About us
Business highlights
43 years of trusted experience
Services we offer
Amenities
Senior Discount
10%
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Photos of past projects
Reviews
4.3220 Reviews
Showing 101-125 of 220 reviews
Reenie W.
04/2011
chimney caps, chimney repair
+ 0 moreI decided not to buy the liner and had the other repairs done by another company at a much lower cost.
Description of Work: The company provided a free estimate for rebuilding a cement crown on the chimney, recaulking the flashing, and installing a guard ($624). The staff looked into the chimney and recommended that the furnace flue be relined with a stainless steel liner for $1,500. I was invited to climb onto the roof, where I was shown some moisture inside the chimney.
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Yes, I recommend this pro
Robert C.
03/2011
chimney repair
+ -1 moreThe initial job went well enough. The person doing the estimate was not the person doing the job, a team workers came out to do the work. My problem with them was in the fact that the job was not done correctly, which we did not learn until later. Either they missed work that should have been done from the start or they caused the damage to the chimney which created the obvious later problem. After the first significant rain we noticed a leak in the chimney and strong draft, indicating a poor seal. When we mention this to the company, they sent someone out - who gave a further estimate to "rebuild" the chimney brick work for another 1450 dollars. The person who did this estimate, Mr. Thomas (my wife was the person home at the time) - said he had a hard time believing they missed it before on the initial estimate and that they continued on to do the work that was done. After I heard about this, I called to complain. The one supervisor I spoke with - Mr. Grimmitt - contradicted his own worker. What made this nearly impossible was that he was very condescending and rude. He basically argued with me that there was no problem with the chimney - but that they would do the brick work "for 900 dollars, but I can't guarantee it will fix your problem". I am now opening up a complaint with the Montgomery County Consumer Protection Agency about this incident and plan to get another reputable chimney repair agency out to look at the problem. I strongly recommend you look elsewhere to have any chimney work done.
Description of Work: Remove Damper and liners, reline the fireplace, insulate chimney, install top damper and rain guard.
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$1,800
Barton A.
03/2011
chimney repair
+ -1 moreI have used them two or three times in the past. I liked everything about them. They are very professional. They always come on time.
Description of Work: I used the services of High's Chimney Service for repairing my chimney. I last used them in 2007.
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Yes, I recommend this pro
Ronald S.
01/2011
chimney sweep, chimney repair
+ 0 moreWith out going up on a ladder and looking down i was told I had to replace the entire liner at a cost of $1,800. I called Winston's . They came out, went on on the ladder and gave me an estimate for a double cleaning , which they just compleated at a total cost of $668. My chimney is like new.
Description of Work: Inspection $95.
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$95
Allan P.
01/2011
masonry, chimney caps, chimney repair
+ 1 moreHigh's did a fantastic job for us. We submitted bids from three different chimney professionals and High's was willing to be competitive. They were also extremely efficient. We had an appointment within 2 days and they completed the work in about 6 hours, even though it cold have lasted a couple of days. The quality of their work has proven, thus far, to be terrific. We're excited about using our fireplaces again and are happy with the new dampers they installed. The only problem we had was that they were very late for the initial appointment for the estimate and did not call. They did quickly address that, though, and sent an estimator out the very next morning. We would definitely recommend them.
Description of Work: Installed four stainless steel chimney liners, insulation and new dampers. Repaired masonry as needed.
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Yes, I recommend this pro
$8,000
Dawn C.
12/2010
chimney sweep
+ -1 moreI think had the estimate been reasonable, I probably would have gone ahead with the work. But the estimate was just so high and they did not even look down the other chimney before telling me it needed major repairs.
Description of Work: I hired High's Chimney Service after I saw them at the Home Show where they were offering discount chimney cleaning. They came to the house, looked down one chimney and at the fireplace insert in the second chimney then told me the chimneys were unsafe and that I needed to have them both relined and other work totaling $4000. I hired another chimney person, who said one chimney did not even need to be cleaned. He cleaned the chimney with the insert and indicated the chimneys were safe to use, but recommended some minor repairs. This company is a rip off. Be careful.
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Carl S.
11/2010
chimney sweep
+ -1 moreI was miffed about the hard sell on the liner. Liners are needed if the chimney tiles are damaged from chimney fires.... chimney fires do occur, but a fire does not equate to damaged tiles.
