The Chimney Chap, Inc

An 1867 house with a chimney that was unlined, crumbling and badly flashed — and, worse, venting the heating system. That September 2025 homeowner said they researched hard before handing the job to The Chimney Chap, and it's the kind of work this Hanson company keeps turning up in: the chimney nobody else looked at closely enough. Diagnosis is the through-line. In March 2026 a customer said several other fireplace technicians had failed on their propane fireplace and Chimney Chap found and fixed it on the first visit, saving them a part they'd been told to replace. A November 2025 reviewer said a sweep named Jimmy discovered the chimney had no liner at all — something a different company's sweeps had missed. The volume behind those stories is substantial: 4.7 across 239 Google ratings, 4.8 across 550 on HomeAdvisor, and a Better Business Bureau page carrying an A+ with accreditation since 2012. They're a hearth shop as well as a chimney crew, showroom included, and reviewers name the people — Casey on stove selection, Scott on the chimney side, technicians who show photos of what they found and what they fixed. A June 2026 customer having two gas inserts installed alongside significant chimney repairs said Scott found a way to cut thousands off the repair after the price was already agreed. Another that month said the crew replacing an aging chimney showed up on time, hit the estimate and finished early. The friction is money at the front end. In December 2024 a homeowner was quoted $554.99 simply to price a liner for an existing wood stove. That same month a shopper looking at a pellet stove said a promised free inspection turned into a $300 charge for a $200 sweep they didn't believe they needed, with $100 credited toward the stove. A February 2026 customer whose boiler was backing exhaust into the basement paid $250 for the inspection and called that fair by comparison. Ask what the diagnostic visit costs and what it credits toward before booking one. Two other things belong on the table. A May 2025 reviewer headed their account "Beware", describing a three-week wait for a technician visit they paid for, a signed proposal, a large deposit and a booked installation — followed by a call from the company two days later. And Violation Tracker, which publishes federal enforcement records, lists a 2024 OSHA workplace safety and health penalty against The Chimney Chap, Inc; its two entries differ on the amount, showing $6,000 and $5,000. For an older chimney with real problems — no liner, leaks, structural work — or a stove or insert you want specified and installed properly, this is a deep, long-documented outfit whose customers keep coming back for years. Get the inspection fee and what it applies to in writing, and pin down deposit and cancellation terms before any money changes hands.