I have used them before maybe 20 years before they did an excellent job putting in a liner in the chimney and they did a thorough check out today and help me uncover a gas leak problem which has been bothering us for a long time so on 2 points I really appreciate them and highly recommend them read more

Listen to the one-star reviews. Notice the pattern? Same experience here: tried quoting absurd 10K+ repairs that were simply not needed, were misleading in selective information shared to justify. Got second opinion from other company that shared the full picture (literally) .. one chimney totally fine, other needed very small fix. They are knowledgeable, thorough and relatively cheap for inspection .. they did a great job with the initial cleaning .. no dispute there. The problem is pushing entirely unneeded upsells, then justifying by claiming they just have a higher standard than anyone else. That's why you see a split of one-star and five-star review here .. they do very good, very unnecessary work. If you use despite the one-star reviews here (sort by recent), don't make any big decision based on what they choose to share. Don't be misled. PS I don't tend to leave reviews. Especially negative ones. But feel obligated in this case. Hopefully they stop this behavior since it is so obvious. read more

Billy Sweet Chimney's supervisor Ed was professional and addressed all my questions during the initial process. The installer was prompt, courteous, and did careful, thorough work. All in all, a great experience. I originally had my chimney swept by another local (top rated) company, who was not honest about their pricing and their employees that came to do the work were questionable. They later tried to increase their price, after I contracted with them to complete the sweep (not honest business conduct!!) and that's when I called Billy Sweep. Billy Sweep has been upfront, honest, and did great work, with a reasonable price - I would recommend them to everyone! read more

As a first time home-purchaser I called for advice on moving forward with a quote for a chimney liner and cap. The woman who answered the phone wasn't willing to work with me or educate me on the process, I simply asked her what is entailed in securing a quote, could she provide a cost range. She kept insisting that she couldn't comment on a range without an inspection. Fine. But then she put her manager on the phone (at her own volition) and I asked him the same questions (hoping he could ADD to the conversation.) He responded with the same answer she provided to which she erupted in cackles in the background. This type of disgusting, unprofessional behavior is appalling. If they can't hold their 'stuff' together on a phone call, I would never want them working on my house. It was like speaking with teenagers. read more

I asked for a chimney clean and inspection and a quote for a chimney cap. What I got was a few photos of my chimney, and a RIDICULOUS quote for over $14,000 in unnecessary repairs. They told me when I made the appointment that the tech would give me a quote for the cap after the inspection, but when he sent me the quote he said he couldn't quote just the cap. Such a dishonest, unprofessional operation. I won't be hiring them. read more

These guys did an excellent job on a cap install on my very large center chimney. Jon was very helpful over the phone on my 1st contact and was able to give me a very close estimate just by reviewing some pictures. Pricing was excellent and they had the cap built and installed in just about 2 weeks. Ed installed it in about an hour and had me come out and look it over before they left. I then got a follow up phone call to make sure I was satisfied about a week later. Now if the thing stops my leak it will be perfect but so far I'm very happy with these guys !! read more

Two guys showed up, the older one told me I had a "major" problem before he even looked inside the fireplace or the chimney. Our house is 250+ years old and has a working Rumford fireplace. We've had it cleaned regularly over the years and it has always worked fine. This guy tells me it does not meet current code and that it would cost us $18K to replace the original, antique mantel and firebox, replace the hearth and install a chimney liner. I'm pretty sure it is grandfathered, and there is no way I would ever remove this gorgeous mantle, but whatever, I just want him to clean the chimney and give us a quote for a chimney cap to prevent winter downdrafts. He then proceeds to tell me he can't give us a chimney cap or a new damper because it would be "condoning" our use of the fireplace and he does not think it should be used...his opinion. Again, not what I'm asking. As they proceed to clean the chimney, I sit in the kitchen and work, when I see the older guy in my back yard. He then goes INTO MY BASEMENT (without my permission) and comes up the cellar stairs into my house. I ask him if he needs something and he wants to know what kind of heat we use. I tell him forced hot water and he says, "Oh, so not through the chimney?" Uh, no. He then says, "You have a problem with your water heater, it's leaking." Obviously we know that since there is a bucket under the leak. I thank him and tell him the plumber came yesterday and we are waiting on a part. Ten minutes later, he asks me to step outside to presumably look at our chimney, telling me again that I have a "major" problem. Now I'm annoyed. But it isn't the chimney he wants me to look at--it's the roofing shingles along the peak, which are frayed. Yes ,of course we know about it, and are working to get it fixed. Again, just clean the chimney. As he's leaving, he man-splains all the issues he's found and asks if I understand. Yes, I assure him, I do. He asks if I would like for him to explain it to my husband, who is working in his office upstairs. I assure him I can explain everything. He then asks if I need him to be there when I tell my husband, as backup, whatever that means--not even going there. No, I assure him. I do not require his help in telling my husband what he did today, or what his recommendations are. This guy's attitude was so condescending and superior, and I had a real issue with him walking around my property and pointing out issues unrelated to the chimney, as if he was the big he-man coming to the rescue of the helpless little housewife. Maybe he knows his stuff, but I won't be using him again. read more