Description of Work: Showed up to clean chimney and fireplace but I have a stove insert, so the chimney was inspected chimney with flashlight from outside; saw a lots of creosote and from the inside I was told I had had a chimney fire. The sweep immediately concluded I needed to line the chimney for $1800 (discounted from $2200 regular price) and put on pressure to get the sale. I contacted another chimney sweep, who also couldn't visually confirm much except for a lot of creosote. They recommended a rotory clean out (uses a length of chain on a drill), then maybe a liner would be needed and that would cost around $1200. After the clean out only the chimney above the roof line was shown to have creosote. It cleaned up better than expected. Cost was $200.
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Norman W.
10/2010
chimney sweep, chimney caps, chimney repair, fireplaces
+ 2 moreIt was a horrible expensive process. If Highs had done their job correctly, it the work would have been done on the original visit in less than 30 minutes. Because of their misdiagnoses it cost us over $ 700 for additional tests and the time to meet with 2 more firms. Their misdiagnoses and misinformation led 2 more firms in a total different direction looking for other potential problems with a hot water tank and furnace that were working fine. The High's tech had the gall to ask for a tip!!! I almost tipped him too. Who knew how bad their advice was and how unprofessional they were. But now you know. I found another smaller chimney sweep and found a terrific and dedicated chimney guy who found the problem and corrected it. Here is a new name for Highs Chimney Svc. Highs chimney robbing service!!
Description of Work: DO NOT HIRE THIS COMPANY, they are incompetent, unprofessional and will inflate the work that is needed. We had a backdrafting problem with our hot water tank. Monoxide was not going up the metal chimney pipe correctly. It was coming back in the house. High's came over quickly and went up on the roof. The technician said he could see down to the bottom of the pipe and it was clear all the way down. He said our problem was corrosion in the pipe. And that was causing the blockage. He gave us an estimate for $ 3150 to replace our metal chimney flue. This chimney pipe is about 15 years old. I decided to get a second opinion. Our furnace and hot water tank were shut down for 3 days while we tried to find a competent company to solve the problem. A second chimney company came out and began to look for the blockage. The new company disassembled the lower sections of the double wall pipe. Then, they used a video camera to go up the pipe and look for a birds nest or something like that. No nest was found. They reinstalled the pipe and checked the drafting. It seemed okay, but would still leak monoxide with both appliances were turned on. Paid to have a reputable hvac firm check out the furnace. No problems with it. We had been going on High's findings that the chimney pipe at the roof was clear and there were no problems up there. The second chimney guy went on the roof to double check their work. Low and behold the chimney cap was jammed down on the pipe!! preventing proper airflow. So, the hot gases from the furnace and hot water tank could not exit the chimney pipe freely because the cap was restricting the air flow. It took the second chimney guy 10 minutes to inspect the pipe and align the chimney cap correctly. Why couldn't High's chimney do this? Did their service guy not know this basic premise of airflow? Did he see it and decide he could make a quick $ 3150 for the company. It was either total incompetence, or an attempt do work that was not needed. It was such a basic problem that could have been solved in 15 minutes and the tech went on the roof and looked right at the problem!!!
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$159
Response from High's Chimney Service
Harry U.
09/2010
chimney sweep, chimney repair
+ 0 moreUnfortunately there are two Anige's listings for High's so you need to review both. I can sum up my experience by quoting three other reviews already posted: 1) a service visit from this company is really just an excuse for a sales call 2) they tried to sell us a chimney lining. They tried to scare us ... 3) the cleaning was done poorly and the company recommended repairs that were not needed. I know this because I was uneasy with the work done and called another service suggested by friends. The new technician had to clean (and inspect) the chimney *again* High's technician and the owner/manager both called me and lowered the price for a lining that I didn't think I needed - the price was already relatively low and we suspected the recommnedation was "make work" during their quiet season. I called a company more highly rated on Angie's and they cleaned and inspected the chimney and said no liner was needed - just use Creaway - which I now have done.
Description of Work: Chimney cleaning and inspection using camera. The chimney cleaning was poor and the recommendation to replace the chimney liner was deemed unncessary by the second contractor I called. I was not subscribed to Angie's list at the time but now see that High's has a very inconsistent track record with the customers who have submitted reviews.
