Hiring a chimney sweep can be a very tricky and time consuming task. Due to the fact that chimney sweeping is an unregulated industry, anyone is legally allowed to start up a chimney sweep company. This mean that said business owner is not required to have the required tools or even the necessary training to properly clean chimneys. There is some great news however, licenses and certifications from nationally accepted organizations can be a way of determining the difference between a professional and a scam artist. These certifications such as the CSIA can give the reassurance that the sweep you choose is both a true professional and holds the right qualifications to perform the work which will be done correctly.
4 Questions To Ask
Do they do a video scan of the chimney to find potential hazards?
Any good chimney sweep will do a full video scan of your chimney during a sweep service. It is essential to the health of both your family and home. The potential for danger is always there when burning a fire inside your home. Certain risks such as chimney fires and carbon monoxide leaks can be avoided if a proper chimney sweep and inspection is taken place.
Do they offer current references, such as Google or Yelp reviews?
While most chimney sweeps are trust worthy and qualified for the job there can be some bad apples in the bunch. Try to educate yourself about potential chimney sweep hires before calling them. A few good places to get some honest reviews include Google My Business & Yelp.
Do they carry important certifications, such as CSIA?
As mentioned in the opening statement of this blog, certifications are the number one way to decipher whether a company or individual is the “real deal”. Chimney sweeping is an unregulated industry which can lead to some untrustworthy scammers. One of the most renowned certifications is the CSIA. You can easily find a trusted CSIA Certified professional by clicking here.
Does the company have a liability insurance policy for accidents?
The chimney sweep industry can be a dirty job and sometime accidents do happen when cleaning chimneys. This is why it is important to find a sweep who has general and professional liability, soot & creosote insurance coverage.
How To Hire A Chimney Sweep from Michael Hurley
View on YouTube: