Jay and Andrique came to my house for the first time yesterday. With their relaxed demeanor, pleasant smiles, and senses of humor it was like welcoming good friends to our home. They treated my home with the utmost care and respect - inquiring about pets that may "make a run" for an open door, giving my children a heads up before switching on the vacuums, and even inspecting the work area for stray soot that may have somehow escaped their drop cloths. They left my home clean and ensured it was safe for the wood burning season ahead. Billy Sweet's team was incredibly knowledgeable and took time to impart that expertise to me. Initially, they reviewed how we used the fireplace, asked about problems we were having with the draft, discussed the impact our home's layout has on the efficiency of our fireplace, as well as confirming how our oil heater was vented from the home. After a thorough conversation, Jay gave me a range of options to solve the issues we were having with the fireplace smoking - ranging from simple (and free!) solutions like lowering our fireplace grate and centering it to DIY possibilities like installing glass doors. Only after further conversation and analysis of our home did we discuss the possibility of installing a fireplace insert and bricking up the back of our double-faced fireplace. Our discussion also helped me prioritize what "needed" to be done from a safety perspective vs. what could wait. All conversation regarding installing an insert was zero pressure -as if Jay and I were brainstorming solutions together. (As a woman, it can sometimes be challenging to have service providers treat you as an equal - at no time did I feel like I was being talked down to or "man-splained"). This type of collaborative experience was possible only because Jay and Andrique were incredibly knowledgeable, took time to discuss all options, and weigh the pros and cons of each. Their goal was to make our fireplace and home more useable and comfortable - while ultimately ensuring its safety. I have no hesitation in recommending Billy Sweets Chimney Sweep and his crew. They are courteous, experienced, knowledgeable, efficient, and low pressure. We will continue to have them clean and inspect our chimney as well as install a new chimney cap and fireplace insert. read more

I engaged Billy Chimney Sweep for a clean chimney and an honest safety assessment for my 1760 home. Instead, I received an inaccurate lecture on modern building codes, which an unaltered 1760 Colonial inherently cannot meet. The service focused on bureaucratic liability and upselling rather than a professional evaluation of historic masonry. The lead technician, John ("Jay"), asserted prior to any inspection that all five fireplaces were non-compliant and unusable based entirely on modern clearance rules regarding decorative wood trim within six inches of the masonry firebox opening. Under the Massachusetts State Fire Code (527 CMR 1.00/NFPA 1) and the Building Code for historic structures (780 CMR/IEBC), unaltered, grandfathered chimneys are entirely legal for continued use unless an imminent safety threat or "distinct hazard" exists. The code defines this as severe structural failure, like a collapsing flue, active fire, or carbon monoxide venting. My inspection confirmed that zero structural defects or hazards exist. Yet, Jay still declared them unsafe based solely on decorative clearances, stating "you cannot grandfather safety hazards." Based on his numerous anecdotes, this company successfully dissuades consumers from using legal, sound fireplaces because they do not meet new construction thresholds. Instead of evaluating structural integrity, Jay required a signed report acknowledging his assessment. He stated this form relieves him and his employer of liability, noting he can "overlook twenty-five structural issues but remain legally protected as long as the homeowner signs the form regarding the indifferent woodwork clearance." He also refuses to perform maintenance or repairs unless the chimney is brought to modern compliance. This misrepresents Massachusetts law; standard maintenance and component repairs are expressly permitted under 780 CMR without triggering a whole-system retrofit. Jay related multiple accounts of customers who disputed his code interpretations, citing a Vietnam veteran engineer in Boston and the President of the Marblehead Historical Society, who both told him his assessments were incorrect. He also mentioned a customer who ordered him to stop cleaning and refused to pay due to these code disputes, stating he compelled them to pay by threatening a contractor's lien on the home. The company charges a base rate of $375 per chimney. Jay declined to clean four of the five fireplaces at this rate, claiming one was too dirty for a standard sweep and the money for two others was better spent on a $2,000 "non-traditional sweep" for the dirty one. This required containment tenting and a temporary fan placed via bucket truck on the stack. Jay explained this policy followed an incident at a $15M Boston apartment where he failed to recommend this service, resulting in ruined furniture and a $7,000 insurance claim, stating he no longer tries to "be a hero" and mandates the higher price whenever he encounters heavy soot. The apprentice, Ian, who has cleaned for seven months, performed most of the physical cleaning. He was courteous and uninvolved in policy. However, on the first fireplace, I discovered he missed a corner of the stack, which he re-cleaned after I pointed it out. When Jay observed me taking photos and video of Ian, he specifically requested I not post them online. The number of local sweeps is limited, so I am not advising against them for standard cleanings. However, consumers should beware of unwarranted non-use recommendations, expensive upselling, and becoming another narrative added to their stories of dissatisfied customers who question their practices. read more

They did a great job mainly they help they diagnose a persistent gas problem. They're very considerate and they identified pretty much what I had to do and they verified that the chimney had nothing but nothing wrong with the chimney. I have really good things to say about them, they work for me 20 years ago, putting in a steel liner. read more

Both office staff and cleaners provided great service. Kim was very friendly and accommodating. Workers were neat and efficient. Price was very fair. Highly recommend. They didn't try and sell me anything I didn't need! read more

I had Jay and his associate from Billy Sweet's team come by for an inspection and cleaning. They did an excellent job. As a first-time homeowner, Jay used it as an opportunity to show how to best take care of the chimney. He answered all of my questions and walked me through each phase of the service. At the end I got an email with PDF report. No pushy sales, no weird fees or anything. Arrives on time, called 30 minutes prior to arrival, and reasonably cleaned around the fireplace. read more

Billy Sweet Chimney Sweeps installed a ceramic liner in a very old and small triangular chimney 15 years ago for me. A metal liner would not fit. It required the approval of the Building Inspector was not familiar with the process. They did a great job. I would have had to reconstruct the entire chimney. They inspect the chimney every two years with a fiber optic camera. The same service person has been here for the last two inspections. I highly recommend Billy Sweet Chimney Sweeps. read more

I had a chimney sweep and inspection recently with Billy Sweet. To their credit, they were on time, and they put down drop cloths to keep the space from getting dirty as they did the chimney cleaning. They were considerate, but they also were pricey. My problem with Billy Sweet relates to the inspection. Billy Sweet's inspector said that the prefabricated firebox, which had some cracked tiles that had been filled over a decade ago by the previous owner, was a "hazard to life and property" and needed to be replaced. He explained that when cracks occur, the tiles must be replaced, but because these tiles were no longer available from the manufacturer, I'd have to replace the entire firebox and flue liner at a cost of thousands of dollars. This report simply did not add up. A few years ago, Billy Sweet had cleaned and inspected the same fireplace, and the same filled cracks had been present then (as I mentioned, the previous owner had filled those cracks), but in that inspection, I was told everything was fine. In fact, I had had several inspections by different companies over the past 13 years, and every inspection gave the fireplace a clean bill of health with nobody ever saying a word about the intact but cracked tiles being a safety hazard. That made me wonder why I now was being told that they were a "hazard to life and property." Wanting to get a second opinion about something so important, and prepared to spend thousands of dollars if, in fact, the chimney was dangerous, I called a different, highly-rated chimney sweep company to inspect the fireplace: Marblehead Chimney. I didn't tell the inspector from Marlehead Chimney about the previous inspections or say anything one way or another to influence him--I just left him alone to do his job. The cracks that were supposedly a "hazard to life and property" were obvious to see even to the untrained eye so he wouldn't need me to call attention to them. To my relief, he told me everything was fine. His report said, "slight cracking in fire box, this is what they [the tiles] are designed to do, take heat and protect [the] steel box. Suitable for use." He explained that it would have been better if the previous owner had left the cracks in the tiles unfilled because the filling doesn't expand and contract at the same rate as the tiles so it creates more stress on the tiles, but there was no danger from these intact tiles and they were serving their purpose of moderating the heat that reaches the steel box behind the tiles. He also explained, as no other inspector ever had to me, that in shorter fireboxes like this one, I should not use more than two or three logs at a time. He also explained, without naming names and without any prompting from me, that I should be careful of chimney sweep companies that use scare tactics to push unnecessary repairs, and he explained that in Massachusetts, chimney sweeps are not licensed so they can use unscrupulous tactics. Without saying a word about Billy Sweet, I thanked him for his time, his honesty, and assured him that he'd have my business in the future. read more