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$275
Elizabeth A.
08/2010
chimney sweep, chimney repair
+ 0 moreHigh's came to the house at the time they told me - Luis was very courteous. The sweeping was done very quickly. Luis also examined the chimney inside and out including getting on a ladder to make sure I would have no problems with my winter fires. My house was very clean after they left - no soot residue anywhere.
Description of Work: Chimney cleaned and examined.
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Yes, I recommend this pro
$168
Norman W.
08/2010
masonry, chimney repair
+ 0 moreWe had a backdrafting problem with a hot water tank. Monoxide fumes were not leaving through the exhaust pipe above the hot water tank. High's said this happens when the a small appliance puts out a small amount of hot combustion gases. Then, the gases are piped into our old 1951 chimney flue and which is much larger than the 4 inch hwh flue pipe. The gases cool off before they exit the top of the brick chimney. It is supposed to happen more so on hot days when the chimney bricks are hot. Their fix was a new 6 inch stainless chimney flue liner that would increase the airflow of the chimney and allow the hwh to push gases out the top. THIS WAS A BUNCH OF HOGWASH. I hired a different company to do the repair. They were 300 cheaper. The second company said the same thing. The new liner did not fix the problem. The problem was an attic fan that was sucking air inside the house and exhausting it through the roof. The attic soffit vents were clogged which forced the attic fan to draw air from inside the home to relieve the pressure. Very tricky problem to solve, but they should have known about it.
Description of Work: They proposed a solution which we implemented and it had no affect on the problem. They did not do the work. Another chimney firm did the work for 300 less.
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Carl S.
07/2010
chimney repair
+ -1 moreI called them to set up an appointment, and they came the next day. They found several cracks in the chimey that needed repair. They were able to give me an estimate on the spot and they worked with me on the price. They came the very next day on time to make the repairs and finished everything in one day. They were great!
Description of Work: I recently bought a house and need someone to checkout my chimney to make sure it was safe to use.
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Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,100
DAVID W.
07/2010
masonry, chimney repair
+ 0 moreWe didn't use them. I saw the estimate. My husband was the one who took the estimate. The estimate was very high. They wanted to add things that didn't need to be added. They were very rude. I read that online and also heard from people I talked to. They came to the door and instead of saying 'good morning' they said 'aren?t you coming outside?' That was the way they greeted my husband. We were just shocked. When we asked if their people spoke English, they said they spoke chimney English. So we decided not to use them. They only spoke the English words that had to do with chimneys. Angie's List has them down at two different locations. They just moved so that the low grades they got should be still a part of the same one. It's all one place. I talked to other people and they have given them F's. The bottom line that I saw is that they may be good as chimney sweeps but not for masonry work. I can't answer about their responsiveness because my husband did the questions and stuff. We had read online that they added things on that didn't need to be done and that's what they were trying to do with us too. I think they were punctual. They showed up when they said they would. We would never call them again.
Description of Work: High's Chimney Service gave us an estimate on some chimney repair. We wanted them to look at it and tell us what it needed. We thought it needed to be retucked but they said we should really have it redone.
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Yes, I recommend this pro
PATRICIA P M.
05/2010
chimney sweep, masonry, chimney repair
+ 1 moreI dealt with 3 individuals on 3 different days: the estimator, the worker, and the finished job supervisor. All were equally professional, and punctual.
Description of Work: I had a leak in my chimney at the roof level which required masonry work. Highs performed the masonry work and the chimney sweep (at no charge).
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Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,500
yannick S.
05/2010
chimney sweep
+ -1 moreAppointment was rescheduled on a different date and they finally arrived earlier than scheduled. We were approached at a home show and were told that the technician would come with a video camera to check the status of the conduit. I know the price wast high for the seeping (I had paid $69 a few years back) but expected that the inspection was worth it. Of course when the technician arrived there was no camera, he stayed twenty mm, 10 of them with the vacuum on while not working on the cemney (we went to take a leak the restrooms)....
Description of Work: Sweeping of chemney
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$169
COLLEEN D.
04/2010
dryer vent cleaning
+ -1 moreHe came in, did the work in 10 minutes and left. He left some of his tools behind and came back to get them and left dirty boot tracks in his wake. Too much to spend when the service wasn't needed.
