Chimney Sweep Service
Scope of Work and How to Prepare for Your Appointment

All work is performed by owner, Neil Ballard. 

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Important Information:

• Chimney sweeps are generally performed from inside of the home. If your chimney cap requires hand cleaning (not properly secured, extreme build-up, etc.), please let us know upon booking.

• Steep Roofs: Neil does not work on steep roofs (pitch greater than 4/12). If you have a steep roof and your chimney cap is not properly secured (requires hand cleaning), This is not a service we offer as we do not work on steep roofs. Most chimney caps can be cleaned from inside the home as long as they are properly secured. Masonry chimney caps have to be cleaned by hand.

• Metal / Shake Roofs: If your roof is metal or shake, access will only be performed when safe (dry weather). Please let us know upon booking if you have a metal / shake or similar roof. 

• We do not clean European stoves (Jotul, etc.), cook stoves, boilers, heatilator fireplaces (unless being decommissioned or prepared for an insert install), wood furnaces, pellet stoves or oil chimneys.

• Chimneys must be cold to be swept. We recommend not having a fire approximately 24 hours prior to your appointment. 

• Masonry Fireplaces: If you have a masonry fireplace and your chimney is older / has not recently been relined, there is a chance that your chimney may not be in good enough condition to continue to use. This is common with older chimneys. If this is the case, and Neil determines the chimney should not be used as is, we can provide a Chimney Assessment instead of a Chimney Sweep and charge our assessment rate of $100 plus gst instead of the full rate for a chimney sweep. 

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​Scope of Work:

• All work is performed by owner, Neil Ballard.

• Our chimney sweeps are performed using the rotary power sweeping method. Neil takes extra care to ensure that no mess is made inside of your home. 

• Neil will usually leave a layer of ash in the firebox during burning season as it helps with starting the next fire. Please let us know if you do not wish him to leave any ash.

• Neil is unable to take the soot/ash that he sweeps out of the chimney with him. Customers often will use this in their garden beds or compost.

• Chimneys which have excessive build-up or have not been regularly maintained may be subject to additional fees.

How to Prepare for Your Appointment:

• Please make sure the chimney is cold. We recommend not having a fire approximately 24 hours prior to your appointment.

• Please ensure there are no hot embers in the fireplace/insert/stove prior to your appointment. 

• Please make sure the firebox has been cleared of large pieces of wood/debris, large piles of ash, etc. to prepare for the service. The firebox does not need to be clean prior to the sweep. We just ask that it is not full of debris.

• Please make sure there is ample room inside of the home for our technician to perform the sweep.

• Please make sure there is ample room for our technician to set up a ladder outside, when needed. ​

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Terms and Conditions:

Chimneys which have excessive build-up, have not been regularly maintained, have bird nests, etc, may be subject to additional fees.

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We charge a service call fee of $75 + GST for chimney sweeps if:

• Our technician arrives on site during the designated time window and no one is there to meet him.

• If cancellations are made less than 24 hours before your appointment time.

• If our technician arrives on site and the chimney is too hot to sweep.

• If the job can't be performed due to lack of space to work (items not moved away from the fireplace).

• If we have not completed a chimney assessment and the job can't be performed due to misinformation provided upon booking.

• If we have not completed a chimney assessment and the job can't be performed due to safety concerns. 

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We charge a chimney assessment fee of $100 + GST if:

•  We arrive on site, assess the chimney and determine the chimney is not safe to use as is, etc, and a chimney sweep has not yet been performed.  

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