Part 1: Finding the Best Chimney Sweep – Owner, Licensing & Experience You Must Verify
When most of us need a chimney sweep or someone for a chimney inspection, our initial response is to search online and choose someone with good ratings. However, the web is filled with many websites claiming to be legit businesses but in reality are just a lead-generation landing page that forwards your request to the highest bidder, which means that you may unconsciously end up hiring an unlicensed, uninsured, or utterly inexperienced technician.
So how do I find the most trusted chimney sweep service near me? What are the things I should look for before hiring a chimney company?
In this first blog of our 3-blog comprehensive series of finding the right chimney company, we will assist you in how you can hire a proper chimney sweep business. If you are concerned with safety, quality, and peace of mind, these are the steps you need to take. In part 1, we will guide you through the first three key factors you should look for every time you think there is a need to hire a chimney sweep:
● Who owns the company?
● Is the business legal?
● How long has the business been around?
Let’s begin delving deeper into the first three key aspects that can help you find the best chimney sweep in Virginia.
Find Out the Founder of the Company. Why Does It Matter?
The first warning sign to watch for when choosing a chimney sweep is the name of the owner of the company. If no names are listed, step back and look for a more credible company that is run by experienced and licensed professionals, like A Step in Time Chimney Sweep, which is run by Mr. Raymond Gessner, who is a licensed engineer in Virginia and several other states.
Most sites in the chimney sweep business are virtual shells. They’re established to take in your inquiry and pass it along to mystery contractors who pay for leads. These companies frequently don’t state who’s behind the company. That’s because they don’t want you to track their operation or find out that there is no actual company behind the website.
A reputable chimney sweep business never hesitates to feature its leadership team or owner on the website. The owner or manager is accredited with the responsibility of –
1. Establishing safety and training standards
2. Employing certified technicians
3. Implementing correct customer service practices
4. Possessing the right licenses and insurance coverage
Here are some of the key things when looking for the owner details of any chimney sweep company.
1. Owner’s full name and bio on the website
2. LinkedIn or Google Business Profile with professional history
3. Consistency in contact information on all online platforms, including Google, Yelp, etc.
At A Step in Time Chimney Sweeps, transparency with our customers is our top priority. We take pride in having an experienced team of chimney technicians who are guided by experienced contractors and engineers under a fully licensed company.
Another part of your practice should include browsing a chimney sweep company’s site. Click on the “About Us” or “Meet the Team” tab, and if nobody is listed there, you may want to find a more trustworthy company that is not afraid to feature its leadership.
Is the Chimney Sweep Business Licensed and Insured to Do Business?
Numerous chimney sweep companies state they are “licensed and insured,” but only a few can stand right to their claims. Licensing is obligatory in Virginia and in any other state of the United States. It’s not optional for serious businesses engaged in chimney or construction-related services to perform work without obtaining permissions or licenses from the relevant governing bodies.
In Virginia, businesses are licensed through the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). Licenses are granted on:
1. Level of experience
2. Financial stability
3. Building code knowledge
4. Background checks legally
A Step in Time Chimney Sweep is a Virginia Class A Contractor Licensed (#2705139016), run by Mr. Raymond Gessner, a licensed professional engineer under the license number #0402032901). This is the highest possible contractor rating. It allows us to perform projects in excess of $120,000 and signifies:
1. Our more than 25 years of experience
2. Evidence of financial responsibility
3. Passing of business, law, and technical tests
You can also check any Virginia contractor’s license status here: https://www.dpor.virginia.gov/LicenseLookup
Besides the Class A License, A Step in Time Chimney Sweep also possess:
1. Master HVAC License (#2710076347) — Required for chimney liner and vent installation
2. Business Engineering Entity License (#0407004891) — Legal permit to provide engineering services
Note: All our licenses mentioned above are current and active.
Wondering why it is important to look for these licenses?
Because if you employ an unlicensed contractor and they end up causing damage to your place, your insurance service provider can refuse to pay your claim. In even worse scenarios, you become legally responsible for the injuries or accidents that occur in the course of the service.
Moving on to the third most important thing to look for before hiring a chimney sweep company.
Look for How Long Has the Company Been in Business
Experience is a key determinant of service quality and company integrity. The chimney sweeping industry involves structural work, code compliance, fire safety, and even engineering in some cases. These aren’t skills someone can pick up overnight.
A Step in Time Chimney Sweeps has been in business for over 25 years, serving homeowners across Virginia and other states with dependable, code-compliant service.
We’ve grown from a small team to a full-scale operation with our commitment to consistent professional standards, thanks to thousands of satisfied clients showing trust in our chimney sweep services.
But how do I check a company’s business age?
You can simply use your state’s State Corporation Commission (SCC) database. In Virginia, go to https://cis.scc.virginia.gov/ to check the same.
More details about the A Step in Time business registration:
● Entity Name: A Step in Time, Incorporated
● Entity ID: 05700364
● Official Address: 3500 Virginia Beach Blvd, Suite 608, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
Well-established businesses, like us, are more likely to uphold warranties. We are easier to hold accountable for the service we deliver to our clients. Also, our well-established long-term relationships with insurance companies come as a huge perk for our customers.
Quick summary of what you’ve learned in part 1
1. Always check who’s behind the company, meaning the founder/owner of the company.
2. Verify contractor licenses and business registrations
3. Confirm how long the company has been in continuous operation
These three steps prevent you from hiring fraud or inexperienced, or unqualified chimney technicians. In the next blog of the series, we’ll cover in detail the certification and insurance you need to check before someone comes to clean or fix your chimney.
Bookmark this blog and visit our website again for the second blog. [We Just Posted the Second blog on 27 August 2025, go here to read that one.]
Connor H.
Connor is expert in understanding various chimney repair.
