Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Gelco Chimney Liner & Rebuild in McKinney: What to Know First
We provide independent Gelco chimney liner and rebuild service in McKinney, with most Gelco liner replacements and partial rebuilds scheduled within a week and completed in one to two days. Every job starts with a camera-scan inspection and ends with a written price, photo documentation, and our 365-Day Done Right Promise. We are not affiliated with or authorized by Gelco; we are an independent service provider who sources parts through Haven’s buying network and installs them to NFPA 211 standards.
This page is for McKinney homeowners who already have a Gelco liner or Gelco-compatible system and have been told it needs repair, replacement, or a full rebuild. If you are seeing water in the firebox, hearing debris fall during storms, or were handed an estimate for liner work without camera evidence, call us at (469) 429-2623 for a free second opinion. The camera doesn’t lie, and neither does the written quote.
How Gelco Products Fail - and How We Fix Them
- Gelco Stainless Pro series: weld-seam corrosion at the flex-to-rigid transition. The Pro line uses a welded collar where the flexible liner meets the rigid chimney pot or top plate. In McKinney, thermal cycling between 95-degree August afternoons and below-freezing January nights stresses that weld faster than in consistently cold climates. We see hairline cracks at 8 to 12 years, not the 15-plus the marketing suggests. Our fix: cut back to sound metal, install a DuraFlex or Olympia Chimney transition piece with a mechanical clamp, and document the joint with a post-repair camera pass.
- Gelco SmoothWall liners: delamination of the ceramic coating in high-moisture flues. SmoothWall’s selling point is reduced creosote adhesion, but the ceramic layer can bubble and flake when a chimney leaks from a cracked crown or missing cap. McKinney’s spring storm season accelerates this. Once delamination starts, the bare stainless underneath is more prone to pitting than a bare 316Ti liner would have been. We strip the damaged section, evaluate the remaining wall thickness with a pit gauge, and replace with HeatShield cerfractory foam or a new 316Ti liner depending on what the gauge shows.
- Gelco Top-Lock chimney caps: galvanized hardware failure in Collin County’s clay-rich soil environment. The cap itself is stainless, but the original mounting hardware on older Gelco caps was galvanized steel. When acidic condensation runs down the flue and weeps into the masonry, that hardware rusts, swells, and spalls the top course of brick. We replace with all-stainless through-bolts and a copper or stainless cap from Famco or Copperfield, matched to the existing Gelco liner diameter.
- Gelco oval-to-round adapters in fireplace inserts: creosote bridging at the offset. These adapters are necessary for tight flue fits, but the abrupt geometry creates a low-velocity zone where Class II and III creosote accumulate. In McKinney’s older homes near Historic Downtown, where fireplace inserts were retrofitted into 1970s masonry, we see this constantly. We pull the adapter, inspect the liner wall behind it with a borescope, and either ream and re-install or replace with a custom-fabbed gradual taper from our sheet-metal shop.
- Gelco liner collars and storm collars: sealant degradation in Texas UV. The high-temp silicone used at the collar-to-flue joint breaks down after four to six summers of McKinney sun exposure, not from heat. Water tracks behind the collar, saturates the surrounding brick, and freezes. Our fix: remove old sealant back to clean metal, apply new high-temp silicone rated for 500°F continuous with a UV stabilizer, and add a secondary drip edge. We photograph the before and after from the same camera angle for your record.
Our Gelco Chimney Liner & Rebuild Process

