Hiring checklist: Chimney Sweeps

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Chimney Sweeps: Guides · Cost estimator · Businesses listed

Before you call

  • A registered home improvement contractor has a number that starts with PA, for example PA123456. The Attorney General's office says contractors must include it in their advertisements, contracts, estimates and proposals.
  • Use the Attorney General's Home Improvement Contractor Search. You can search by registration number, business name, city, ZIP code or county. It shows active registrations only. Or call the registration hotline on 1-888-520-6680.
  • The office says registration is not an endorsement, recommendation or approval of a contractor's competency or skill. It advises you also to check references, get more than one bid and look for complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau.
  • Ask more than one business for a written quote.

Questions to ask

  • What is your HIC registration number?
  • Who will be in my home, and are they your employees?
  • Is the price in writing, and what is not included?
  • Can I see your certificate of insurance?
  • Can you give me the names of customers I can ask about your work?

What the written contract should hold

For a home improvement of more than $500, the Attorney General's office says the contract must be in writing and signed by you and the contractor, and must include a description of the work, approximate start and completion dates, the total price and notice of your right to cancel.

  • A description of the work
  • Approximate start and completion dates
  • The total price
  • Notice of your right to cancel
  • The contractor's registration number
  • Your signature and the contractor's

Before you pay

  • Either way, look the number up yourself before you hire.
  • The office says a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling, which it reported in May 2026, means you can cancel within three business days of signing by any means, as long as the contractor actually receives the notice.
  • Check that the work and the price are the ones in the contract.

What to keep

  • The signed contract
  • Every written quote
  • A receipt for every payment
  • The registration number and the day you looked it up

You can report an unregistered contractor on 1-888-520-6680. The office says an unregistered home improvement contractor faces civil penalties of $1,000 or more. Consumer complaints go to the Attorney General through its online forms.

The statements about Pennsylvania's rules are from our page How to check a contractor in Pennsylvania, which names its sources. This page is general information, not legal advice.