Description of Work: Dryer vent cleaned to alleviate electronic issue with dryer.
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$125
Judith P.
04/2010
fireplaces
+ -1 moreThe production manager arrived within a reasonable time of the appointment, but didn't seem to be clear about why he had come. When I told him what I wanted, he sent an assistant to the truck to bring in a brochure. The brochure had only gas fireplace inserts and not freestanding models, and he apologized for not bringing one for the freestanding models with him. He told me I would have to come into the shop to see those. When I asked about the differences in BTUs for a model that would be suitable for my home, he said he didn't know. He gave me a price of $5600 which would include the mantel and installation and not the gas line work that would have to be done on the outside. This was helpful for me to know when getting other estimates, but I was put off by the flat price when I hadn't even selected a model. I was a serious buyer, (cash in hand), but this individual rushed in and out. He was not prepared to spend the time to answer my questions or to make a deal. He seemed disinterested and in a hurry to get out. The company is probably good at cleaning chimneys, but I would not consider this company for the product and service I needed. This was a waste of my time.
Description of Work: Called for an estimate to buy and install a freestanding vented gas fireplace in my home.
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Jessica R.
03/2010
chimney caps, chimney repair
+ 0 moreWe originally called High's and hired them to come out and add a chimney cap, because we suspected animals were able to get inside the chimney, and just to improve maintenance of the chimney long-term. The original estimate for this was $200-$300 I believe. When they arrived, they took a look at the chimney's condition overall, and found that the mortar in the joints on the inside of the chimney was crumbling, creating a potential fire hazard due to the hot air leaving the furnace, and the possibility that they would fall into the furnace and catch on fire there. I was a bit concerned about the extra work recommended (assuming that it was unnecessary), but called around to family members who had similar problems in the past, and my insurance company, and confirmed that it was indeed a serious fire hazard that should be fixed right away. So we went ahead and agreed to the extra work. High's came back on a different day since the work was more extensive and required supplies, but it was set up very quickly. They installed a metal tube insert from the top of the chimney, all the way down to the furnace, and redid the hook-up from the furnace to the chimney to make sure it was seamless and that we wouldn't need to fix the problem again. The hook-up and hole in the wall where it came through in the basement was even neater after their work than before, and I now feel confident that our chimney is hazard free...including the chimney cap which looks very nice. I very much appreciate that High's inspected the entire chimney even though it wasn't originally requested and possibly saved our house! We will definitely be using High's should we need addition chimney service, cleaning, or repair.
Description of Work: Add a chimney cap, fix interior of chimney and hook-up to furnace.
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Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,200
Dave B.
02/2010
chimney sweep
+ -1 moreI called the main office and told them that the technician had not cleaned my chimney. They did not charge me for the visit, which was honorable. However, based on my experience, a service visit from this company is really just an excuse for a sales call.
Description of Work: The technician cleaned approximately 10 feet of my 60 foot chimney and then tried to sell me additional products and services.
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$169
Tony R.
01/2010
chimney sweep, masonry, chimney caps, chimney repair
+ 2 moreUsed High's previously for cleaning and they installed stainless steel chimney liner and locking chimney cap. High's, unlike another company, has never had a problem coming to SE, DC. On this occasion they scheduled the cleaning crew and gas inspectionteam for the same day. Luckily they arrived within minutes of each other, coordinated efforts and quickly performed the cleaning and inspection.
Description of Work: Chimney inspection and cleaning. Also gas log insert inspection and repair.
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Yes, I recommend this pro
$300
John M.
11/2009
chimney sweep
+ -1 moreMade the appointment for Monday. They called before arriving ahead of time which was nice. Inspected the chimneys, wrote up an estimate and offered to have the work done that Wednesday. They were the second firm I had contacted and wanted to give the other firm the opportunity to match their offer. They said I had gotten a unbeatable quote. I called High's back on Wednesday and they made the appointment for Saturday. They arrived on time, cleaned everything. I don't expect anything to go wrong with the insert. We had a fire just to test it and it works great! No more smokey house when having a fire upstairs.
