We hired First Response Chimney for several big jobs on our 1901 farmhouse and guest cottage, and I can't recommend them highly enough. The main project was installing a new Blaze King wood stove, including a new chimney crown and relining the chimney with an insulated stainless steel liner. They also repointed and repaired the cottage chimney, relined it for a woodstove, and repointed the main house chimney. With a wood stove or fireplace, the peace of mind is everything. I never had a single doubt that the work was done safely and to code, and that's worth a lot when it's your home on the line. From start to finish they were extremely professional, reliable, and clearly knew exactly what they were doing. They also went above and beyond on the logistics. The cottage work was tricky to schedule because we had Airbnb guests booked that we couldn't cancel, and they worked around our calendar completely. They even cleaned up mid-job so the space was guest-ready at check-in. At one point the cleaners they'd lined up bailed, and the owner, William, himself drove out on a Saturday morning to handle it personally and did an incredibly thorough job. The repointing deserves special mention. A previous owner had carelessly patched the historic chimney with Portland cement, which is the wrong material for an old home. First Response ground it all out and redid it in lime mortar, matching the original and restoring it the period-appropriate way. It looks like it should- like it was never touched. And they fully cleaned up after every job. read more

First Response Chimney Sweeps & Services - Nothing beats a properly installed wood stove- makes me look forward to the winter - Chimney Sweeps Near Me - Front Royal, Virginia

See all

1 STAR -- $9,152 LATER, THE LEAK IS STILL THERE -- EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING EXPERIENCE I would give zero stars if Google allowed it. I hired First Response Chimney Stove & Fireplace because I had a serious water leak in my basement coming from underneath my fireplace. I specifically hired them to inspect the problem, identify the source of the leak, and recommend the appropriate repair. The owner, William, and his worker, Frank, inspected the situation and told me that the chimney was responsible for the water intrusion and that the chimney needed to be rebuilt to solve the problem. I trusted their professional assessment and agreed to proceed. The estimate was for $9,152.00 and included a partial brick chimney rebuild, chimney crown work, flashing/kerf work, waterproofing, and other chimney-related services. I relied on their representations that this work would address the water problem. It didn't. After all of this work and all of this money, I STILL HAVE THE SAME WATER LEAK COMING FROM THE SAME AREA UNDERNEATH THE FIREPLACE. That is the single biggest issue with this entire experience. The chimney was presented to me as the cause of the leak. After the chimney work was completed, the leak remained. I subsequently discovered that the actual problem was associated with the foundation, meaning I spent thousands of dollars addressing what appears to have been the wrong source of the water intrusion. Had I been correctly advised in the beginning, I would not have authorized a $9,152 chimney project to address a problem that it did not resolve. The problems didn't stop there. Throughout the project, I experienced repeated last-minute changes to the construction schedule. These changes caused me to lose multiple days of work and disrupted my life unnecessarily. The worksite/property was also left with a mess of concrete and construction debris in my backyard. I was also given assurances regarding supervision and oversight of the work. My experience with what actually occurred did not match those assurances, which further damaged my confidence in the company. I tried to be patient and overlook many of these problems because I assumed that, at the end of the project, at least the original problem--the water leak--would finally be fixed. It wasn't. And then came the most disturbing part. When I confronted William about my disappointment and explained that the leak was still there despite the expensive chimney work, the response was not what I expected from a contractor who had just been paid to solve a specific problem. My wife received text messages stating that a lien would be placed on the house if the bill was not paid in full. This was particularly upsetting because I was already paying for the project through the financing program offered by the company and was continuing to make monthly payments. Instead of feeling that the company was taking responsibility for an unresolved problem, I felt pressured over payment while the very problem I originally hired them to solve remained unresolved. Bottom line: I am now left paying a $9,152 project bill while still dealing with the same water leak underneath my fireplace. I lost work days because of scheduling issues. My property was left with a concrete mess. I have serious concerns about the supervision and communication during the project. Most importantly, the water problem that caused me to call this company in the first place was not fixed. I hired a chimney company because I trusted their expertise. I relied on their diagnosis that the chimney was causing the leak. I authorized major work based on that diagnosis. Today, I am left with an expensive bill and the original leak. That is extremely difficult to accept. My advice to anyone considering hiring First Response Chimney Stove & Fireplace for a major repair: Do not rely solely on their diagnosis. Get an independent inspection and a second opinion before spending thousands of dollars. Make absolutely sure you know what is actually causing your problem before authorizing major work. In my personal experience, this was an extremely expensive, frustrating, disruptive, and ultimately unsuccessful experience. I would not recommend this company, and I would not hire them again. read more

I cannot recommend First Response Chimney Stove and Fireplace enough!! I had an existing fire place that was not cutting it with heating my house. My heat pumps were constantly running, driving my electric bill up like crazy. I purchase a brand new Hearthstone Heritage wood stove from First Response. The install was seamless. They showed up on time, made sure to move anything that would be dirtied or damaged in the process and even laid down mats to protect my hardwood floors. The workers themselves were professional and presented themselves as such. They went above and beyond to make sure the linear I purchased was insulated and securely fastened. I know I can sleep well at night knowing my family is safe and warm now!! Thank you First Response!!! read more

First Response Chimney Sweeps & Services - Chimney Sweeps Near Me - Front Royal, Virginia

They were supposed to clean our chimney. We also paid for an inspection. Once on the roof, they tried to upsell us for $10,000 to add a chimney liner, which we could do ourselves for a few hundred dollars in materials. They said that they would not clean the chimney unless we agreed to pay for the other services. This is an illegal practice called a tying agreement. It is apparent that the business owner has no business nor legal education or experience. Reportedly being a firefighter is all well and good, but does not compensate for a lack of ethics. Their modus operandi is to upsell and follow up requesting favorable reviews, again and again. The experience was disappointing and a waste of time. A competitor cleaned the chimney for $175. without any contingencies. We bought the liner on Amazon and installed it in about an hour. read more

First response came to do a inspection of our new wood stove. The service was professional an the technicians inspected every detail an clearance measurement. I look forward to doing business with them again in the future. read more

We love First Chimney Sweeps..: They are so professional, reliable and show great work ethic. We were at a loss this year to find someone we felt we could trust after discovering the chimney sweep we had been using for years and had trusted and respected so much, had passed away at an early age. We feel so lucky to have discovered First Response. They do fabulous work, take pictures, provide thorough explanations of the work they are doing. We HIGHLY recommend them. Anne and Tom Lyon read more

First off, William replied to our email inquiry very quickly and was able to work us into his schedule. He and his crew arrived at the agreed on time promptly. They were professional, courteous and very clear about the work they performed. I'd recommend them and look forward to having them work with us again. read more

These guys are highly knowledgeable , very responsive, and do quality work. I would definitely recommend.