E Liverman Chimney Co

We have used a chimney company (not Liverman) several times over the past few years to clean the furnace chimney. When they came this year (May 2011) the technician noted that there was increased deterioration probably due to conversion of furnace from oil to gas. Estimate to get work done was several thousand dollars. So, in the interest of being SURE that the work needed to be done, we decided to get a second inspection done. A friend had work done by Liverman and recommended him. Based on his high Angie's List rating we asked Mr. Liverman to come and look at our chimney. He conducted a thorough inspection and told us his recommendation is to wait until cold weather and call him back to do another inspection explaining that if the interior of the flue has moisture condensation then a new liner would be advisable, otherwise we probably will be OK for several years. We are definitely going to have him back for the inspection, and I'm planning to switch over to his services for regular cleaning. He seems exceptionally knowledgeable - does his own work rather than hiring other, less experienced staff as our current company does. Nothing actually wrong with our current company - it's just that we believe we've found someone better and more skilled!

I had some concerns about powder found in the exhaust pipe from my boiler and hot water heater. He told me that it was efflorescence from the chimney, and that it was harmless. He recommended a chimney liner to remedy the situation, but there was no hard sell. He said if I chose to go that way, he would take the cost of the visit off my final bill.

Responded quickly to first request to look at chimney situation. Was quick to decipher possible issues with a leak we had over phone and seemed knowledgable. Offered to stop by in the days to come and get back to me with what he saw. Never contacted me again.

On time, knew what he was doing, did a good, clean job.

The cap on our fireplace insert exhaust was missing, allowing rainwater to enter the exhaust pipe, causing the unit not to function properly, and possible causing corrosion to internal parts. E Liverman responded quickly and effectively to my request for replacement of the missing part at a fair price.

The project went very smoothly. We had some moisture leaking around the chimney on rainy days and called several people for estimates. Mr. Liverman's estimate was very reasonable and he agreed to do the work as soon as the weather permitted. His crew arrived at our scheduled time, stayed all day to complete the project, and thoroughly cleaned up before they left. Throughout the process, Mr. Liverman was very responsive and answered any questions we had. Today it's raining/snowing and we have no leaks around the chimney. I highly recommend Mr. Liverman and his crew.

It went great. Erwin and his team showed up on time, did a thorough inspection and service, and answered all of the pesky questions my wife and I had. We were talking about some occasional smoke in the house, when Erwin showed us some in fireplace equipment options to mitigate the smoke and emit more heat, which he ordered and installed for us. A true professional, would never hesitate to recommend him. He has serviced us at our first, and now second, Boston area homes for 10 years.

He gave some recommendations for changes that I declined, he charged what I thought was a very reasonable fee for the consultation, $85. The additional $100 was for the certification that the flu was in shape to have one heating system replace the other.

They did great work! I highly recommend their services to others.

I called Mr. Liverman on Wednesday based on his good Angie's List record. We were seeing white glop coming out of the pipes venting our gas and oil appliances in the basement and weren't sure why. Mr. Liverman came out to inspect on Friday and said he thought the problem was that our appliances weren't ventilating properly. He lit a small fire at the base of the shaft and found that the updraft in the chimney was quite weak. He diagnosed a blockage, perhaps caused by a squirrel's nest as he found twigs at the bottom of the shaft, and recommended cleaning the chimney and removing any blockage for a cost of about $350. I agreed. He did find a substantial blockage--not from a squirrel's nest but from about 7 or 8 bricks that had collapsed into the chimney. He removed them and cleaned up the debris. Then he showed me that it was now possible to see daylight up the chimney, and that the updraft was much stronger. There was some question about the bricks--did they indicate that the chimney needed reconstruction? He drove around the block to get a better look at the visible chimney, and concluded that it had been reconstructed fairly recently. Thus, while we could have someone climb up there and check, we could also safely wait and re-check the chimney in a year to make sure no more bricks had collapsed into the shaft. He charged $350 and promptly sent a receipt via email.

Erwin arrived 30min later than we had originally scheduled, however, he called well in advance to let me know he was running late and to verify if we could still meet at the new time. He reviewed the work and concluded that in his opinion a liner replacement was unnecessary. He also took the time to explain why he came to that conclusion and gave me tips on how I could check if the furnace was not venting appropriately. Erwin was extremely professional and charged $85 for the inspection. He also checked my dryer vent at no cost and told me some ways I could fix some issues that he saw. I would definitely use his services again.

Erwin and his team did a fabulous job. Like other Angie's List members, I found him to be totally honest and down to earth: He tells you what work needs to be done and what work does not need to be done. A contractor who is doing other work on my house thought that the entire chimney might need to be rebuilt. But when Erwin and his team got on the roof and inspected it closely, they decided it was in better shape than the contractor had thought and, as a result, less work was necessary. I enthusiastically recommend him and intend to hire him to perform additional masonry work in my basement.

Came and inspected our chimney, checked our fireplaces and answered questions. Told us what we needed and gave us some tips on having fires.

