COUGOT'S CHIMNEY SERVICE

Preparation: Called for a free estimate. The man who came out was professional, clean and explained everything to my satisfaction. He arrived on time and addressed concerns both of us had. After reviewing quotes by 3 companies, we decided on Cougots Chimney Service because their estimator (Michael) gave us the best professional impression and assurance the work would be done to completion. All the cost estimates were in the same (narrow) ballpark, so it came down to who would be the cleanest and most professional / polite. In other words Cougots, "inspired the most confidence". Day of work: Cougots Chimney Service arrived on time and introduced themselves. Since it had been snowing, I was surprised they stuck to their schedule, but pleasantly surprised. First, they explained the sequence of events. Then, they got right to work. They were friendly and personable guys. The first part of work (relining the oil furnace flue) was a two person job. During the second phase, one man sealed the fireplace chimney while the other remained working on the flue liner. Then, they both finished up the work on the flue liner. They were considerate of the noise and mess. Lots of drop clothes were available and used appropriately. They left information about contacting the county for an inspection and said they would send a bill for the work performed once the furnace flue passed inspection. Afterwards: We had to call Henrico County and schedule an inspection, but once that was done, a bill arrived for the work performed so far. The masonry work that still needs to be done at the top of the chimney will have to wait until the weather warms up - once the nighttime temperatures remain about 40 degrees. We have been impressed with Coughots so far and look forward to warmer weather so the masonry part of the job can be completed, too.

The were very good and I would use them again.

They cleaned the chimney and close the fluke door it was off track.

I purchased a property and the inspection uncovered some serious problems with the flues and fireplaces. After discussing the problems and solutions with two separate chimney services, I decided to keep looking since I wasn't comfortable with the solutions offered or the prices quoted. I got a recommendation on Cougots and called them. The inspector arrived promptly for the appointment and wasted no time in evaluating the situation and gave a reasonable price for the work; but more importantly gave remedies to problems the others said were not fixable without major chimney reconstruction. After engaging them to do the work, the technicians arrived on the date and time as agreed to, they were friendly and efficient. I was impressed with Cougats from start to finish and would recommend them without hesitation.

I contacted them to inspect and clean two chimneys of the house I had just purchased in Richmond, since I presently live in North Carolina, all contact was conducted by email. During the house inspection I mentioned that I had hired them to do so, and the inspector stated that they were the best in the area,and the Realtor agreed, both stating that they were the ones they used for their own homes. I was greatly relieved that they confirmed the impression I had formed from the responsiveness of the email correspondence with Dan (the owner). The workers were delayed a few minutes from the appointed time for the inspection, but called and let me know why and that they would be there soon (all of 10 minutes delay). When they arrived they went straight to work, and did so in a comfortable manner that appeared relaxed, yet focused on getting it done. I say this for I am an older woman, who was alone in the home and not very comfortable about having workers traipsing through the house. They took care to cover the area surrounding the fireplace, as they inspected it from the room, so there was no trace that they had been there once they were finished. They then inspected the outside view of the chimneys from the roof and upon completion came back to the door to review the results with me. While I was only provided with an overview, for I was told that a detailed email would be sent to me about their recommendations, plus any and EVERY question I asked was given a thoughtful and detailed answer. I will admit that I had a rather defeatist attitude about the cost, being overwhelmed with the cost of moving in general. This did not deter the workers gentle manner. I was quickly reassured that I would only be charged for the service of inspection for that day and within the email would be an ?ala carte? menu that I could choose from to decide what services I wanted to do at this time. They left me smiling. Then the bill and detailed report arrived! UG!! The email that accompanied it, more a personal note from Dan than a bill, noted that he had included the Angie?s list discount for the inspection, but not the other listed items, BUT it would be applied to those I chose to do. The actual bill was only for the inspection, since the worker had told me that the rain had kept the chimneys clean, since there was no cap on them (told with a smile). STILL the list was (abet, to me) extensive of what work needed to be done. I wrote back to Dan and asked him if the list was in priority order in order to use either fireplace. Within in a few minutes I received a reply that detailed those items that would allow the fireplaces to be used in a safe manner, and those that I should consider in the future (if I could not afford them now). WOW!! His list did not include some things that I had the impression were important, and explained why that was so. Not only did he ?miss? a chance to cause me to find a way to afford them RIGHT NOW, but he reassured me that I might be able to use the fireplaces where I was giving them up as a lost cause!

