Your Chimney’s Condition Is Too Important – Don’t Trust It To The Lowest Bidder
When choosing a chimney sweep, it’s not always wise to choose solely on price. Often, the lowest price isn’t always the best or safest option. Some inexperienced persons lack the training, experience, and certification of a certified chimney sweep. They may also be operating without insurance or a license. Do you want an inexperienced contractor working on your chimney? There are other risks to consider too. Hiring an uninsured or unlicensed contractor can be a massive liability if something goes wrong. You could be liable for injuries or damages by an uninsured contractor.
How to Hire a Chimney Sweep
Here are a few things to look for when hiring a professional chimney sweep in your area:
Business Liability Insurance
Before hiring a chimney sweep, ask if the company carries business liability and worker’s compensation insurance. Liability insurance protects homeowners against any accidental damage caused to your chimney or home by the service provider. On the other hand, worker’s compensation insurance ensures that the homeowner will not be responsible if a chimney professional gets hurt while working on your property. For instance, if an uninsured chimney sweep accidentally falls off the ladder while inspecting the chimney cap, the homeowner could be liable for medical bills and lost wages of the injured worker.
CSIA Certification
Is the chimney sweep CSIA-Certified? The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) is the nation’s leading credentialing organization for chimney professionals.
A chimney sweep must satisfactorily pass prerequisite training and recurrent courses to earn and maintain certification. The CSIA has an online system you can use to verify the credentials of any Certified Chimney Sweep®.
Experience
Find out about their industry experience. The primary responsibility of a chimney sweep is to ensure your chimney is safe and is not a fire hazard. An experienced chimney professional has the professional knowledge to diagnose and repair any issues with the chimney system accurately.
Protective Gear
Do they carry protective equipment? Now more than ever, it is essential to make sure that the chimney technician that will be coming to your home will not only have professional equipment but will also have protective gear. Protective gear ensures that the chimney service provider has the necessary equipment, such as a drop cloth, facemask, and respirator, to minimize exposure to harmful contaminants while cleaning the chimney.
Service Vehicles
Does the provider have marked service vehicles? A professional chimney service provider will arrive in a marked service vehicle.
At a minimum, the vehicle should include the name of the provider and a phone number. Avoid any service provider that arrives in an unmarked vehicle.
Online Reviews
With online reviews so prevalent in society today, it is easy to check the online ratings of any service provider. While not every customer will have a perfect encounter, an overwhelmingly positive experience with minimal negative reviews is indicative of a provider with a record of satisfying the majority of their customers.