Are chimney sweeps licensed in Vermont?+
There is no state trade licence specific to chimney sweeping, which is precisely why verifying insurance and credentials yourself carries more weight here than in a licensed trade. It also means the quality range is wider than people assume.
Which certifications should I look for?+
The recognised industry certifications are issued by identifiable national bodies and can be verified with the issuer directly. What matters more than the name is that you check it at the source and confirm which individual holds it.
What insurance should they carry?+
General liability at minimum, held by the company performing the work, and current. If people are being employed on your property, workers' compensation is the other question. Ask for documentation, not a verbal assurance.
Is a company certificate the same as a technician one?+
No, and the distinction matters. A company may advertise a credential held by one person who is not the person attending your house. Asking who specifically holds it is a fair and revealing question.
How do I compare two very different quotes?+
By asking both for the same specification details. Most large gaps turn out to be scope instead of margin: one includes insulation on the liner or crown and cap on the masonry job and the other does not. A headline number tells you almost nothing.
Should I be suspicious of a free inspection?+
Not automatically, and it is worth knowing what level of inspection is being offered free. A free visual look is a sales visit that may be perfectly honest. A Level 2 with a camera scan is real work and is ordinarily charged for.
What about someone who finds a lot of problems?+
Judge it on evidence. A technician showing you camera stills and photographs of what they found is making a case you can check. One describing serious problems you are not shown, with urgency attached, is doing something else.
Should the report be written?+
Yes for anything beyond a routine sweep, and always for an inspection. A written report with photographs is what you can act on, hand to an insurer or show the next contractor. A verbal summary evaporates.
Is it reasonable to ask for references?+
Entirely, particularly for a significant job like a reline or a rebuild. Recent local work is the useful kind, and a contractor doing good work in the area will not find that an awkward request.
Should I be there while they work?+
Someone has to let them in, and staying for the findings conversation is worth it. Photographs of a cracked tile mean much more with the person who burns in the appliance standing there to ask questions.
What if I disagree with a finding?+
Ask for the evidence and, on a significant recommendation, get a second inspection. A finding backed by camera stills is checkable by another technician, which is one of the practical reasons to insist on documentation.
How much notice does a good contractor need?+
Book from late summer for anything before the heating season, and earlier still for masonry work, which has its own weather window. The contractors worth waiting for are the ones whose calendars fill first.