Description of Work: Contracted with High's Chimney Service to install a Regency Classic I3100 wood burning stove insert. They cleaned 3 of 4 chimneys, installed an insulated stainless steel liner pipe, installed a flex-crown over fairly new cement crown, installed a lock-top damper on another fire place, cleaned our exiting wood burning stove, capped off our out of use oil furnace chimney, installed new chimney cap on oil furnace chimney. Stove came with an ash can, fireplace gloves, fire starter and creosote remover. I had gotten a quote from the company who installed our first wood stove (same exact model) and they wanted $5109 just for the insert, liner and install. The lock-top damper is normally $500-$600. The flex-crown would have cost about $300, having the two extra chimneys cleaned would have been $300 and the ash can, gloves etc. would have been another $100. So I saved $1100 on the stove itself and got an additional $1200 of services thrown in.
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Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,000
John P.
09/2009
chimney sweep
+ -1 moreI have been very pleased with their work. They were very efficient throughout the project. They sent a gentleman out to evaluate the project. He used a camera to show me what the interior of the chimney looked like. When the workers came out they were very efficient. I was pleased that I did not have to move anything before they came out so that they could so the service. I did not do any comparison shopping, however I felt the the price was reasonable.
Description of Work: High's Chimney Service came out to clean out chimney, install a new liner and cap.
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Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,500
Charles G.
08/2009
chimney sweep, chimney repair
+ 0 moreThe cleaning was done poorly and the company recommended repairs that were not needed. I know this because I was uneasy with the work done and called another service suggested by friends. The new technician had to clean the chimney *again* and did repairs that cost one-tenth of what High's suggested.
Description of Work: Chimney cleaning and inspection.
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$150
Response from High's Chimney Service
Barbara R.
05/2009
chimney repair
+ -1 moreThey did a good job. They were very quick and confident. I was not able to communicate with them properly as they did what they were sent to do and would not speak with the customer regarding any modifications.
Description of Work: I used them to replace my chimney.
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Yes, I recommend this pro
Lisa S.
01/2009
chimney sweep
+ -1 moreI called another company recommended on Angie's List for a 2nd opinion, without telling them the advice Highs had given me. The 2nd company said the liners were fine, the fireplaces safe to use, and agreed that the one didn't even need cleaning. They cleaned the other with the regular brush process.
Description of Work: Highs was requested to clean 2 chimneys that had not been cleaned in a number of years. They told me one didn't need cleaning, but that the other would need heavy-duty drilling to get the glazed soot off, rather than just a brush. They also said the chimney liners were in very bad shape, that we should NOT use the fireplaces until having them replaced, and gave me an estimate for almost $4,000. They offered to do the work the next day.
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Contact information
8045 Snouffer School Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20879
http://www.highschimney.comService hours
Sunday:
ClosedMonday:
8:00 AM - 8:00 PMTuesday:
8:00 AM - 8:00 PMWednesday:
8:00 AM - 8:00 PMThursday:
8:00 AM - 8:00 PMFriday:
8:00 AM - 8:00 PMSaturday:
9:00 AM - 2:00 PMLicensing
Bonded
Insured
State Contractor License Requirements
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our State Contractor License Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.
Service Categories
Chimney Repair,
Chimney Sweep,
Chimney Caps,
Fireplaces,
Masonry,
Air Duct Cleaning,
Dryer Vent Cleaning,
Gas Logs,
Gutter Cleaning,
Water Heaters,
Home inspection,
Animal Removal
FAQ
High's Chimney Service is currently rated 4.3 overall out of 5.
Sunday: Closed
Monday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
High's Chimney Service accepts the following forms of payment: Check,Financing Available,MasterCard,Visa
No, High's Chimney Service does not offer free project estimates.
No, High's Chimney Service does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, High's Chimney Service does not offer a senior discount.
No, High's Chimney Service does not offer emergency services.
No, High's Chimney Service does not offer warranties.
High's Chimney Service offers the following services: Chimney Sweep. Repair, cleaning & inspection of chimney & fireplace, real estate inspections, flue caps, air duct & dryer vent cleaning, gutter guards, wood stove &insert installation.
Contact information
8045 Snouffer School Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20879
http://www.highschimney.comService hours
Sunday:
ClosedMonday:
8:00 AM - 8:00 PMTuesday:
8:00 AM - 8:00 PMWednesday:
8:00 AM - 8:00 PMThursday:
8:00 AM - 8:00 PMFriday:
8:00 AM - 8:00 PMSaturday:
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM