“Hi, I want to hook a wood stove up to an unused chimney and want to make sure it’s is good shape first. Can you guys come inspect it? Do you guys use a camera?”
It’s summer, the chimney most likely hasn’t been used in months.
You actually bring up a good point.
That is exactly how I approached these companies several years ago. Each place I called for inspections. Ultimately they ask questions. I answered them truthfully. Some people would lie to them. I won’t. I expect the same from them, honesty and integrity. I would think they too would want to do business with honest people. It’s sort of like respect. Give it and you’ll receive it.
Back then I assumed estimates were free. That was before understanding the levels of inspections and learning the difference between inspections and estimates for known cosmetic work. So really, it’s no different than an HVAC or plumbing service call. No sense in expecting something for free. There’s a problem with that though.
-How does a person know which company is best suited to do the work?
-What if you decide you don’t like the individual who comes out, for whatever reason? It happens.
-What is the difference between an estimate and an inspection? Now we’re getting somewhere.
-Is an inspection needed when a known problem is clearly visible? Not really…especially when I’ve been in building trades all my life.
-Then there’s the issues of cost of fees for “each” company to come out making it hard to get multiple estimates for the job like you would with any other building project, electric work, concrete, etc. So this is one are I think some businesses shoot themselves in the foot when it comes to chimneys.
All of these I encountered when first working with these companies. All of them wanted to charge me an inspection fee, which in a way, I understood, in another way I didn’t.
When you build a house there’s not a single general contractor around me who charges for estimates to build me a house. Been there, done that with general contractors. Same for sub-contractors…even plumbing and HVAC guys. They all give free estimates when building or remodeling a home. Service calls are a little different, even if the only thing done is diagnostic. I get that they charge for that. Actually, we all know nothing is free, so these businesses figure ahead to get their time back for estimates at the end of the job should they be awarded the contract. I don’t necessarily want anything for free, but I want estimates as well and I’m not paying every contractor that comes out. I don’t care if they make up for their time after being awarded a contract. In fact, I encourage them to charge on the back end.
Fast forward to me working with at least three of the same companies I tried to work with before. I was very specific in what I wanted estimates for because I knew what some visible problems were that needed fixed. Estimates, not inspections and that’s what I got.
Two graciously gave those estimates without charging and one did not. My aunt didn’t mind to pay so we went with it. The estimates were for known visible problems. A new concrete crown on each of two chimneys and the third chimney had bad brick spalling above the gutter line as well as some below the gutter line to the deck and some brick spalling below the deck to the ground. Worst of it from the gutter up. All three companies gave estimates tearing down to the gutter line and rebuilding as well as total tear down of cosmetic outer structure and rebricking from the ground up. These estimates aren’t even remotely close to each other, but they are gladly working with us.
They also agreed to estimates rather than total inspections because 3 of 4 flues of the three chimneys have never been used since the home was built.
Another company is wanting to give an estimate as well for another fee. Two other brick masons have also given estimates at no charge. Those two brick mason estimates are totally being scratched off because they’re not doing the same amount of work, they didn’t even get in the roof, both said they’d only remove two courses of brick on the worst chimney when clearly the issue is worse than that and confirmed by me and three chimney companies, and the masons estimates were not thoroughly itemized, and they’re not insured and bonded. They’re out.
The final decision of who does the work for my aunt is not my decision. All my job for her was to help find her some well credentialed and experienced companies who offer a warranty with their work and are known for doing good work.
Normally I would have just contacted local ever day masons to do this work. I still may have to depending on what my aunt decides. That said, from the past previous posts here by
@bholler and
@webby3650 I’ve been encouraged to seek out certified credentialed contractors because I know these guys here are knowledgeable and helpful on the forum.
So my experience in total has not been so cut and dry as EatenByLimestone mentions with chimney sweeps. Often there are extenuating circumstances. One of which I haven’t mentioned yet…and that is that my aunt made it very clear from the onset that she has zero plans to use any of these chimneys and they’ve never been used. She just needed and wanted visible cosmetic issues corrected so that the chimney’s didn’t get any worse and cause damage inside the home. My overall experience with these companies with her home so far has been a good experience. Better than my own experience at my own home.