Not a fan! I scheduled a chimney and furnace flue cleaning and was quoted $250 to clean the chimney and an additional $250 to clean the furnace flue. Thinking it was a little expensive, I called a couple of other companies who quoted the same job at $180 for the first chimney and $130 for others, so I called back Dan at Billy Sweet to let him know what his competitors charge. He agreed to match their price. The technicians came to the house, (and were supposed to call 1/2 hour ahead of time, which was confirmed twice over the phone, but this fact was not notated on their paperwork). When the techs had completed the job, and I was about to write the check, I realized that I had coupons from 2 other chimney sweep companies offering 10% off of their services and called the Billy Sweet office to see if they were willing to match this promotion. Instead of politely answering my question, which they could've done nicely) I was treated rudely and unprofessionally for even asking about it. Dan actually questioned me, demanding why I was asking about this now, "when we had a deal". Excuse me: but there is no "deal", I'm not buying a car, just having my chimneys swept, which 4 other companies in the area do and I was simply paying for services rendered, and inquiring if a company will meet it's competition's pricing and promotion. This is not a request which warrants an accusing tone, thank you very much. Also, the timing as to when I found the coupons is irrelevant. Perhaps I should have asked that had I mentioned the coupons 2 days ago, that information would have been received with more professionalism and graciousness. It went down hill from there... Because the icing on the cake was Billy Sweet himself, who got on the phone with me and threatened to take me to small claims court! For what?! Gee Billy, I was not aware that you could take a customer to small claims court for inquiring about a promo.....bad form, really bad form. In all fairness, the technicians were polite and efficient, the 2 stars are for their service and not for their boss' rude behavior. I hope that they end up working with another company, as they do not reflect their company's horrific business practices. The last laugh.... As a result of this service, it was reported that I will need appx $3300 worth of work on my furnace flue. Can you guess which company is not getting my business??? read more

For anyone who wants to see my reply to Billy S, please read my original post, the reply form the company, and then my reply below...(you cannot see it on yelp without me adding it here)......... Hi Billy - Thank you for the reply. I do appreciate that you have taken the time to respond. I actually had my chimney inspected by 2 other licensed and certified chimney masters as well as a master mason, and all agreed that the chimney is sound. So in this instance, I am sure you can understand why I have confidence in 3 separate qualified evaluations. I do find it concerning that I am hearing more and more neighbors telling me they have heard the same exact words and phrases from the same individual working for you......."risk of life and property". I am sure you can understand why this raises the desire to get 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) evaluations. read more

Since this was my first chimney sweep experience, I suppose this review is unqualified. Anyhoo... I thought these guys were great to work with! From my first call in, Brian was engaging, informative and very helpful in reviewing the process and pricing. The tech team that showed up were also polite, informative and thorough in their work. They took their shoes off before coming in, laid down drop clothes around the fireplace and had a vacuum running the whole time. When they left it was like no one had ever come. Their standard package is a Level II cleaning, which includes sweeping and running a digital camera up the chimney to take footage of the chimney's condition and capture any damage. The whole treatment ran just under $300 and I was told when I called that most places charge anywhere from $400-$600 for a Level II inspection. Since Billy Sweet does that as their standard practice they discount it down. The tech also recommended and quoted up repairs, which they can also do. It wasn't a hard upsell(say like at Jiffy Lube) and he was pretty detailed about what was going on. I'd defintely recommend using these guys. Their territory ranges from N. Shore down to at least W. Roxbury. read more

