Protect yourself from poor workmanship and FRAUD!

Make sure your chimney company complies with these 7 consumer protection policies and strict standards of ethical behavior.

The contractor/service industry is known for its lack of integrity and ethics.  Things like making promises they don’t keep…or maybe quoting a low up front price, then tricking you with expensive ad-ons you don’t need.

Your first line of defense is to make sure the chimney company you call is legitimate and reputable. Even if their phone skills seem polished and their trucks look new, the problems could be just beginning! Never judge a chimney company by their appearance alone! Insist that the following documentation be provided before you let them in to your home.

Don't get burned! Download our free checklist (PDF format)

Seven “Consumer Protection Policies”
a Chimney Sweep must Provide For You.

1. Current Contractor/Business License (where applicable):  Make sure they have been operating under the same name for a minimum of 5 years.  Many sweep companies pop up in the fall but an astounding 48% of them go out of business in their first year.  What’s more, many of those that went out of business will open up the following fall under a different name to avoid the past customer complaints and problems.

2. Written Statement from the Better Business Bureau:  You need to go farther than just checking out their standing with the BBB.  Remember, many Sweep companies shut down and open up under new names year after year.  Instead, ask to see a copy of a written statement about BBB arbitration on the contractor’s behalf.  This means that if complaints arise, the sweep company agrees that the BBB’s judgment is binding and must perform accordingly.  Without this agreement, you have no recourse.

3. Current References:  All reputable Chimney companies carry preprinted lists of references…from customers from 1-5 years ago, as well as recent customers.  They should also have copies of written comments from actual customers after services were completed.

4. Trade Associations Certificates of Standing:  Belonging to the National Chimney Sweep Guild and/or a state chimney sweep guild and possibly other trade associations implies some quality and ethical integrity on behalf of the company.

5. Certifications.  The Chimney Safety Institute of America has a   comprehensive certification program for chimney sweeps.  Once a technician has successfully passed these requirements he receives “Certified Chimney Sweep” status, a certification number and photo ID badge. In some companies only the owner has this certification and the technicians that actually come to your home are not certified.  Always ask to see the technician’s certification badge before allowing them to proceed with any work.

6. General Liability Insurance Certificate – Not “Self-Insured”: You need to know if the chimney company carries general liability insurance for both commercial and residential projects.  A reputable company carries no less than 500,000 and usually around a $1,000,000 of coverage.  If the company’s insurance policy can’t cover damages, then they would be personally liable.  If they cannot cover the damages, you will have little legal recourse and will end up paying for any damages yourself.  Over three-fourths of contractors and service companies are not financially stable…and don’t carry proper insurance coverage to protect you against losses.

7. Surety Bonded and Supplier Status Letter:  Bonding is required of all residential contractors in the state of Oregon.  It simply protects your home from a lien in the case a contractor does not pay for materials he may provide at your job.  Just as important is a written confirmation of the company’s status and dealings with his suppliers.  These letters are easy to obtain if he pays his suppliers within the agreed terms.  If any company tells you these letters are difficult to obtain, there might be something they are trying to hide.

American Chimney's Standards of Ethical Behavior

Competency

All our technicians are certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America and versed in all fires codes and standards of the National Fire Protection Association. Those who are not yet certified are in preparation for certification and work under the supervision of someone who is certified; these people are only given work equal to their level of training.  We won’t send someone out to practice on you! 

Our technicians have an average of 12 years experience.  We have cleaned serviced or repaired over 15,000 chimneys since 1989. We also continue our education with weekly training and by attending workshops, conferences, and industry trade shows. 

We Fix it right; the first time.

We won’t skip steps; we want you to be satisfied with the work we perform. Our trucks are well stocked with the proper tools and supplies to handle 97% of the work we might encounter. 

Integrity

We are a chimney company, alert for chimney problems, which we are prepared to address.  However, we will never manufacture problems.  If problems are encountered, we will document them with digital photos or video tape and provide a written estimate. We understand the problem in the marketplace with some companies that offer a low initial price, and then trick you with expensive ad-ons.  We never pressure our customers!

Utmost Care for your Home

We use a unique dustless cleaning process when cleaning chimneys.  Our vacuums filter dust particles down to .5 microns.  We cover your floors with rug runners or wear clean surgical booties over our shoes.  If something needs to be moved, we put on a pair of white gloves before touching it.  We go to great lengths to leave your home looking as good as it was before we arrived.  If the job is outside, we’ll take the same care of your roof or yard.  And of course, we clean up after ourselves. 

Punctuality

If we give you a time window, we will arrive within that window. If we will be any earlier or later than that, we’ll call in a reasonable amount of time and advise or reschedule.

We believe in keeping promises.  If there’s a problem or additional work to do, we’ll come back when we say we will, and we’ll finish the things we start. 

We’ll also make every effort to do all this is a reasonable time frame. 

We’ll be easy to communicate with.  If you call us, we’ll call you back in a timely manner.

Cleanliness

Appearance: All of our people will be clean (keeping in mind that we often get dirty doing our day’s work of course!) in dress and hygiene. 

Vehicle: We keep our vehicles clean and in decent working order.  We understand nobody wants a rattletrap truck in the driveway. 

Behavior on the job: Our people will always refrain from foul language.  We have strict no drugs or alcohol policy. 

No Hassle  Guarantee

We guarantee your satisfaction with our clean, highly trained chimney professionals and our fair and honest business practices.  If there is ever any question about the quality of our work, we will promptly work with you until it is resolved. 

Choose American Chimney with confidence

Of the 32 chimney repair and sweep companies in the greater Portland area there is ONLY one company that complies with these 7 Consumer Protection Policies and these high Standards of Ethical Behavior…That’s American Chimney & Masonry!

Experience, quality, price and credentials make American Chimney the best choice when selecting a chimney care professional. We are licensed, bonded, insured and registered with the construction contractors board.  

Serving the Portland Metro area since 1989...
503-644-0393 Call us today! 503-636-9794