioned by the other party. On anything expensive — a liner, a crown, a rebuild — it is worth having your own, with your own photographs.
That is what the report is for. A photographed condition report is the strongest position either side can hold in a negotiation, because it replaces opinion with evidence.