Questions to ask a chimney sweep before you hire

Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team

What should you ask a chimney sweep before hiring?

Ask who is certified, whether the company is registered and insured, exactly what the visit includes, and how any repair will be shown to you and priced. The fifteen questions below are grouped by the moment you need them. Several come straight from the trade's own certification body, CSIA, which published a list for homeowners.

What should you ask on the first call?

  1. How long has the company been in business, and can it give current references? These are the first two questions on CSIA's list. A good answer includes names you can call.
  2. Who holds a certification, from which body, and will that person be at my house? CSIA advises asking whether a certified sweep will be on the job site. The National Chimney Sweep Guild notes on its own site that not all employees of member businesses are certified. Ask for the name and look it up.
  3. What is your Pennsylvania home improvement contractor number? A registered contractor must put it on estimates and advertisements, and you can confirm it in the Attorney General's contractor search. A company that repairs chimneys and says it has no number owes you an explanation.
  4. Do you carry liability insurance, and can I see proof? The Better Business Bureau warns that if an uninsured worker is hurt at your home you could be held liable. Connecticut's consumer protection department adds workers' compensation to the list.
  5. Does the company have unresolved complaints? CSIA suggests asking, and checking with a consumer protection agency or the Better Business Bureau yourself.

What should you ask about the visit itself?

  1. Which level of inspection is included? There are three. In CSIA's summary of the national standard, Level I is the routine check of an accessible chimney, and Level II is the one that applies when you change an appliance or fuel, when the house is being sold or after an event likely to have caused damage. CSIA's advice is blunt: if a sweep does not know what a Level 1 inspection is, find one that does.
  2. What exactly gets swept? The answer should name the flue and the smoke chamber, which CSIA says are part of a complete sweeping. The firebox alone is not enough.
  3. Do you use a camera, and is it extra? Forbes Home includes video scanning among its questions for a sweep. Fixr says some sweeps charge an additional $50 to $75 for a camera inspection during a cleaning.
  4. How is the price worked out? Ask whether it is per flue. HomeGuide prices one flue at $100 to $250 and two at $250 to $400. Ask too whether there is a call-out charge: This Old House says some repair companies charge a flat service call fee of $50 to $100 for a first visit.
  5. What should I do before you arrive, and how long will you be? Fixr says you will usually be asked to stop burning 24 to 48 hours ahead. HomeGuide puts a routine visit at 1 to 2 hours.
  6. Will the work disturb nesting birds? A fair question between spring and fall. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says chimney swifts are protected by federal law and suggests looking for sweeps who are knowledgeable about protecting them.

What should you ask if the sweep finds a problem?

  1. Can you show me? Ask for photographs or video of the defect in your own chimney. CSIA says pictures can usually be saved from an inspection camera and suggests asking for copies.
  2. What happens if I do nothing this month? The answer separates a hazard that should stop you using the fireplace from wear that can wait for a second opinion. Connecticut's consumer protection department advises ignoring urgent, hard-sell, time-limited offers and getting more than one estimate.
  3. Will I get a written estimate with the method and the materials? This Old House suggests asking for a detailed estimate that sets out the repair method, the materials and the timeline. In Pennsylvania a home improvement contract above $500 has to be in writing, signed by both sides, with a description of the work, approximate start and finish dates and the total price.
  4. Does this repair need a permit, and who applies for it? Connecticut's department tells homeowners to check with the local building department. Your municipality's building code office can tell you what it requires for chimney work.

What do the answers tell you?

A company that answers these without irritation, in writing where it matters, is showing you how it will behave when something goes wrong. One that will not name its certified sweep, cannot produce a registration number for repair work or cannot show you the damage it wants to fix has answered as well.

Two limits are worth keeping in mind. Certification is private, so it is only as good as the body behind it, and how to choose a chimney sweep explains who the bodies are. And a state registration is not a judgment of skill: the Attorney General's office says it is not an endorsement.

Which questions matter most for a repair?

The ones about money. Pennsylvania's home improvement law caps the deposit on a job above $5,000 at one-third of the price plus the cost of special-order materials, and gives you three business days to cancel a signed contract. Ask what deposit is expected and when the balance falls due, and compare the answer with what Pennsylvania requires.

If the answers do not add up, chimney sweep scams to avoid describes the patterns consumer authorities have documented. Companies you can put these questions to are on the chimney sweeps directory page.

Sources

  1. Annual Chimney Inspections: This Year and Every Year, Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)
  2. Homeowner Resources, Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)
  3. Industry Standard for Inspections Developed to Aid Homeowners, Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)
  4. What You Need to Know After a Chimney Fire, Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA)
  5. Homeowners Club, National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG)
  6. How Much Does A Chimney Cleaning Cost?, Forbes Home
  7. BBB Tip: Hiring a chimney sweep, Better Business Bureau
  8. Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
  9. Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
  10. How much does a chimney sweep cost?, HomeGuide
  11. How much does it cost to have a chimney cleaned?, Fixr
  12. How Much Does Chimney Repair Cost?, This Old House
  13. On-line Coupons May Give Scammers a Foot in the Door, Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
  14. Chimney Swifts, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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