SOUTHWEST FIREPLACE SUPPLY INC

They called and scheduled the inspection and work just when they said they would, the servicemen arrived right on time, and so far our new gas fireplace works very well.

We really wanted to work with these people, but I should have read the reviews on this company prior to starting with them. It seems customer service is their main issue, and we found that out. After repeatedly trying to get ahold of them and litterally begging to get a quote, we then found out after the VP came out, they weren't even sure HOW to do this job.  Professionalism and knowledge were POOR.

Well, the quote process was really good. Tim handled the sale. Was knowledgeable about the situation, and provided some good details on the situation. Was fairly prompt with the quote and took my down payment. Said it would take 3-4 weeks depending on how long it would take the city to approve the permit. (The city has handled dozens such permits since all 600+ condos need to remove their fireplace). Sales rep said this was a good time because the summertime is slower for them and we can get this all done before it hits the busy season.
The first step is to get an architect to come out and get some drawings.
I was told I would be contacted at each step. No contact. I did learn later that the architect made it out on the day promised. So fas so good.
Then the wheels came off. The architect drawings was supposed to take a few days. 14 days later a set of plans was drawn up, so we are now 3 weeks in before plans, but then the architect swithched my plans with another client. it was caught before submitted to the city, but the new plans delayed things for almost a whole week, we are now almost 4 weeks into the process now and plans are submitted to the city. They did not share with me the plans form the architect, so I can only hope that they have the new layout done properly.
The plans are approved in just a few days (I called the city every day to find out). and they were approved on a Weds, 4 1/2 weeks into the process. So then I called multiple times to SWFP and so I have to assume they have no knowledge of what's going on. At first, they returned my call with an email saying the plans were not ready. Well, I confirmed twice and they were ready.
So I finally got a scheduled date for the install. almost 2 full weeks after the plans were approved. Well, now we are WELL past the initial promised time for this project.
Installers did show as planned, they were courteous and professional. They did all their expensive work in about 2 hours.
Don't be be fooled by a slick sales pitch and promises of delivery. If you contract with SWPL you will be disappointed. And if you do go with them, be sure to put timetables with penalties if they fail to meet the timetables. Otherwise, they will drag the project out as far as they can. (I doubt that they will commit.)
Don't expect them to call you back when you call with questions, or want an update.
Don't expect that they will clean up their mess. Expect dust to get everywhere.
Don't expect that they will followup on the permitting process, or permitting inspections.
You can expect to pay them a lot of money for minimal work and a time frame far exceeding what they might tell you up front.
Just get it in writing.
Good luck getting your chimney issues resolved.

Two persons arrived on time, installed the insert and new stone over two-day period. They moved and covered furniture as necessary, put down appropriate drop cloths, etc. Workers were very neat and thorough. At the end of day two, they instructed me on the working of the new insert, maintenance issues that I should perform myself and the operation of the remote control.

Unfortunately, when my wife arrived home, she noticed a couple of areas in the stone work that I did not see and were unacceptable. The office was closed and I called them the next day. I supplied pictures of the unacceptable areas and the salesman, Brian, agreed that these areas would have to be reworked. The next day scheduling called to arrange a repair date and time. On 4/14, the crew arrived on time and repaired the areas satisfactorily within about an hour. The lead installer apologized for the shoddy workmanship. All in all, the job went very smoothly. The new insert and stone work looks fabulous!

I dealt with Southwest Fireplace because I wanted a Heat and Glo brand gas fireplace insert installed in an existing wood-burning fireplace (that had been deactivated) in an older residence, and SF was the factory-authorized dealer/installer. My experience was a mixed bag. PROS: I like the fireplace insert and it works great. The installers were knowledgeable, hard-working, courteous, clean and responsive. CONS: I didn't feel SF overall was very effective. I wanted the work done with a permit and inspection; the salesperson discouraged the idea (because of the hassle) and I ended up doing the legwork to get the needed permits myself. I felt that the salesperson did not communicate with me proactively, and I had to initiate most interactions re scheduling, issues during installation and followup. For permit purposes, a licensed electrician was required; SF had only one and he was out due to injury so I had to engage a separate electrician myself. In the course of prepping the existing fireplace and installing the insert, the masonry sustained some structural damage that affected the alignment of the insert; I would expect SF to predict this up front and takes steps to prevent it or to stabilize it, but that was not the case. BOTTOM LINE: If you don’t want to go the building permit route, I suspect SF would be quite satisfactory working in new construction (or an addition), but for this admittedly more complex project in an older existing fireplace, I didn't feel SF performed very well overall.

VERY WELL and as better than expected. Thanks much,
B-)

They were so wonderful to work with. I had estimates done from a few plumbers and they were very expensive. Southwest Fireplace was able to do the work so much cheaper than anyone else. They knew exactly what we wanted and they were very accommodating and also very nice. They actually came out twice to make sure that they had the correct fittings and they only charged us for one visit.