Pretty terrible service. While the work itself appears to have been done satisfactorily, the project management from the back office was rough. It took weeks to get a quote. They often 'forgot' to take measurements or complete steps, requiring them to come back again (while we were trying to work from home). They would often call at 7:30am, saying they'd be there in ~15 minutes, without any prior warning that they'd be coming that day. Whenever I'd call for an update on the project, no one seemed to know anything about it, and it'd take a few days to get an update. I'd recommend looking elsewhere. read more

They did an excellent job following up with me after I first used them 2 years ago. I received a call every 6 months to remind me to set up my next service call. We use our chimney a lot so I appreciated the reminders. I finally set up an appointment last February, but then Covid delayed my service for a few months. But once I could finally re-schedule it, they showed up on time, wore masks and booties and did an amazing job. My fireplace has never been so clean. They were friendly and very professional. They were also very nice to my dogs. read more

I have never posted a review, I usually just read them. I got a quote to clean my chimney. When the 2 men arrived, the quote doubled. I was stuck and ended up paying $100 more ( they did not honor the quote given via phone). After the inspection ( in mid- January)I was told my chimney cap was " loose" and it may fall off. Well after being on my chimney securely for years, it happened to fall off a month ago. I had a sneaking suspicion it was loosened/nudged more by the inspectors. I have not called because at the time of visit when they didn't honour their quote I already lost faith . I will seek cleaning elsewhere next time around. Amendment: Billy, the owner reached out to rectify my complaints. He sent someone over to re- attach the cap. Thank you for listening and taking action. read more

I would look elsewhere. They give you a huge 4 hour window of when they will arrive. They told us we would be first call with a 7-11 window, and at 7:45, we got a call from the guy saying he would be there in 30 minutes. When I called to complain about my service, I got an answering service, but I did receive a quick reply. They argued that they would not have told me 7:00AM arrival, but that is what I recall being told. I do know that I emphasized I needed a 7:00 arrival in two prior calls. So, I should have been at least told that wasn't possible. I ended up going with Dave's Chimney Service. When I called, I got Dave. Dave responded anytime I called. His arrival window...wait for it...one hour! The quoted time was between 11-12, and arrival time was spot on 11. The work was great. Integrity was of the caliber that is rarely seen these days. Go with Dave's Chimney Service instead. I was glad I did. It was cheaper, and he doesn't even charge for someone to show up and look at things, only if work is needed. read more

I would not recommend Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep. In fact I would run from this vendor. Any business that is cash only at this point (in our regulated society) should raise eyebrows. It was a red flag for me and I regret ignoring my instinct and hiring them anyway. I wanted to check this task off my to-do list. Nothing is broken in our home- as far as we know- but they were rude, unfriendly- did not explain what they were doing- and were absolute fortune. I am not even sure what we paid for. If I didn't need to leave to get back to work when it came time to hand over the cash, I certainly would have spent more time questioning these folks. It was an afternoon appointment and they seemed to want to be in and out without attempting to go on our roof- isn't that the whole point of a chimney sweep? Their entire business model seems to be built around a camera which can go into the chimney. With so many ways to take pictures these days- this is hardly special. All their camera did was capture photographs to try to encourage us to spend more money. We were careless and hired them without doing our due diligence. Don't make the same mistake. read more

I hope your chimney doesn't need frequent fixing, but if you need something done for the first (and hopefully only) time, I highly recommend these folks. One of the most transparent, easy, and helpful service experiences I've had in a long time. They were very responsive to my initial email, outlined exactly how their process works, and were able to come out to our house quite quickly. There were no weird fees, everything was totally upfront. The technicians were on-time, polite, and very patient in describing what they were doing. I was very thankful for how in-depth they were throughout the entire process, especially after the inspection was complete and they explained their recommendations. I know about 1,000X more about chimneys than I did a couple days ago, and they were very honest about which fixes were an immediate priority and which were more of a "watch and wait" situation. Plus, they're official members of the Chimney Sweep Guild... how can you beat that? read more

Unlike several other sweeps I tried to contact, this company got right back to me and quickly scheduled a visit, which happened just as they described. The two guys who did the work we're on time, polite, pleasant, neat, and efficient. read more

They came on time to inspect a condo I just bought in a 100 yr old building with 20+ units. I forget they did tell me there was a fee when the service call was scheduled on the phone, so I asked how the fees worked. $200 to look up the flue and $340 to run a camera up the flue to see if the fireplace would work. I agreed to pay the $340 to see if the fireplace would work or get an estimate to get it working (I have never used this fireplace). After the inspection I was told my flue was connected to several other flues and I would have to pay $340 to inspect all the other flues, I WAS SHOCKED! IT WAS NEVER DISCLOSED TO ME THERE COULD BE MORE INSPECTION FEES. I did not pay and asked the serviceman to have Billy call me. When he called he would not let me explain what happened, he called me a crook and hung up. Note they have no reviews for 2017...be careful! read more

I've been using Billy Sweet since I was single and managing a 2 family house. I got married 15 years ago and have since moved but I've never thought twice about who to use for sweeping my chimney. They've repaired my chimneys and added chimney liners for me. Over the years, I've had a few guys come over, but I often have the same guy for several years in a row. I get honest feedback on what is needed and how urgent it is ( or isn't), so I can plan expenses, and I get good pricing. And the place always looks exactly like when they arrived: clean and nothing out of place. read more

I live in a 3 floor multi-family house, and our chimney had not been cleaned since it was installed about 30 years ago. I spoke w/ Dan on the phone who was amazingly courteous and friendly, and he took the time to figure out exactly what we needed before he sent out the technician. The tech arrived and did an incredible installing hatches and cleaning both flues of our chimney. For the amount of soot and debris he cleaned out, he left the area extremely clean when he was done. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Billy Sweet for all chimney needs. read more

I recently purchased a 150 year old house in JP and got names of various contractors from the Boston Building Collaborative, including Billy Sweet Chimney Sweep. I'm so glad to have found this company. Both on the phone and in person they were thorough and informative, and I knew I was in good hands. Joe, the technician, pulled out a fireplace insert and cleaned out 2 years worth of soot, and didn't leave any dirt or dust inside the house. Most importantly, he went into my basement to inspect the gas water heater flue, and in doing so he noticed two things that would have been a serious health hazard. First, he noticed that the flue for the furnace was in terrible shape and was almost certainly leaking carbon-monoxide into the basement. Second, he found that the water heater flue terminated at the base of the chimney, which meant that fumes were probably not reaching the top of the chimney but were instead coming into the house. (Two of our brand-new CM detectors had gone off repeatedly, but we had thought they must be defective. I'll never make that mistake again.) So, in addition to doing a professional job in cleaning our chimney and fireplace, Billy Sweet may have saved one or more lives. A heating and AC company is now taking care of the water heater and furnace. I will not hesitate to hire Billy Sweet again and again. read more

Was able to make an appointment and have someone out within a day. Professional and thorough job; took time to clean and inspect as we had recently converted from oil to gas. read more

This company is excellent to work with. They are always professional, friendly, do a great job, and follow up with a phone call. They are respectful and clean while working in the house. I highly recommend them. read more

Extremely poor service. Poor service on the phone. Upon arrival they were there 3 minutes and told me I needed major work and suggested an insert. They didn't instill any confidence in the inspection (three seconds) showing me a screen which made no sense to me, they said see this, see that, I saw nothing. I actually thought it might be time for an insert. I have a $2500.00 deposit. My mother passed away the next day. I called to hold off on proceeding at this time and was given condolences and asked if I wanted the check back . I said just hold it until I see where I am at financially with my mothers impending funeral. The woman (only one in the office) along with condolences said she would hold the check. The next day she deposited the check which I found out when becoming overdrawn. I called and the woman, the only woman I spoke to, who gave me the condolences and stated she would hold the check stated she never promised to hold the check and had no recollection of our conversation. If there was any possibility that it was a different woman I would give them the benefit of the doubt but shouldn't. It was the same woman and she became rude during the conversation. My money was finally refunded and the little voice I had from the beginning in dealing with this company turned out to be correct. They have proven to be unprofessional. Not interested in what the consumer wants. They have an agenda to sell inserts. And they are basically inept. What I thought was heartfelt condolences turned out to be insincere as the true colors of rudeness reared its ugly head from the woman who lied. Don't waste your time here with these crooks. read more

I called Billy Sweet chimney sweep on an emergency call to have a chimney cleaned that was extremely blocked. Dan in the office was more than courteous, helpful and knowledgeable. It was approximately 2 hours from time of my first phone call until the Technician arrived, fully equipped to do the job at hand he was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and more than accommodating in explaining what needed to be done. I have used Billy Sweet at my home and now will never use any other chimney sweep service. Job Well done. To my surprise the experienced technician that came to my job site was Billy Sweet It is not just a name it is a person behind a business that is concerned about his customers. From one small business owner to another way to go and THANK YOU read more

After a carbon monoxide alarm we realized one chimney in our older home was causing a blockage for air flow. Billy Sweet Chimney came out quickly and Erik couldn't have been nicer or more professional. Erik spent hours at our condo building doing very difficult work. He stayed well past dinner time but wouldn't quit, such a great work ethic. I couldn't have asked for better help. The reason the company doesn't get 5 stars is that I repeatedly asked for a follow up on additional work and for some of the many photos taken but did not hear back. Granted it was probably their busy time of year and I'd find it completely reasonable to forget one request but after several additional calls, it was disappointing not to have follow up especially on add'l. work I needed done. read more

They installed a liner in our chimney for our brownstone and did a great job. They were timely, friendly and professional. They are old fashioned, per say as in they accept cash only but a lot of contractors are, and their professionalism makes up for that small detail. read more

We had these guys come out to look at a down draft problem we had. We are in a 200 year old building. They did a cleaning and camera inspection to see what the condition was before they would recommend a fix. I thought we needed to put a cap to fix e problem. After inspection the tech. Jon White said putting a cap on could work but it could make our problem worse. They could have sold me a cap but after talking with Jon we decided to look into getting glass doors to solve the problem. It is good to know there are still honest people out there! I would recommend this company to anyone wanting clean, honest and knowledgable chimney experts. They are good at what they do. read more

We knew we needed chimney work. They came out with an initial cleaning and inspection (299.95) and gave us a thorough treatment! The guys only do first rate work. Don't expect them to cut any corners or do the job on the cheap--it won't happen! However, they were forthright in their recommendations and cared about my business tremendously. I totally trust they would do a great job. read more

After moving to the 3rd floor of a brownstone in Boston a couple of years ago, I recently called Billy Sweet Co.for an inspection and cleaning. They arrived on time, did a fabulous job, and answered all my questions as I watched on the computer while the camera was being used. We also went up on the roof to check the condition of the chimney. Drop clothes were used so there was no mess to my living room or oriental carpet. I previously lived in an old house with wood stoves, so am familiar with how things were done, but had never experienced the camera technology they used. It takes the "mystery" out of things if you want to see the condition of the brickwork, etc. Both men, Pedro and La were very polite, friendly and knowledgeable, a pleasure to have in my home. I would recommend this company 100%! Be safe! get your chimney cleaned now, and on a yearly basis. read more

Billy Sweet had cleaned our chimney and done a great job, so when they told us our fireplace had a serious crack and had to be replaced before we could use it again we were dismayed. We got second and third opinions from several other chimney sweeps, but Billy Sweet was the most serious and safety conscious. Dan set us up with several options for fireplaces that would fit our chimney. Once on site to do the work they were always prompt and kept the cleanest and neatest work space while in our home. And they completed major job in record time. Ed was great and was really lovely to work with. He explained lots of things about chimneys and fireplaces that we never knew about before-- and now we have an amazing new wood fireplace. Plus, once it was done they gave us a slide show that documented the entire job, from start to finish. I would highly recommend them. read more

We had the top of the chimney removed and the roof patched up. Work was done perfectly, on time and matched estimate. People are great and even went above and beyond to handle some city permitting issues. Highly recommended team. read more