Appointment Information

1)   A clear path from the point of entry to the work area must be made prior to arrival. Technicians will not place their dirty hands on your furniture.

2)   All obstructing furniture and personal effects on floor level within a 5' x 7' area must be moved prior to arrival, as tarps are used to protect carpet and flooring from from soot spillage and from making contact with dirty service tools. Do not roll up area rugs.

3)   Ceiling fans, A/C, and attic fans must be turned off for the duration of the appointment to prevent down-draft/flow-reversal. All windows and doors must be closed.

4)   Two electrical outlets are required; one local to room where work is being performed and one on a separate circuit in another room, so breakers aren't tripped. The vacuum cannot be allowed to shut off mid-service.

5)   A competent person at least 18 yrs old and who can represent the household must be available on-site to grant access indoors, and to accept the invoice to post payment upon completion.

Ash must be removed to facilitate both inspections and sweeps, and regularly cleaning out the firebox is homeowner-level maintenance.

For fireplaces with an ashpit, I'll sweep the ash into it during service, however not every chimney has one. There is a $20.00 per 5-gallon bucket surcharge for ash removal if your chimney doesn't have an ash pit to offset company disposal costs. The vacuum is used to control airborne soot, ash, and dust that's been agitated, so it doesn't reenter the living space - it's not used to suck up all the ash inside your fireplace or stove.  Ash pit cleaning services are not offered, as they may contain up to 300 cubic feet of debris and material.

Licensed commercial entities are required under NJ law and federal EPA regulations to have ash, soot, and creosote properly disposed of at approved HAZMAT facilities, which is costly (and makes up a good portion of your bill). However, private home owners are within their rights to discard ash in their backyards (I use my ash on my tomato plants in May), or bag it for weekly trash pick-up. Leaving behind some ash is ok, I'll deal with it as a courtesy, but please don't leave me an obnoxious, dump truck-sized mountain of ash to collect like the one pictured.

All appts are weather-pending; rain, snow, ice, frost, wind, and wet surface conditions will prevent roof access, but more importantly, entry into your home. Additional to wet footwear, dirty tools and equipment can drip on to floors and carpet. If the forecast calls for over 50% precipitation, appts are rescheduled, no if's-and's-or-but's about it. This is particularly frustrating during the busy, sweep season from the fall through out the holidays, and that's why it's best to schedule with your chimney professional from April to August for servicing.

Chimney sweeping is already dirty enough for myself, but I must also preserve the cleanliness and condition of my tarps, equipment, extension cords, and footwear for the subsequent clients' households after your appointment. Half-torn apart houses with messy dust everywhere will yield an appointment retraction. Your retainer will be forfeited and applied towards a service charge. Plan accordingly.

Test fires will not be performed post-servicing. My commercial general liability insurance provider prohibits me from lighting any chimney appliance. I cannot provide overwatch while a client attempts to light a fire, as this is extremely time-consuming, and I will have subsequent appointments afterwards.

If you're selling your house, I definitely will NOT humor requests to omit defects and violations. The sale of your house will not be more easily facilitated at the expense of my company's liability. I take these requests as a great insult as it shows a complete lack of value in my work and my good standing. If you feel I'm not the right fit for your chimney service needs based on the above-mentioned, then you're not the right fit for me as a customer.