Andrique and Eric came out this morning to clean and inspect my chimney. My house is 80 years old and I braced myself for gruesome results. In fact, things aren't too bad and they gave me an honest assessment of what I should plan on doing over the long run to maintain the chimney. More importantly, Andrique and Eric were extremely professional and friendly and took time to answer all of my questions. Ditto for the woman who helped me set up the appointment. People in the trades often forget that it is not enough to be skilled at your job, you also need to be skilled with your customers--Andrique and Eric have it down. I will certainly be a repeat customer. read more

I called in these guys so that I could get a second opinion on some work that another company had suggested I do since it was going to cost ALOT. It did cost quite a bit more than the other guys to inspect the situation I had, but I needed a sweep in addition to my inspection anyways, so it was all reasonable because of that. The chimney sweep I had come over was Jay. He was very professional and advocated for me rather than his company when going through the whole process and giving me suggestions. He went through as little or as much information as I had wanted every step of the way and answered every question and struck up whatever conversation I had with him in regards to learning more about chimneys in general which was Great. At the end of all this, he came to a drastically different conclusion from the first company and showed me all the proof to back it up while he was coming up to that conclusion. His suggestion for a cost effective and, in his professional opinion, ideal solution to the problem that would satisfy any homeowner involved getting a plumber instead to remedy the immediate issue and then doing whatever I wanted with my fireplace in my leisure. All in all, very satisfied with Jay. Would definitely go to these guys again. read more

Whoa. Get a second opinion. We had our chimney swept by Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep due to the fact that it was done last year and they recommend yearly sweeping. Turns out because our chimney is only used to ventilate our water heaters it does not even need to be cleaned yearly. When they came they told us we needed extensive repairs that would cost $4,000 dollars and that if we did not fix the issue there we were breaking fire codes that would violate our insurance policy. Thinking that this estimate seemed high, we decided to get 3 second opinions. The second opinions thought almost all of the work suggested was unnecessary and that we only needed minor repairs. The contractors that we got the opinion of were firefighters themselves and told us that the chimney was not a current fire code violation. Essentially this company saw us as people who they could take advantage of and did their best to try. Do yourself a favor and get a second opinion... you will end up saving yourself lots of money read more

I've upgraded my rating from 1 star to 2. I just got off the phone with Billy himself. He has graciously agreed to provide us with a refund check for the inspection. He also explained that it is not Billy Sweet's policy to do all or nothing repairs. He was surprised that the technician didn't express a willingness to help us figure out what repairs we could put off until later, and which were absolute safety issues that needed to be done immediately (in the service of reducing the cost to something we could afford). He also explained that in his experience, ppl who are looking to purchase a home *like* having a higher estimate for repairs for the sake of bargaining. This may well be true, but in our case the anti-Billy Sweet-bias from both parties' realtors and our home inspector, and the extremely high dollar amount of the estimate, worked against our favor. Anyway, his point re bargaining IS valid, so if folks are looking for a thorough inspection with a top-end estimate attached to it, then perhaps Billy Sweet is your man (or your company, as the case may be). read more

Find another chimney sweep. I have a house in the Boston area that this company "inspected" . the owner is arrogant and alarmist. When you ask him to explain his report, he acts in a condescending and belligerent way. Unless you want to be taken advantage of by a contractor, dont use this company. I hired another company after him and was able to get the work I needed done by competent professtionals. read more

