Animal & Nest Removal in Apex, NC
Apex's western edge runs into woods. The town spreads toward Jordan Lake and the American Tobacco Trail, and the newer subdivisions on that side sit against greenway corridors and tree cover that keep a steady squirrel population next door. All one of them needs is a worn or gap-edged cap. Perfect Chimney Cleaning clears animals and nests from Apex chimneys from the Triangle office in Raleigh, 25 to 30 minutes away via I-540 or US-1.
The catch is that not every animal in a chimney can be pulled out on demand. Chimney swifts are federally protected, so on the older, uncapped flues around Old Apex, the first step is to identify the species before reaching for a tool. Squirrels and raccoons in the newer subdivisions are a different matter and come out promptly. Either way, we identify what is in there first, handle it by the rules, and then quote the cap that keeps the next one out.
CSIA-Certified Chimney Sweep #12553
⭐ 5.0 Across 200+ Google Reviews
Triangle Office: (984) 777-8853 • Serves Cary
Hours: Mon–Sat 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM | Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM · 24/7 emergency line outside office hours
Fully Insured • Wisetack Financing Available
CSIA-Certified Chimney Sweep #12553
⭐ 5.0 Across 200+ Google Reviews
Triangle Office: (984) 777-8853 • Serves Cary
Hours: Mon–Sat 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM | Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM · 24/7 emergency line outside office hours
Fully Insured • Wisetack Financing Available
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Quick facts:
- CSIA-Certified Chimney Sweep #12553 (Chimney Safety Institute of America)
- 5.0 across 200+ Google reviews, earned across the Triad and Research Triangle
- Triangle office: (984) 777-8853, serving Apex from 105 Star Street, Raleigh, NC, 27610
- Hours: Mon to Sun, 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., with an after-hours emergency line outside those hours
- Fully insured: Spinnaker general liability ($1M / $2M) and AM Trust workers' comp ($100K / $500K)
- Wisetack financing available for repair and restoration work
Animal & Nest Removal in Apex?
Call (984) 777-8853
to schedule your visit, or request a free estimate online.
First-ever Level 1 or 2 inspection, sweep, flashing repair, customer education on proper fireplace operation.
Brick chimneys with original clay-tile liners around the old Wake Forest College campus and the Glen Royall cotton-mill houses. These get a gentler sweep to protect century-old tile, and the visual check relies on the condition of the crown, mortar, and liner. Homes here are more likely to burn regularly, so creosote is real and the cadence is closer to annual.
Animal entry is more common than most Apex homeowners expect, especially in spring and fall. Here is what we typically see across the town's three building eras.
Era 1 · Pre-1940 Historic (Old Apex, off Salem Street)
Older masonry chimneys, some never capped, are the classic entry point. Uncapped railroad-era flues near downtown draw nesting birds, including chimney swifts, and the fix has to respect both the historic chimney and the federal protection swifts carry.
Era 2 · 1950s-80s Ranch & Suburban (Country Lane, East Apex)
Factory caps that have worn or rusted after decades leave gaps, and squirrels get in from the established tree cover in these older neighborhoods. The animal is the symptom; the aged cap is the cause.
Era 3 · 1990s and Newer (Beaver Creek, Bella Casa, Salem Village, and the western subdivisions toward Jordan Lake)
The wooded western edge is where most animal calls come from. A prefab cap that has started to degrade, plus a greenway or trail corridor next door, is all a squirrel needs, and the smooth metal flue often traps one that cannot climb back out.
| Step | What we do | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
|
1. Identify the species
|
A camera locates and identifies first, because what is in the flue determines what we can legally do and when. | On the visit |
|
2. Check protection status
|
We confirm whether it is a federally protected swift or a non-protected squirrel or raccoon, and set the plan accordingly. | On the visit |
|
3. Remove or plan
|
Non-protected animals receive humane extraction or one-way exclusion; for protected swifts, we set a plan for after the nesting season. | Varies by species |
|
4. Document entry
|
We photograph the entry path, which is almost always a worn or missing cap. | On the visit |
|
5. Quote the cap
|
We quote the cap or chase cover that prevents return entry, matched to the chimney and any applicable HOA review. | 48 hrs |
Animal work in Apex tracks two things: the wooded western edge where the squirrels live, and the worn cap that lets them in. Identification and the law come first on every call, and the scope below holds across the town.
A visual inspection during the sweep, focused on chase top, cap, crown, flue access, damper, and visible refractory. On historic Franklin Street and Westwood chimneys, the emphasis shifts to crown, mortar, and clay-tile condition. Photographs of anything worth watching. Included in the Inspection + Cleaning combo.
Level 1 inspection (visual, accessible-parts check)
A visual inspection during the sweep, focused on chase top, cap, crown, flue access, damper, and visible refractory. On historic Franklin Street and Westwood chimneys, the emphasis shifts to crown, mortar, and clay-tile condition. Photographs of anything worth watching. Included in the Inspection + Cleaning combo.
What animal and nest removal covers in Apex
Squirrels, the usual culprit
On Apex's wooded west side, a squirrel drops through a worn cap, lands on the smooth prefab flue, and cannot climb back out. We locate it on camera, bring it out or set a one-way exit, and note the gap it used. Most calls wrap in an hour or two.
Raccoons
Bigger, and more often in the older tree-canopied blocks near downtown than in the new subdivisions. Exclusion only, no smoke and no chemicals, followed by capping once the flue is empty.
Nesting birds and the swift rule
Chimney swifts are protected by federal law while they are nesting, so if the camera finds that, we cannot touch the nest. We schedule the cap for after the birds fledge and remove non-protected species right away.
Bats
Uncommon, and handled by exclusion because several bat species are protected. When bats turn up, we bring in a wildlife specialist and do not improvise.
A dead animal and the smell
These jump the queue, same or next day. We find it on camera, remove it, and clean the section it was in. On an older masonry flue, we treat the brick, since brick holds odors that a wipe-down on smooth metal would have handled.
Animal & Nest Removal pricing & scope
Animal removal is priced per scope after onsite identification, because the price depends on species, location in the flue, condition, and any follow-up cleanup. We do not quote sight unseen.
A written estimate will be provided within 48 hours if cap or crown work is recommended to prevent a return visit. If the scope grows mid-job, such as a second animal found during removal, we stop and re-quote.
What's NOT included in animal and nest removal
Equally important, here is what the Apex animal and nest removal scope does NOT cover. If you need any of these, here is where to find them.
What's NOT included in this scope
- Wildlife trapping outside the chimney. We handle in-chimney scope only; an animal in your attic, walls, or yard is wildlife control and not chimney work.
- Disturbing federally protected birds during active nesting. Federal law prohibits it; we explain the timing and provide a plan for once nesting season ends.
- Animal entry into a gas appliance vent. Separate technician path, coordinated where appropriate.
Nearly every animal call ends at the same place: a cap that has given out. Once the flue is clear and any protected bird has been handled the lawful way, the fix that lasts is the right cap, matched to your HOA's color and cleared for review before we order it.
Perfect Chimney Cleaning is Google rated 5.0 by Apex homeowners and neighbors across the Research Triangle. This section shows the live Google reviews feed, so the most recent reviews always appear here.
5.0 Stars Across 200+ Verified Google Reviews — Read Them Yourself
Triangle team, real local response
Our Triangle office is at 105 Star Street, Raleigh, NC, 27610, 25 to 30 minutes from most Apex addresses via I-540 or US-1. When you call (984) 777-8853, the team that answers is the team that works your job. There is no regional call center in the middle and no local subcontractor we hand you off to, so the person who books your Apex visit is accountable for how it goes.
CSIA-Certified Chimney Sweep #12553
Our CSIA-Certified Chimney Sweep credential is #12553, and you can verify any technician's certification directly at csia.org. Plenty of Apex chimney companies claim certification on their websites, but only certified businesses appear in CSIA's national directory. Ask any company you are weighing for their CSIA number, and if the answer is vague, you have learned something useful.
Fully insured, to the dollar amounts that matter
General liability is through Spinnaker ($1M per occurrence, $2M aggregate), and workers' comp is through AM Trust ($100K per accident, $500K aggregate). The certificate is available on request. For any rooftop trade, this is not optional, and in Apex, the larger HOAs and any local historic-district review may ask to see it before work begins.
If the animal in your flue is a protected chimney swift during nesting season, we will tell you plainly that federal law does not allow us to disturb an active nest, and we will set a plan to cap the flue once the young have fledged.
If a squirrel got in through a worn cap, we will show you the entry point on camera, because replacing the cap is what actually stops it from happening again.
If the animal is in your attic or walls rather than the chimney, we will tell you that it is wildlife control and not something we would bill you to chase down the flue.
If your Wakefield or Traditions prefab is lit a few nights a winter, we will put you on a realistic 2-to-3-year cadence and not sell you a visit you do not need every year.
If the creosote is coming from how the fireplace is being run, we will show you the pattern on camera and walk you through the operating change, because that addresses the cause without more work.
If a downtown or Glen Royall clay liner just needs cleaning, we clean it and leave it, rather than talk you into relining a sound century-old flue.
Things we'll tell you that other companies might not
If the camera shows a nesting swift, we will not pretend otherwise to make the job easier; federal law says the active nest stays, and we book the cap for after they leave.
The animal is never really the problem; the cap is. We will show you the exact gap it came through, because that is the thing worth fixing.
If whatever you are hearing is in the attic or the wall and not the flue, we will tell you that is a wildlife-control call and say so before running a camera you do not need.
Here is the actual sequence, from the moment you call until the truck leaves and your chimney is documented. No mystery, no runaround.
| Step | What happens | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
|
1. Call
|
A Triangle team member answers, from the same office and crew that does the work. We ask about the chimney type, the Wake Forest address, the concern, and whether it is scheduled work or an emergency. | Answered in minutes |
|
2. Schedule
|
We pick a window that suits you. Most Wake Forest jobs are scheduled within 2 to 5 business days, and active emergencies take priority over routine work. | A few minutes on the call |
|
3. Confirmation
|
You get a text or email with the appointment time, the technician's name, and the truck details, so you know who is arriving. | Right after booking |
|
4. The visit
|
The technician documents the chimney with photos and, where the scope calls for it, camera footage, then walks you through findings before any added work is quoted. | On the day |
|
5. Follow-up
|
You receive the written report and any estimates. Repair and restoration estimates land within 48 hours, and nothing extra is charged without your say-so. | Within 48 hours |
Frequently Asked Questions
Something is moving in my chimney. What now?
We camera it first to see what and where. A squirrel or raccoon we can handle on the visit; a nesting swift is federally protected and has to be left until the young fledge, so identification decides the whole plan before any tool comes out.
Why are chimney swifts treated differently?
They are covered by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which makes disturbing an active nest illegal. The move that is both legal and permanent is to wait out the season and then cap the flue so next spring's birds go elsewhere.
Why does this keep happening on my street?
Geography and a worn cap. The west-Apex subdivisions sit against the greenways and the American Tobacco Trail, so squirrels are always nearby, and once a prefab cap frays at the edge it is an open door.
What actually keeps them out for good?
A correctly sized cap with sound mesh, and where they keep trying, a heavier animal-proof mesh they cannot work loose. Inside an HOA, we match the approved color and clear the review before ordering it.
Can you get a dead animal out?
Yes, and we treat it as urgent because of the smell. We locate it on camera, remove it, and clean the affected run of flue, deodorizing the brick on older masonry so the smell does not linger after the carcass is gone.
Ready to schedule animal & nest removal in Apex?
Call (984) 777-8853 to schedule your visit, or request a written estimate online.
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Greensboro
317 S Westgate Dr, Ste E, Greensboro, NC 27407
105 Star St, Raleigh, NC 27610
Raleigh
CSIA-Certified #12553 | Fully Insured | Wisetack Financing | 24/7 Emergency
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