How to choose a chimney sweep in Pennsylvania

Updated November 10, 2026 · KeystoneProGuide editorial team

What matters most when you choose a chimney sweep?

Three things you can verify before anyone arrives: a credential issued by a body you can look up, a state registration number if the company does repairs, and proof of liability insurance. After that, judge the offer itself, which should say in writing what will be inspected, what will be swept and what it costs.

Pennsylvania does not help by licensing the trade. No state source lists a chimney sweep license, so the word certified always refers to a private program. What Pennsylvania requires of chimney sweeps sets out what the state does and does not check.

Which certifications exist, and who stands behind them?

Three organizations issue the credentials you are most likely to see. All three are run by the trade, and each describes its own program in favorable terms.

Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). A non-profit that says its Certified Chimney Sweep credential was established in 1983. Holders pass an examination, agree to a code of ethics and must re-certify every three years by exam or continuing education. CSIA says a certification can be revoked for a violation. It also lists a Certified Chimney Specialist and a Master Chimney Sweep credential for people with more years of training.
National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG). The trade association of chimney businesses, founded in 1977. It runs three credentials of its own: Certified Chimney Professional, Certified Chimney Reliner and Certified Chimney Journeyman, earned by exam and renewed every three years. The Guild says its certifications are the only accredited ones in the industry.
National Fireplace Institute (NFI). A certification agency established in 2002 for people who plan and install hearth appliances, with separate gas, woodburning and pellet specialist credentials. It matters most when a stove or insert is being installed. The institute says plainly that its certification is not a license and not proof of competence, only a sign of commitment and training.

The federal government points to two of these. The Environmental Protection Agency says a wood-burning appliance should be checked annually by a certified chimney sweep or similar certified professional and refers readers to CSIA and NFI to find one.

Two cautions come from the trade bodies themselves. CSIA warns that in a mostly unregulated industry anyone can write an exam and hand out a badge, and that not all certifications are created equal. And the Guild notes that not every employee of a member business is certified. So ask which person holds the credential and whether that person will be the one at your house. Both CSIA and the Guild publish searchable lists where you can confirm a name.

How do you check registration and insurance?

Repair, replacement and installation at a home are the activities Pennsylvania's home improvement law names, so a company that repairs, relines or rebuilds chimneys falls within its wording. Contractors who do $5,000 or more of such work a year must register with the Attorney General. Ask for the number, which has to appear on estimates and advertisements, and enter it in the Home Improvement Contractor Search. The search has a work type called Chimney Sweep.

Registration requires proof of at least $50,000 of personal injury cover and $50,000 of property damage cover, so a current registration tells you some insurance was shown. It tells you nothing about workmanship. The Attorney General's office says registration is not an endorsement and advises homeowners to check references and get more than one bid as well.

Ask about insurance directly too. The Better Business Bureau gives the reason: if a company is not insured and someone is hurt while working at your home, you could be held liable. CSIA's own list of questions includes whether the company carries a valid business liability policy to protect your home and furnishings.

What does a sound offer look like?

It names the inspection. CSIA suggests asking for a Level 1 chimney inspection together with the sweeping, and adds that if a sweep does not know what a Level 1 inspection is, you should find one that does.
It covers the whole flue. CSIA says a complete sweeping includes the chimney flue and the smoke chamber. Brushing only the firebox is not the service.
It is specific about evidence. Sweeps who use an inspection camera can usually give you pictures. CSIA suggests asking for copies of any photos of damaged areas, and Forbes Home's list of questions for a sweep includes whether the company uses video scanning.
It comes with references. CSIA advises asking how long the company has been in business, whether it offers current references and whether it has unresolved complaints with a consumer protection agency or the Better Business Bureau.
It can be compared. The Federal Trade Commission's general advice for home repairs is to get several written estimates that state the work, the materials, the completion date and the price, and to ask for an explanation when the estimates differ widely.

What should make you hesitate?

A knock on the door. The Better Business Bureau says its accredited businesses in this trade hear every season about unlicensed workers soliciting door-to-door, sometimes with package deals such as gutter cleaning thrown in. The FTC lists contractors who are in the area, or who press for an immediate decision, among the signs of a home improvement scam.
Price as the only argument. The Bureau's advice is not to choose a contractor solely on price.
Cash only, or everything up front. Both are on the FTC's list of warning signs.
No number, no paperwork. A repair contract above $500 has to be in writing in Pennsylvania and carry the contractor's registration number.

The published price ranges are in the cost guide, which helps you tell a fair quote from one that is too low to be real. Businesses that sweep, inspect and repair chimneys are listed on the chimney sweeps directory page.

Sources

Why hire a CSIA Professional?, Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)
CSIA Certifications, Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)
Annual Chimney Inspections: This Year and Every Year, Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)
Homeowner Resources, Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)
What You Need to Know After a Chimney Fire, Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)
Homeowners Club, National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG)
Homeowner Resources, National Fireplace Institute (NFI)
Frequent Questions about Wood-Burning Appliances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
Home Improvement Contractor Verification, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
BBB Tip: Hiring a chimney sweep, Better Business Bureau
How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam, Federal Trade Commission
How Much Does A Chimney Cleaning Cost?, Forbes Home