Arrived on time and completed work within the estimate given on the phone. Good price.

We needed one flue cleaned and another needed a visual inspection to detect a possible blockage. The chimney sweep was on time, introduced himself and did a visual inspection of the two flues from the inside first. He said the one we thought might need cleaning looked good, so no need to it again. We appreciated the honesty. Then he went on the roof and did a visual inspection, finding that the other flue was indeed blocked. After discussing our desire to put a gas insert in that fireplace, he suggested another option for venting, and wrote an estimate to unblock the chimney and also to line it if we wanted to go that route. We would highly recommend Cougats and trust them to do chimney cleaning or repair in the future.

Dan at Cougat's phoned me back within 24 hours; answered every single question and gave all the details I asked for; discussed what really need to be done and what the other company was ripping me off for. I didn't show either report to Cougat's but it turned out that Cougat's agreed in every detail with the second inspection report. My realtor was pushing me to use the first company so I phoned Dan at Cougat's one more time and again he returned my call very quickly. Bottom line, I asked Dan at Cougat's for insider (they're in the same business) information about the first company. Cougat's was totally professional in every way and shared only public information with me. Thanks to Cougat's, my entire chimney was not torn down and I saved $4,500.

Very well; very responsive, punctual, informative and professional.

It was a good experience and they were professional, they were easy to work with. They left a pretty long list of repairs, which I will get second opinion on, but in terms of being prompt, and doing the job, they were very good.

showed up on time, completed work, cleaned up afterwards

They were professional and were dressed in uniforms. They were on time and called on time. We will use them but we just haven't called them back. They were nice and followed up. They were very informative. They knew the business and explained it very well.

Chimney cap had fallen during a storm. Cap had not been originally installed by Cougots. I also asked for chimney to be swept ready fro next winter. Dan answered phone and was able to schedule someone to come out at a convenient time. The people who came were punctual and professional. Replacement was carried out in a timely manner.

The people I dealt with were courteous, prompt, and performed the work requested in a professional manner. I was especially pleased when they said the chimney didn't need to be swept which saved me a few dollars. I suspect a few companies, because I couldn't visually verify the inspection, would have performed the sweep but this wasn't the case with Cougot's.

I had a wood stove installed last winter and this year was feeling as though the insulation was not keeping all the hot air in the room and the cold air out around the exhaust vent up the flu. Being a rather handy person, I figured I could do it myself so I looked around for the ceramic insulation that you have to use for fireplaces. Not being able to find any, I called up Cougot's, who had done some chimney work for me in the past. I told him my situation and he offered to have someone come by and take care of it for me. However, I live outside of town a bit and figured I could do it myself, so I told him that and he offered that I could stop by their shop and pick up the ceramic insulation at any time. When I did stop by their office to get some insulation, they were more than friendly and offered me all that I wanted. He even gave me more than I needed, and that stuff isn't cheap. No charge, no fuss, no problems. I went on my way, got home and took care of the problem. Saved the extra insulation for another day. Great company that takes care of it's customers.

Promptly returned phone calls when I left messages. Arrived on time for appointment. Explained what they were doing and did not do work that was unnecessary. No mess afterwards. We have had bad experiences with Chimney Services in the past, the other service we used is no longer in business so we were apprehensive abou finding a new one. We would recommend Cougots.

I have 2 chimneys, one with 2 flue (furnace and fireplace), and a single flue chimney. I thought I needed all 3 flues re-lined. Dan confirmed they were in poor condition, but advised NOT to have the fireplaces re-lined since I was going to use vent-free gas logs. He, rightfully, advised to re-line the furnace flue since it was actively used and posed health safety concerns. We were experiencing a sooty down-draft from one of the chimneys. He suggested, adding a top-damper cap to it instead. (Much more cost effective) Dan's advise was in my interest, not just to squeeze a bigger job from the customer, me! His suggestion of the flue-top damper.seem to have been just what was needed! I GREATLY APPRECIATE his fair business dealings. His crew worked diligently, and were friendly and professional. His pricing was better than most others, but I can't say enough good about his price conscious concern, and honest dealings. He did want was needed, not adding work just to "bill" more. Businesses and business men like this need to be rewarded and recognized!

Job overall went very smoothly. The only issue was mother nature; it snowed on the day they were supposed to initially begin the work. Installer was very courteous, professional, and answered my questions honestly. Told it would take 2 days to complete work and it did take that amount of time. The first day, the installer completed the chimney where the leak was originating from and the second day, the work was completed on the second chimney. The installer also asked to come inside the house to clean the debris out of the pipe that fell down the chimney during the installation. I am pleased with the work and I do not expect to have any leaks the next time there is a hard, down pouring rain. In addition, I was pleased they accept visa and mastercard with no additional fees like some other companies will charge the consumer. Thanks.

They weren't real personable but the job got done. He asked them if they can do additional work and they said our chimney is twisting too much and it would be unsafe for them in which I respect. I guess a few negative things would be it took them forever to call back but they have a great reputation and they do my father n laws place. You know probably a little bit of customer service improvements would be the biggest thing.

They called ahead when they were on their way to make sure we would be home. They were running early and wanted to make sure it was alright. I got a hold of my wife on the phone and she was going to be home soon, so I told them when and they were there right after she got home. They inspected both chimneys, as I had requested a cleaning of both. They looked at both and said that they were good and didn't need to be cleaned. They also gave me a quote that we requested to install a full flue on the one chimney where we put in a wood burning stove insert last winter. We have scheduled that for December. They saved us money and didn't do a cleaning that was unnecessary! They were very clean and professional and cleaned up after themselves. Couldn't even tell that they had been dealing with the chimney.

The work was peformed in two visits; one to remove and carry away the woodstove and flex liner and inspect and clean the chimney, and the second to make repairs and install a damper. There was exposed wood and other damage in the firebox from the prior removal of the original throat damper, probably when previous owners had the woodstove installed. They were able to repair that damage with mortar to make it safe for burning fires in, but the location of the damage made it no longer a candidate for a throat damper (which is preferred for vent-free logs) so they installed a top damper. They patched where needed and, while they were on the roof, corrected a problem with the other chimney cap which had been poorly installed by a different company. The guys were very professional and respectful of our home, as well as just being nice people. The quality of the work was excellent, and I especially appreciate Jake's expertise and the time he took to explain the work and answer my questions. Dan at the head office was very patient with my multiple calls and questions, and they made sure the work would be completed in time for the installation date for the gas logs, even though they've been extra busy this season. In all my dealings with Cougot's I've felt they deal honestly with the customer and hire knowledgeable, top-notch staff. I trust them completely. Because we didn't know how much work it would take to get the chimney fit for the gas logs, the project cost more than we were expecting it to, but I know that the work was done properly, and they didn't try to suggest unnecessary work or equipment, or sneak in hidden costs. We now have a fireplace that is 100% safe for burning wood or for gas logs. They're not the cheapest in town but I think they are the best.

The repairmen showed up on time, and were honest and efficient. The repair was completed in a timely and professional manner. The service techs took time to explain the repair process, and benefits. The price was very reasonable.

Chimney cleaned in a straight forward manner.

I left a message at the Cougot's phone number and got a call back that evening. The caller was courteous and apologetic that they were booked up about two weeks out, and promised to move me up in the schedule if possible, which he was able to do the next week. The reminder call included a 2-hour window for arrival. The workers called when they were on their way (as asked) and were able to start and complete the job in the time frame suggested. The 3 technicians were quick, tidy, efficient, and pleasant, and told me about a potential (not urgent) problem with our firebox that no other technician had ever mentioned to me in the 8 years we have been getting regular service on this stove. In the course of conversation, he also confirmed my suspicions that the horrible chemical treatment another company had talked me into a couple of years ago was a very extreme measure and one that was probably not handled correctly. I was very pleased with the service and above all the explanations.

Needed chimney capping, they were very prompt and professional. Would use again.