Chimney Sweep in South Beloit, IL
Updated
South Beloit in short
- 3,339
- households in South Beloit
- 1991
- median year built (county 1971)
- 23.4%
- of homes built before 1960 (county 35.5%)
- 79.3%
- heat with utility gas (county 83.5%)
The local numbers
How old the homes are in South Beloit
South Beloit skews newer than Winnebago County as a whole. 31.2% of its 3,559 homes were built in 2000 or later, against 13.6% county-wide, for a median year built of 1991. Newer homes more often have a gas fireplace or a factory-built chimney in a framed chase, and the weak point on those is the chase cover and cap rather than mortar joints.
Utility gas is the main heat in 79.3% of South Beloit's 3,339 occupied homes; electricity heats 20.2%. The Census counts no homes here that heat mainly with wood. So for most households the chimney is a furnace and water heater flue first and a fireplace second, which is why a liner sized for a gas appliance matters as much as a clean firebox.
South Beloit's burning ordinance is worth knowing before you clean out the fireplace. Yard waste grown on the property may be burned only in two posted periods set by the fire department each spring and fall. The fall 2026 period runs October 3 to November 15, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fireplace ash goes in a lidded metal can at least 10 feet from the house, per the U.S. Fire Administration, and never on a burn pile with leaves.
For a building permit in South Beloit, the office is the Winnebago County Building Division. It is at 404 Elm Street, Room 403, Rockford, (815) 319-4350. Its pages do not say whether a chimney rebuild, a new liner or a stove install needs a permit, so call before the work is scheduled.
South Beloit housing and households vs Winnebago County
| Measure | South Beloit | Winnebago County |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 7,946 | 283,292 |
| Housing units | 3,559 | 125,002 |
| Occupied (households) | 3,339 | 116,014 |
| Owner-occupied households | 2,304 (69%) | 76,408 (65.9%) |
| Renter households | 1,035 (31%) | 39,606 (34.1%) |
| Median year built | 1991 | 1971 |
| Built before 1940 | 13.4% | 15.5% |
| Built before 1960 | 23.4% | 35.5% |
| Built before 1980 | 40.9% | 63.4% |
| Built 2000 or later | 31.2% | 13.6% |
| Single-family detached | 70.5% | 70.4% |
| Mobile homes | 7.2% | 1.3% |
| Main heat: utility gas | 79.3% | 83.5% |
| Main heat: electricity | 20.2% | 12.6% |
| Main heat: wood | 0 homes (0%) | 169 homes (0.1%) |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024), tables B01003, B25003, B25024, B25034, B25035, B25038 and B25040 (house heating fuel).
Local rules
Permits, burning rules and fire service in South Beloit
- Chimney, stove and liner work
- County Code Chapter 18 makes it unlawful to alter a structure without a permit. The county pages we read do not name chimney, liner or stove work either way, so call the Building Division at (815) 319-4350 before a rebuild, a new liner or a stove or insert install. source
- Permit office
- The City of South Beloit does not run its own building permit desk. Its community development page links the Winnebago County Building Permit application, and a city site development permit form refers to a building permit that "has been issued by the County of Winnebago on behalf of the City of South Beloit." The county application goes to the Building Department, 404 Elm Street, Room 403, Rockford, (815) 319-4350. The city's community development page lists zoning permit applications, and whether chimney work needs one is not stated, so ask the city. source 1 source 2 source 3
- Code edition
- The city's building chapter adopts the Winnebago County Building Code by reference, including later county amendments (the section text was only partly retrievable), so the county's codes list applies: its codes page (last modified February 20, 2025) lists the 2015 International Residential Code. That looks old next to the statewide baseline that began January 1, 2025, so confirm the edition with the Building Division. source 1 source 2
- Contractor rules
- The city's building chapter has a section (14-59) headed "Registered contractor require..."; the text was cut off in the copy we could retrieve, so ask the city what registration it requires before hiring. Illinois itself does not license general contractors. source 1 source 2
- Outdoor burning
- Yard waste grown on the property may be burned only in two posted periods set by the fire department each spring and fall. The fall 2026 period runs October 3 to November 15, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. source
- Fire department
- South Beloit Fire Department; the city partners with Metro Paramedics for firefighting and EMS staffing. source
About South Beloit. South Beloit is a city on the Illinois-Wisconsin border, a suburban extension of Beloit, Wisconsin, with 7,989 residents at the 2020 census. Wikipedia
ZIP codes. 61080 (93% of its land), 61073 (6% of its land), 61072 (1% of its land). Census 2020
Full pricing, the complete service menu, and the rest of the service area are on the chimney sweep in Rockford, IL homepage.
Nearby, sharing a ZIP code with South Beloit
Chimney work
Chimney jobs homeowners ask about in South Beloit
Common questions
South Beloit chimney sweep questions
Does chimney work need a permit in South Beloit?
County Code Chapter 18 makes it unlawful to alter a structure without a permit. The county pages we read do not name chimney, liner or stove work either way, so call the Building Division at (815) 319-4350 before a rebuild, a new liner or a stove or insert install.
Can I burn leaves or have a fire pit in South Beloit?
Yard waste grown on the property may be burned only in two posted periods set by the fire department each spring and fall. The fall 2026 period runs October 3 to November 15, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Which fire department covers South Beloit?
South Beloit Fire Department; the city partners with Metro Paramedics for firefighting and EMS staffing.
How old are the chimneys in South Beloit?
The Census does not count chimneys, but it does date the homes. Per the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, the median home in South Beloit was built in 1991 (Winnebago County: 1971). 13.4% of its 3,559 homes were built before 1940 and 23.4% before 1960, against 35.5% county-wide.
What does a chimney sweep cost in South Beloit?
No cost guide publishes a Rockford figure. Angi's national guide puts a sweep at $129 to $381 with an average of $254, and HomeGuide says $150 to $375. A Level 2 camera inspection runs $260 to $460 on Angi's sweep guide. The full price table shows each source and its date.
How often should a chimney in South Beloit be swept?
The national standard, NFPA 211, says chimneys, fireplaces and vents should be inspected at least once a year, with cleaning done if it is needed. With 79.3% of homes here heating with gas, that inspection covers the furnace and water heater flue too, not only the fireplace. Book it outside chimney swift nesting season, which in Illinois runs from spring through September.
Do chimney contractors have to be licensed or registered in South Beloit?
The city's building chapter has a section (14-59) headed "Registered contractor require..."; the text was cut off in the copy we could retrieve, so ask the city what registration it requires before hiring. Illinois itself does not license general contractors. Illinois has no state chimney sweep license that we could find; roof and flashing work can fall under the state roofing license.
Chimney due for a sweep in South Beloit?
Tell us the address, what you burn and when the chimney was last swept. We reply with a price before any work is scheduled.