Chimney Sweep in Winnebago, IL
Updated
Winnebago in short
- 1,134
- households in Winnebago
- 1985
- median year built (county 1971)
- 23.7%
- of homes built before 1960 (county 35.5%)
- 93.4%
- heat with utility gas (county 83.5%)
The local numbers
How old the homes are in Winnebago
Winnebago sits near the middle of the county on housing age. The median home was built in 1985 (county: 1971); 23.7% of its 1,180 homes predate 1960 and 15.3% went up in 2000 or later.
Of 1,134 occupied homes in Winnebago, 93.4% use utility gas as their main heat (county: 83.5%). That is the highest share of gas-heated homes of the 13 Winnebago County communities. 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.
On outdoor fires, Winnebago sets its own limits. Leaves and landscape waste may be burned on the property where they fell or grew, weekdays 3:30 to 10 p.m. and weekends 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., never in streets or on public property. 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.
The permit office for Winnebago is local, not the county. The village requires a building permit application, reviewed by the Building Inspector, before any building work, and its January 1, 2025 ordinance adopts the 2021 International Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes along with the 2021 IRC. Chimney work is not named; ask the village office at (815) 335-2020.
Winnebago housing and households vs Winnebago County
| Measure | Winnebago | Winnebago County |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,981 | 283,292 |
| Housing units | 1,180 | 125,002 |
| Occupied (households) | 1,134 | 116,014 |
| Owner-occupied households | 987 (87%) | 76,408 (65.9%) |
| Renter households | 147 (13%) | 39,606 (34.1%) |
| Median year built | 1985 | 1971 |
| Built before 1940 | 12% | 15.5% |
| Built before 1960 | 23.7% | 35.5% |
| Built before 1980 | 43.6% | 63.4% |
| Built 2000 or later | 15.3% | 13.6% |
| Single-family detached | 89.1% | 70.4% |
| Mobile homes | 0% | 1.3% |
| Main heat: utility gas | 93.4% | 83.5% |
| Main heat: electricity | 6.2% | 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 Winnebago
The Village of Winnebago publishes no contractor registration rule and no fee formula that we could find.
- Chimney, stove and liner work
- The village requires a building permit application, reviewed by the Building Inspector, before any building work, and its January 1, 2025 ordinance adopts the 2021 International Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes along with the 2021 IRC. Chimney work is not named; ask the village office at (815) 335-2020. source 1 source 2
- Permit office
- The Village of Winnebago requires a building permit application before any building. The Building Inspector and Code Enforcement Officer reviews it and determines the fees, and the village states a review time of 48 to 72 hours. The page is Building Safety and Permitting on the village website. source
- Code edition
- A village ordinance effective January 1, 2025 adopts the 2021 International Residential Code (One- and Two-Family Dwellings), 2021 International Building Code, 2021 International Fire Code, 2021 International Existing Building Code, 2021 International Mechanical Code and 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, each with village amendments. The ordinance cites Public Act 103-0510 as the reason for updating. We saw a village amendment to the energy table (N1102.1.2), and none aimed at chimneys in the text we retrieved. source
- Outdoor burning
- Leaves and landscape waste may be burned on the property where they fell or grew, weekdays 3:30 to 10 p.m. and weekends 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., never in streets or on public property. source
- Fire department
- Win-Bur-Sew Fire Protection District (Winnebago, Burritt and Seward), (815) 335-2651, per the MABAS Division 8 member list. source
About Winnebago. Winnebago is a village in Winnebago County with 2,940 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 Winnebago
Chimney work
Chimney jobs homeowners ask about in Winnebago
Common questions
Winnebago chimney sweep questions
Does chimney work need a permit in Winnebago?
The village requires a building permit application, reviewed by the Building Inspector, before any building work, and its January 1, 2025 ordinance adopts the 2021 International Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes along with the 2021 IRC. Chimney work is not named; ask the village office at (815) 335-2020.
Can I burn leaves or have a fire pit in Winnebago?
Leaves and landscape waste may be burned on the property where they fell or grew, weekdays 3:30 to 10 p.m. and weekends 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., never in streets or on public property.
Which fire department covers Winnebago?
Win-Bur-Sew Fire Protection District (Winnebago, Burritt and Seward), (815) 335-2651, per the MABAS Division 8 member list.
How old are the chimneys in Winnebago?
The Census does not count chimneys, but it does date the homes. Per the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, the median home in Winnebago was built in 1985 (Winnebago County: 1971). 12% of its 1,180 homes were built before 1940 and 23.7% before 1960, against 35.5% county-wide.
What does a chimney sweep cost in Winnebago?
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 Winnebago 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 93.4% 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.
Chimney due for a sweep in Winnebago?
Tell us the address, what you burn and when the chimney was last swept. We reply with a price before any work is scheduled.