Do I need a chimney inspection in Czechia?
Yes — flue ways have mandatory intervals under Decree 34/2016. For solid-fuel appliances up to 50 kW (stoves, fireplaces, boilers): cleaning 3× a year for year-round operation (2× seasonal) and an inspection by a certified chimney sweep once a year, with at least 3 months between acts. Gas appliances: cleaning and inspection once a year. The good news: you may clean solid-fuel flues yourself — but the annual inspection belongs to the sweep, and its output is the report your insurer asks for after a fire. The common confusion: an inspection is not a revision. A revision is a one-off act for a new flue, a fuel or appliance change and after a chimney fire — it does not replace the annual check.
📋 The rules
- Solid fuel ≤50 kW: cleaning 3×/yr (seasonal 2×), sweep inspection 1×/yr
- Gas: 1× a year cleaning and inspection
- DIY cleaning allowed for solid fuel; inspections need a professional
- Revision: new flue, fuel/appliance change, after a chimney fire
- Keep the inspection report — insurers and firefighters ask for it
🔓 Exceptions
- Condensing gas boilers: per manufacturer/technical conditions (sometimes 1× per 2 years)
- Unused flues: no intervals, but a revision before reconnecting
- Cleaning solid-fuel appliances up to 50 kW: DIY allowed — the inspection stays with the sweep
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Missed intervals are a fire-protection misdemeanour with a fine up to CZK 10,000 — and that is the cheap part. The real price arrives after a fire: without the flue inspection report the insurer cuts the payout or refuses it outright, while the fire service examines whether you met your duties. Damage from a chimney fire routinely runs into the hundreds of thousands and rarely stops at your own roof. An inspection with a report costs about CZK 500–1,500 by region — the cheapest insurance you can buy for a stove.
📎 Official sources
- TZB-info · Decree 34/2016 text (CS) →
- ČEZ · Chimney checks and revisions (CS) →
- Finance.cz · Mandatory chimney checks & fines (CS) →
❓ Frequently asked
May I sweep the chimney myself?
For solid fuel up to 50 kW yes — the decree allows DIY cleaning and nobody asks you for proof of it. The annual inspection, however, must be done by a certified sweep who issues a report on it.
How often for a wood stove?
Cleaning three times a year for year-round heating, twice a year if you heat only in season, plus an inspection by a sweep once a year. At least three months must pass between individual acts.
Inspection vs revision?
An inspection is the regular annual check of the flue way, done by a chimney sweep. A revision is a one-off act by a revision technician — for a new flue, a fuel or appliance change, and after a chimney fire.
What does a sweep cost?
An inspection with a report typically runs CZK 500–1,500 by region, with cleaning included or for a small surcharge. Set against a cut insurance payout after a fire, that is a negligible sum.
No report and a fire breaks out?
The insurer may cut the payout or refuse it entirely, and a fine of up to CZK 10,000 looms for the missed interval. The inspection report is cheap insurance — keep it with your policy documents.
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