Mr. Liverman was the highest-priced chimney inspection/cleaning service we called, but he was also very highly rated and was available the soonest, so we made the appointment. He called ten minutes before he was due to arrive and told us he would be a little later than planned (this was perfectly fine with us). He immediately set to work, examining the clear-out, removing soot and some bricks, and then used brushes to clear the flue. He finished in about half an hour and explained what he had done and what he had found inside the flue. He evaluated the chimney as stable, but weak. Although not unsafe right now, it is in need of repairs. (This is not entirely unexpected in a 100-year-old house.) He will send an estimate for repairs.

Mr Liverman gave me a rough quote over the phone and told me there would be an extra charge due to being outside his normal service area. We argreed on date/time. Mr Liverman was right on time, and was extremely professional. He completed the job and cleaned up and was right on target with the quote. We were extremely please with his service. You can trust him to do a good job 1

Great job, just in time for us to start using our fireplace. Our house is 50 years old and the chimney's flashing needed to be replaced, we noticed that one piece was hanging on the roof. Erwin's team spent the morning and most of the afternoon on the roof replacing it. Thank you for your hard work, and for working with us on our home improvement project.

First, the two large companies that came before Erwin quoted me thousands of dollars and one said that I had falling tiles inside. Then Erwin came in, told me I didn't need to do anything as it was all in pretty good shape and used a mirror to show me that there was nothing falling, no damage, etc.OMG! Erwin works for himself and does charge $85 for his time. It was the best $85 spent so far because his advice and demonstration for me saved me over $3,000 which turns out I didn't need to spend. He's very experienced, however, and I'd hire him in an instant if I needed to do work. Advice from a builder friend was to get three quotes, and not from big concerns. That was great advice because otherwise I would not have found Erwin. Again, I would absolutely hire him for any repair work in the future.

After we initially contacted Erwin, he arrived very quickly to look at the work we needed done. We were mainly concerned with one chimney that another company had told us needed an expensive lining. Erwin looked at the chimney and told us that the work was unnecessary, wryly observing that recommending to line a chimney is a "popular" practice. We were also concerned that an upstairs fireplace with a crack needed repair, but he reassured us that it was fine. He then cleaned that chimney, starting the job right away and completing it within a few hours, tidying up scrupulously afterwards. It took much longer to repair the rear chimney since we have had a drought this summer and we wanted to wait for a rainy day to do the work. His masons arrived yesterday and did a beautiful job, again cleaning up carefully. I especially appreciated his refusal to do unnecessary work, which saved us several thousand dollars. He was also very courteous in all his dealings with us.

Ed was great! he came right away his estimates were good and the work was done quickly and well.

I emailed Erwin and heard back from him the following day. I found this company interesting in that they charge you $85 for providing you with a quote. This price is applied to the final cost if you wind up using them but in a crowded field I can find many companies that don't require this upfront cost. I decided to take my business elsewhere.

Mr Liverman came to look at our chimney to tell us if we could use it or not. After an extensive check he cleaned it and oked it for use. We enjoyed using the fireplace all winter. He was quick, tidy, and very confident. It was great working with him.

He showed up on time, did what he needed to do, and left. It was very fast but we learned what we needed to know about our chimneys.

From start to finish it was a great experience. I read the other reviews on Angies List and had high expectations, but am happy to say they were met and exceeded. Erwin was responsive, helpful, honest and very straightforward - a real pleasure to deal with. He listened carefully and patiently to relevant details, answered all questions, and explained the various options and costs associated with each. As others have indicated, he really gave thought to the best approach and didn't try to sell/push anything that wasn't needed. I had already received a few other conflicting quotes/recommendations from others (some rated highly on Angies List) and while the individuals were friendly and courteous I was left confused/unsure of the best approach (many of them very costly) until Erwin came and helped me sort through the process. He gave a straightforward quote and expressed a willingness to take on the project and get it done properly. He was able to fit me into his schedule quickly and the crew that showed up was very professional and worked hard for several days (including half a Saturday) until the work was done. Erwin made sure everything was done properly from start to finish (including final cleanup). They really did a nice job and made a huge difference both structurally and aesthetically. I would not hesitate to recommend Erwin, and am grateful for the work done and the manner in which it was handled.

Erwin's crew arrived on time and stayed until they finished the work. At the end they were slowed b/c they did not have the right type of cement for the chimney cap, as I understood it. They said their boss was on his way from another job with the right cement. I'd estimate that it was about 30 minutes of lost time for the crew, but I wasn't watching closely. When the supervisor arrived they mixed the cement and applied the material. The supervisor said we needed a chimney cap to properly protect from water seepage. I didn't understand why that would be so, but the supervisor said there was a problem with how the cement cap joined the bricks. The supervisor measured the chimney for a chimney cap and said Erwin would be in touch about the cost of installing. I had used Erwin before on other work so I figured I would hear about this in a day or so. That night I received an invoice for the work via email, but no mention of the chimney cap, which surprised me. I wrote back and asked about the question of the cap. A few days later I received an email saying that it had been addressed, but he would talk to supervisor further. My experiences with Erwin have all been positive, so not hearing from him is surprising. I will contact him and follow up. At the moment I'm not sure I would use them again, but I had to answer yes or no above, when I want to say "Maybe."

Overall, I wish I had used someone else for the official chimney inspection. But for everyday cleaning, Liverman is a pleasure to work with.