Billy Sweet Chimney Sweet was prompt in their response and in scheduling. They oversell on the phone with quoting codes etc.... Code is different than the law and apply to homes built after the code was in effect. Their prices are much higher than anyones but I scheduled them because I did not want to use the chimney w/o having it cleaned AND I was promised pictures of the flue the day of the inspection. After being quoted 10K for a metal liner ( btw this is crazy) I asked for the photos. I was told they could not download on a MAC. They should have told me that on the phone as part of their justification for the price is the pictures on the spot. I was told to call the manager Dan Jenkins the next day and he would send over the photos. Dan said it could take 5-7 days for pictures which I stated was unacceptable as I was promised pictures the day of the cleaning and the pictures were one of the reasons their price was so high. Dan did agree to send the file on the same day, followed up with a phone call, again with code and I felt scare tactics and said the pictures were being sent. Still no pictures. I would NOT recommend this company, they did not deliver the services they promised and for which I paid of i.e., cleaning and pictures day of service. Get quotes and you will see what I mean. BTW, I got a quote for a lining 3K quite a difference. I felt badly for the workers who were polite and professional . read more

Scam alert! Called them to evaluate a drafting problem. Claimed the fireplace was obsolete, with rusted liner that was unrepairable. Tried to sell me a new fireplace for $11,000! Had two other chimney services evaluate the problem and was told by both that the chimney was in perfect condition and the problem could be solved with a simple chimney fan. Avoid at all costs. This is a dishonest and unethical company. read more

The workers were very nice and pleasant, but all down hill from there...we got a sweep and inspection on our fireplace, then quoted at an $11,000 renovation! Basically told not to use the fireplace until the whole thing was renovated. Had a 2nd opinion which knew exactly were this quote came from and said that is always how BS conducts business...that unless the fireplace is perfect BS recommends a complete reno...2nd option also confirmed we just needed some repointing and could use our fireplace. Go with anyone but Billy Sweet, unless you have an extra $11,000 to do a complete chimney renovation read more

I am new to the area and looked at few online and Billy Sweet Chimney seemed reputable and professional. TOTALLY not the case. They promised a follow-up email report, which never happened - so now I don't even know if our furnace and fireplace are as dangerous as they claim it to be since they won't document their "findings." I will be following up with my realtor so any new folks to the area will know to stay away from this company. read more

Had a great experience. Service guys were very nice. Inspection was thorough and they left the house clean and neat. I would highly recommend. read more

Had a tech out last Thurs. and he was great. Explained exactly what needed to be done, took photos and explained everything that needed to be repaired. I'm still questioning a few things but will get another opinion to make sure it is what really needs to be done. I think the price was fair. read more

I recently bought a home and had chimney swept. During the sweep and inspection I was told that the flue and smoke chamber needed to be resealed as indicated in the photos that were taken during the inspection. Photos revealed missing mortar in the tiles of the flue and same situation with smoke chamber. The old cap on the chimney had to be removed and replaced because it was rusted out. They gave me a quote for the work needed to be done. Price was competitive with other outfits. The technicians were Dennis and Pedro and they were very professional and courteous. The work was scheduled a couple of weeks later and Dennis and Pedro were the technicians who completed the job (this was a two day job). During the whole experience I was treated very well by Manager Dan and technicians Pedro and Dennis. I would highly recommend Billy Sweet!!!! read more

Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep was referred to me by a friend of my neighbor. I called and left a message with their answering service. A woman called me back and asked detailed questions about what I needed to have done and gave me a $400 estimate for sweeping my chimney, which seemed steep but she seemed knowledgeable. She said I would soon be contacted to set up an appointment date. A couple of weeks ago, someone else called saying the sweeper would be there today between 7 and 11 AM and I would get a 30 minute call with a heads up when they were nearing my address. They never showed up! I called their number which is the answering service and they couldn't give me any details but said they would pass on the message. It's now mid afternoon and I have not heard back from them. I am one condo in seven units and we all tend to use the same services to have various things done, so I guess this company has just lost 7 x $400 in business. Maybe someone in their answering service dropped the ball. read more

I spearheaded the cleaning of nine flues in 7 units in an 1871 building in Boston. Billy Sweet was great about working with me to come up with a date that would accommodate the schedules of all units. The techs were polite and professional. The lead tech invited all unit owners to watch over his shoulder as the camera surveyed the chimney. As expected, problems were found but at least the Condo Association has knowledge of what is needed to safely use the fireplaces. The cost of repair is high so we will get estimates from other companies. Billy Sweet said it would match other offers. I always look at that two ways: 1) it is a nice offer; 2) do they know they are higher than others and that they will need to come down? We'll know when we get other estimates. read more

I found this firm to be professional, courteous, and prompt! They came exactly when they said they would, the put on little booties before entering my home, they said exactly what they needed to do, they whispered and were very respectful of what was going on in the house and was out in 30 minutes with a full report, leaving my fireplace area immaculate! read more

The customer service provided on the phone was great. The guys in the office explained all my options, costs and scheduling very well. The techs who visited our house were polite, thorough, clean and knowledgeable. A great experience overall. read more

They installed a liner in our chimney for our Boston brownstone and did a great job. They were timely, friendly and professional and somehow very clean! I'll be using them again! read more

By do not use this company, I called them and asked for them to clean my chimney of a property I own in swampscott, first of all I received the worst customer service i've ever experienced in my life second of all the job that they did was atrocious. I had to call another chimney sweep company and they told me that the following company didn't even clean the chimney and that it was dangerous to leave in the state that it was in so bad shape I had to pay for the services of the other company to no fault of their own. I was very happy with the other companies service and reviewed them here on yelp. read more

Called to get a quote for a chimney sweep. Price was more than more than $300.00 dollars. I am an Army vet and thought I'd see if they offered any sort of a discount. I was told by Dan they would take $10.00 bucks off. Never been more insulted in my life. Thanks, but no thanks. Another company offered to take $60.00 off for my service. It was the gesture that made all the difference, I paid the full price of $250.00 and gave the guys a $50.00 dollar tip to match the price at Billy Sweet. read more

we are not pleased with our experience with billy sweet's services. they did an inspection and cleaning following which they basically told us that we needed to have the entire chimney replaced!!!! for a mere $20,000. they offered no intermediary steps - it was basically all or nothing. we have since gotten several other opinions and been told that his proposal was really overkill - in spite of lengthy speeches from billy himself and his manager dan - the upshot is that the work till be done by a licensed VERY experienced individual who has glowing accolades and no negative reviews to be found - the price is approximately 1/3 of billy's. i have since spoken with others who have used his services and had similar experiences - overpriced, alarming diagnoses and prescriptions!!!! i would NOT recommend him. read more

I gave two stars for the pricing only. Customer service was amazing but the price they quoted compared to the price to actually fix was unbelievable. We were looking for a quote to fix our fireplace and we were shocked to see that it came back as $11,000!! I though wow it must be much worse than I thought! I got a second opinion from a contractor, and two different masons (just to make sure I wasn't absolutely crazy). They all looked at the quote and laughed and then were actually pretty angry that they would even quote me that much. Ended up costing me under $3,000 to fix everything. When they followed up to see how the service was (guy who came was very nice and professional!) I let them know the service was great but that their price was completely off the mark. The man I spoke to was extremely polite and helpful and even sent me the chimney report early which was very helpful! However when I spoke about price it was something along the lines of ... we cater to a certain clientele. I'm not the type of consumer that would pay almost 4x as much (I'm not filthy rich!). So, if you can afford a bit extra these guys are great, dependable, and professional. But if you need an accurate estimate of repairs you may want to look at other options. (Sorry guys! You are awesome but the estimate compared to actual costs was borderline theft - one of the masons said we should have reported you to the BBB!) read more

These guys are great. The only reason that I gave them 4 stars is because I've never worked with a chimney cleaning company before, so can't compare them to others, although, I expect they are one of the best! I called them based on a recommendation from a family member who has been using them for years. Before setting up the appointment for our annual chimney clean, they walked me through the whole process and what I could expect. Jon arrived on time, after an initial call that morning to let me know he was on his way. He did a great job and thoroughly and politely answered all of my questions during the process. Jon made suggestions for work that we might consider having done, but he was not pushy. Customer service was an A+. I had a follow-up call with Dan in the office and again, very helpful and thorough. We will definitely continue to use them and I would recommend them to others. read more