Chimney Sweep in Westlake Village, IL
Updated
Westlake Village in short
- 515
- households in Westlake Village
- 2004
- median year built (county 1971)
- 0%
- of homes built before 1960 (county 35.5%)
- 87%
- heat with utility gas (county 83.5%)
The local numbers
How old the homes are in Westlake Village
Westlake Village skews newer than Winnebago County as a whole. 82.1% of its 515 homes were built in 2000 or later, against 13.6% county-wide, for a median year built of 2004. That is the highest share of homes built since 2000 of the 13 Winnebago County communities. 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 87% of Westlake Village's 515 occupied homes; electricity heats 13%. 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.
Westlake Village's burning ordinance is worth knowing before you clean out the fireplace. Winnebago County Code Sec. 42-3 covers unincorporated areas. Landscape waste burning is banned in unincorporated areas surrounded by, or within a mile of, a city or village that bans it. 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 Westlake Village, 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.
Westlake Village housing and households vs Winnebago County
| Measure | Westlake Village | Winnebago County |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,414 | 283,292 |
| Housing units | 515 | 125,002 |
| Occupied (households) | 515 | 116,014 |
| Owner-occupied households | 515 (100%) | 76,408 (65.9%) |
| Renter households | 0 (0%) | 39,606 (34.1%) |
| Median year built | 2004 | 1971 |
| Built before 1940 | 0% | 15.5% |
| Built before 1960 | 0% | 35.5% |
| Built before 1980 | 0% | 63.4% |
| Built 2000 or later | 82.1% | 13.6% |
| Single-family detached | 94% | 70.4% |
| Mobile homes | 0% | 1.3% |
| Main heat: utility gas | 87% | 83.5% |
| Main heat: electricity | 13% | 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 Westlake Village
Westlake Village is a census-designated place, not an incorporated city or village, so the Winnebago County Building Division's unincorporated-area rules apply.
- 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 Winnebago County Building Division (Regional Planning and Economic Development), 404 Elm Street, Room 403, Rockford, (815) 319-4350, permits and inspects construction in unincorporated areas and also serves Cherry Valley, Durand, New Milford, Rockton, Roscoe and South Beloit. County Code Chapter 18 makes it unlawful to alter a structure without first obtaining a permit. Applications use the Commercial and Residential Building Permit Application with plans. source 1 source 2
- Code edition
- The county's codes page (last modified February 20, 2025) says that as of April 1, 2016 the Building Division follows the 2015 International Building Code, 2015 International Residential Code, 2014 National Electrical Code, the 2015 International Fire, Fuel Gas and Mechanical Codes and the 2014 Illinois State Plumbing Code. Ordinance 2016 CO 034 adopts the 2015 IRC at Winnebago County Code Sec. 18-321 with amendments (we did not retrieve the amendment text). That listing looks old next to the statewide baseline that began January 1, 2025, so confirm the edition with the Building Division before designing. source 1 source 2
- Contractor rules
- The county application has fields for general, electrical and other contractors, but we found no county contractor registration requirement. Illinois does not license general contractors at the state level. source 1 source 2
- Outdoor burning
- Winnebago County Code Sec. 42-3 covers unincorporated areas. Landscape waste burning is banned in unincorporated areas surrounded by, or within a mile of, a city or village that bans it. Elsewhere dry landscape waste may be burned on weekends from April 15 through May 15 and on November weekends, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at least 25 feet from any building, structure or property line. Campfires and recreational fires are allowed but may not include landscape waste. Fines run up to $500. source 1 source 2
- Fire department
- Fire protection in the unincorporated county depends on the address: Harlem-Roscoe, North Park, Cherry Valley, Rockton, Pecatonica, Winnebago County FPD #1 (Durand), Win-Bur-Sew and New Milford fire protection districts all cover parts of it. MABAS Division 8 lists the member departments. source
About Westlake Village. Westlake Village is a census-designated place in the southeast part of Pecatonica Township, built around a golf course and the small Westlake reservoir, with 1,493 residents at the 2020 census. Wikipedia
ZIP codes. 61088. 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 Westlake Village
Chimney work
Chimney jobs homeowners ask about in Westlake Village
Common questions
Westlake Village chimney sweep questions
Does chimney work need a permit in Westlake Village?
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 Westlake Village?
Winnebago County Code Sec. 42-3 covers unincorporated areas. Landscape waste burning is banned in unincorporated areas surrounded by, or within a mile of, a city or village that bans it. Elsewhere dry landscape waste may be burned on weekends from April 15 through May 15 and on November weekends, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at least 25 feet from any building, structure or property line.
Which fire department covers Westlake Village?
Fire protection in the unincorporated county depends on the address: Harlem-Roscoe, North Park, Cherry Valley, Rockton, Pecatonica, Winnebago County FPD #1 (Durand), Win-Bur-Sew and New Milford fire protection districts all cover parts of it. MABAS Division 8 lists the member departments.
How old are the chimneys in Westlake Village?
The Census does not count chimneys, but it does date the homes. Per the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, the median home in Westlake Village was built in 2004 (Winnebago County: 1971). 0% of its 515 homes were built before 1940 and 0% before 1960, against 35.5% county-wide.
What does a chimney sweep cost in Westlake Village?
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 Westlake Village 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 87% 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 Westlake Village?
The county application has fields for general, electrical and other contractors, but we found no county contractor registration requirement. Illinois does not license general contractors at the state level. 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 Westlake Village?
Tell us the address, what you burn and when the chimney was last swept. We reply with a price before any work is scheduled.