- 1
Schedule and scope confirmation. When you call (469) 429-2623, a live person answers. We confirm your Gelco model if you know it, the appliance type, and what symptoms you’re seeing. We do not quote over the phone.
- 2
NFPA 211 Level 2 inspection with camera scan. Corrine Halstead or one of our uniformed, background-checked technicians runs a camera from the firebox to the cap, recording the full flue wall, joints, and any damage. You watch the footage in real time. This is Clause 4 of the Haven Standard, and we have done it on every job since 2009.
- 3
Written diagnosis, scope, and price. We name what we found, what it means, and what it costs. If your Gelco liner can be repaired with an OEM part, we say so. If a quality aftermarket part from DuraFlex or Olympia Chimney is the better value, we say that too. The price is on paper before you decide.
- 4
Parts procurement through Haven’s buying network. We source Gelco-compatible components, DuraFlex, HeatShield, or other materials specifically to keep customer prices honest. No markup surprises.
- 5
Installation, pressure test or smoke test, and cleanup. Liner jobs get a vacuum test or a smoke test depending on the system. Rebuilds get a structural review of adjacent masonry. We leave the work area cleaner than we found it.
- 6
Documented photo record and warranty delivery. You receive photos of the completed work, a written warranty, and our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If it’s not done right, we make it right.
Before
AfterWhat Gelco Chimney Liner & Rebuild Costs in McKinney
These are the ranges we have written on actual Gelco jobs in McKinney over the past three years. Your exact price depends on what the camera shows.
| Service | Typical Range | What Moves the Price |
|---|---|---|
| Gelco liner section repair (patch, collar, or adapter) | $340 - $720 | Height of work, accessibility, whether the insert must be pulled |
| Partial Gelco liner replacement (single story, straight flue) | $1,800 - $2,900 | Liner diameter, need for new top plate or cap, insulation wrap |
| Full Gelco liner replacement (two story, with offsets) | $3,200 - $4,800 | Number of offsets, demolition of old liner, crown repair |
| Partial chimney rebuild with Gelco liner replacement | $5,500 - $8,200 | Courses replaced, footing condition, scaffolding needs |
| Full chimney rebuild with new liner system | $9,500 - $14,000 | Height, brick matching, hearth extension, permit requirements |
McKinney requires a permit for any chimney rebuild affecting more than 25 percent of the masonry height, and a separate inspection for liner-only replacement if the appliance is solid-fuel. We pull permits as part of the scope, with the cost built into the written price. Call (469) 429-2623 for an exact quote - estimates are free, and we honor our Free Second Opinion on any competitor’s written estimate.
Why McKinney Homeowners Call Level Two Chimney McKinney for Gelco Work

We have inspected and cleaned more than 38,000 chimneys since 2009, and a significant share of those have been Gelco systems in Collin County homes built during the 1990s and 2000s construction waves. Corrine Halstead learned what deteriorating mortar joints look like on the older homes near McKinney’s Historic Downtown, and she learned to spot the difference between a liner that needs replacement and one that needs a $300 repair.
Our technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and assigned by name. You get a text when yours is en route. We do not send a subcontractor who has never seen a Gelco Top-Lock cap. If your job needs a part we do not stock, we source through Haven’s buying network from DuraFlex, HeatShield, Olympia Chimney, Famco, or Copperfield - not from whatever is cheapest this week. And we do not start work until you have a written price, a written scope, and a written warranty in your hand. That is Haven Standard Clause 1. If we miss something, the 365-Day Done Right Promise covers it. No voicemail, no runaround. Call (469) 429-2623 and a live person answers.
FAQs
The original Gelco warranty on most residential liners was 15 years from manufacture, and it required installation by a factory-authorized technician using OEM parts. Since we are an independent Gelco service provider, not an authorized dealer, any remaining factory warranty is typically voided by our work. We offset this with our own 365-Day Done Right Promise and a written warranty on parts and labor that we stand behind directly. Call (469) 429-2623 to discuss what coverage applies to your specific installation.
Yes, for most lines. Gelco’s Stainless Pro and SmoothWall components remain available through wholesale channels, though some proprietary fittings from the early 2000s have been discontinued. When an OEM part is obsolete, we substitute with a functionally equivalent component from DuraFlex or Olympia Chimney, document the change in your photo record, and warranty the replacement ourselves. We do not install used or salvaged liner sections.
The camera decides. Surface rust or a loose collar can be repaired. Pitting deeper than 20 percent of wall thickness, multiple perforations, or delamination exceeding 12 inches means replacement. We show you the footage, take the measurement, and explain which side of the line your liner is on before quoting either option. Call (469) 429-2623 to schedule the inspection.
A straight single-story replacement is usually one day. A two-story with offsets, or any job requiring a partial rebuild, is typically two days. We do not promise same-day completion because the condition of the existing masonry often reveals itself only after the old liner is out. We build realistic timelines into the written scope, and we do not charge extra if an unforeseen delay extends the job by a few hours.
A compromised liner allows heat, sparks, and combustion gases into the chimney cavity. In McKinney’s dry winter months, that is a chimney fire risk. Carbon monoxide can leak through mortar joints into living spaces, particularly in homes with negative pressure from tight construction and range hoods. The camera footage tells us whether the risk is theoretical or immediate. Either way, we do not recommend work you do not need, and we do not downplay hazards the inspection has confirmed. Call (469) 429-2623 for a free estimate.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner, Level Two Chimney McKinney at Level Two Chimney McKinney, serving McKinney and nearby areas.



Before
After
Before
After
Before
After