Famco Flue Liner Replacement: The Los Angeles Owner’s Guide
We stock and install Famco-compatible flue liner replacement in Los Angeles, with most jobs running $1,800 to $3,400 installed depending on chimney height and diameter. Same-day service is available when you call before noon, and we carry the common Famco diameters on our trucks. Most Los Angeles homeowners discover the problem during a heating season startup, when smoke backs up into the room or a Level-2 inspection reveals cracked terra cotta or corroded stainless showing daylight through the wall.
Which Famco Models This Applies To
Famco flue liners fall into two main series you’ll see in Los Angeles homes: the standard-duty galvanized round liners common in 1960s-1980s construction, and the heavier 304-grade stainless liners Famco shifted to in the 1990s. The critical compatibility gotcha is diameter-to-flue match. A 6-inch Famco liner forced into a 5.5-inch terra cotta flue will fail early from creosote packing and poor draft. We measure with a caliper at three heights, not one, because Los Angeles chimneys settle unevenly on our clay soils.
To identify your part, look for the stamped Famco label on the top section, visible from the roof. If the label’s corroded off, measure the inner diameter and note whether your liner is single-wall or the double-wall insulated version Famco sold for zero-clearance fireplaces. OEM Famco liners are out of production, so we source equivalent-grade 316Ti stainless from our regular suppliers, matched to the original spec. The aftermarket equivalent we use carries the same 15-year warranty and installs without modifying your existing termination cap.
Signs Your Famco Flue Liner Replacement Is Failing
- Smoke spillage at startup. Your Famco liner has likely separated at a joint or cracked from thermal cycling. Los Angeles temperature swings, 40 degrees at dawn to 80 by afternoon in winter, stress thin-gauge metal more than steady cold climates.
- White efflorescence or rust stains on the exterior brick. Moisture is getting through gaps in the liner and condensing in the chimney wall. In the hills around Griffith Park and Mount Washington, we see this accelerate where marine air meets heated flue gases.
- Flaking or spalling terra cotta visible from the cleanout. The Famco liner has shifted or collapsed, exposing the clay thimble to direct combustion. This is not a cleaning issue; the liner is no longer protecting your chimney structure.
- Strong odor when the fireplace is not in use. A breached Famco liner allows downdraft to pull creosote smell into the house. If you notice this in a Santa Ana wind pattern, the liner termination is likely damaged or improperly seated.
- Your sweep flags “light visible through liner wall” on inspection. Pinholes in stainless or rust-through in galvanized Famco liners are progressive. They start small and enlarge quickly once the protective oxide layer is compromised.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
| Scope | Price Range |
|---|---|
| Famco liner replacement, single-story chimney (up to 20 ft) | $1,800 - $2,400 |
| Famco liner replacement, two-story or steep roof (20-35 ft) | $2,400 - $3,000 |
| Famco liner replacement with chimney crown repair | $2,800 - $3,400 |
| Level-2 camera inspection with written report | $289 - $349 |
What drives the range: chimney height, roof pitch and access, whether the existing liner pulls out cleanly or fragments, and if the top plate and termination need replacement too. Our estimate includes the liner, top plate, rain cap, insulation wrap where code requires it, and disposal of the old material. We do not add trip charges or permit fees after the fact. The 90-Day Done Right Promise covers the installation, and the liner itself carries the manufacturer’s warranty. A square deal: no surprises on the bill.
DIY or Call Us?
There is no safe DIY path for flue liner replacement. The work involves working at height on a roof, handling sharp stainless sections in a confined vertical space, and properly insulating and sealing to NFPA 211 standards. A liner that drops short of the appliance collar or gaps at a joint creates a carbon monoxide path into the living space. We have pulled out enough homeowner attempts in Los Angeles to know where the mistakes repeat: wrong diameter, no insulation, unsupported sections that sag and separate. What you can safely check yourself is whether smoke is drafting properly and whether your cleanout door is intact. Beyond that, this is a job for a trained technician with the right pull ropes, cones, and camera verification. Call (844) 803-1545 and we’ll walk through what we found on similar Famco systems in your neighborhood.
FAQs
A properly installed stainless Famco liner should last 15 to 20 years in Los Angeles, though the original galvanized versions often fail at 10 to 12 years due to our combination of coastal moisture and temperature cycling. The marine layer that rolls in from Santa Monica and San Pedro accelerates surface corrosion on lower-grade metals. Call (844) 803-1545 for an exact assessment of your liner’s condition, estimates are free.
Localized cracks in stainless can sometimes be sleeved with a smaller diameter liner, but this is only viable when the original liner is structurally sound overall. In most Los Angeles homes we inspect, the Famco liner has multiple failure points or is the wrong size for the appliance, making full replacement the sounder investment. Call (844) 803-1545 and we’ll show you the camera footage so you can decide from fact, not pressure.
Most Famco flue liner replacements in Los Angeles are completed in a single four- to six-hour visit, including setup, removal, installation, and camera verification. Two-story homes or chimneys with offset flues may extend to a second day. We’ll be there when we say, and we do not leave until the draft tests confirm proper draw.
We carry 6-inch, 7-inch, and 8-inch diameter 316Ti stainless liners and the common top plate configurations on every Los Angeles service truck. Less common sizes or insulated double-wall assemblies we can source within 24 hours from our regular supplier. Same-day installation is available when you call before noon and your diameter matches our stock.
We’re an independent service provider, not affiliated with Famco. We work with their products because they were well-built for their era and still deserve proper repair. Find what’s wrong, say it plainly, fix it right. That’s how Russell Haines trained our team, and it’s how we’ve worked Los Angeles chimneys for over 42 years. If your Famco flue liner is showing its age, call (844) 803-1545. A live person answers, day or night, and we’ll schedule your free estimate at a time that actually works for you.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner & Master Sweep, Hearthstone Chimney Co. at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Los Angeles and nearby areas.