What to Do When Chimney Sweeps Recommend Different Repairs & Quotes
No one wants to be the victim of a scam. It can be hard to figure out who is trying to scam you and who is legitimate when you are collecting quotes for chimney repairs.
Many homeowners don’t know very much about chimney maintenance or how to spot the signs of costly damage. Unfortunately, there are many scam artists who try to exploit this. Both the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Affairs have released tips for homeowners on how to avoid chimney cleaning and repair scams because of how prevalent these scams have become especially in the northeast.
If you are trying to figure out what to do after receiving significantly different recommendations and costs estimates from two or three chimney sweeps, here are the top guidelines to follow:
1. Don’t Commit to Costly Repairs without a Written Report & Photo or Video Evidence
Scam artists posing as chimney sweeps are notorious for showing homeowners chips of bricks or broken mortar claiming they are from your chimney and “proof” of serious damage to the chimney or flue liner. A reputable chimney sweep will provide you with a full written report along with photographic or video evidence after doing a comprehensive inspection that lasts 30 to 60 minutes. If a chimney sweep recommends an expensive repair without providing those two things, especially after only a brief inspection and without accessing the attic, crawl spaces or the basement to get a closer look at the chimney, you should be extremely wary.
2. Check Out their References & Reviews
Do your research on the company by talking to their former customers and reading their reviews on sites like Angie’s List and Yelp. If the quote they gave you is extremely low or they are recommending expensive repairs that other chimney sweeps did not, you may also want to check to see if any formal complaints have been filed against them with the Better Business Bureau and if they are being reviewed by New York’s Attorney General.
3. Look into Their Accreditations & Licenses
Call the local building codes office to find out whether their business is properly registered (you can also ask them if they have heard of previous consumer complaints). Visit the website for the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) and check whether or not they have received CSIA’s certification. Though chimney sweeps are not required to be certified by the CSIA, if a chimney sweep has CSIA Certified credentials you will know that they have passed a rigorous evaluation of their knowledge about chimney maintenance and venting systems.
4. Make Sure the Company has Up-to-Date Liability Insurance
A reputable chimney sweep business will have a valid business liability insurance policy that will protect your home and furnishings from accidents.
Hopefully, following these tips will allow you to feel more confident about your decision when choosing between chimney sweeps and evaluating their recommendations. If a chimney sweep passes all of these tests, you should feel comfortable hiring them to work on your chimney.
All of our CSIA-certified chimney specialists at Hudson Valley Chimney Sweep are happy to provide our customers with references. We pride ourselves on taking the time to walking our customers through our detailed reports so they understand any problems that we find so that they can make informed decisions about the steps to take moving forward. We won’t aggressively push services or repairs; instead we will provide you with information and options. Since our founding in 1985, we have based our business on integrity and quality customer service. Check out our reviews and reach out to us if you need expertise you can trust!
