Sixpenny Chimney Sweeps

We have used Six Penny to sweep our chimney for 8 years. Two years ago, the sweeps started pressuring us to add services (stove pipe, etc). Our chimney is sound, so we declined. This year we asked them to send out a technician who knows how to clean a woodstove insert. They sent someone on Nov 1 who claimed to have no idea about how to clean a woodstove and said he could "knock out the masonry to try to clean the stove." We sent him away, with assurances that Six Penny would send an experienced technician today. They sent two new men who also had "no idea" how to clean the stove, but said they could put in a new stove pipe! Of course, I don't know why we would trust them to put in a pipe if they didn't know how to clean around the woodstove to begin with. This is my impression: Six Penny using chimney sweeping as a means to scare homeowners into buying products and services they do not need. I would strongly encourage you not to use them.

Called an maid appointment and office answered first call, made appointment. Office called to let me know Franko was on his way. Arrived in middle of our window so was great. Franko was very professional, knowledgeable and informative. Showed pictures of chimney since I don't like going on roof. Franko is also clean while working while doing both the chimney and dryer vent work. Prices were reasonable compared to others. Franko also provided an estimate for additional work that we can choose to do and explained the benefits of what it would provide. I will definitely use them again next year.

From the beginning of my experience dealing with Sixpenny, I was pleased with the results. Jessica (the receptionist) is a wonderful representative of the company. She was extremely professional and more than accommodating to my questions. Once Jose and his father arrived, they performed their job in an extremely professional manner. Jose was friendly, knowledgeable and more than willing to assist us with our needs. He explained everything in an easy to understand way. There was no pressure to do unwarranted work although in the future any needs we may have will be done by this company. I would strongly recommend them to anyone with services they provide.

Called Sixpenny (because of high rating on Angie's List) to get an estimate for dryer and chimney cleaning for a condo recently purchased in Reston. Franko came out within a few days. The dryer vent was so clogged that he couldn't tell by looking at the vents on the roof which one was ours (up 3 stories) - vent should have opened when dryer was turned on. Franko cleaned out our whole dryer venting system, made sure that we knew which vent on the roof belonged to our unit, and left no mess. He also cleaned out the mess left in the fireplace by the last owners, then proceeded to clean out the chimney - leaving not a spot of dust. We feel much "safer" knowing these things have been cleaned out - we had no way of knowing how clogged things were! Total cost was exactly what phone estimate was, even thought the dryer was more of a problem than originally thought. We were very pleased with Franko and Sixpenny, we would not hesitate to recommend them and fully intend to call on them in the future!

Overall I wasn't impressed with the company's honesty and straightforwardness. When Franko arrived he looked it over and knew exactly what the problem was. He said the chimeny was originally built poorly and wasn't tied into the house. I asked him for a quote to stabilize the chimney with some straps. Instead of providing a quote for that service, he instead said the chimney should be rebuilt from the "shoulder" to the top (about 2/3 of the chimney). I then asked him about a quote on strapping the chimney. He said he wouldn't recommend it and never entertained the subject. (I got quotes from 2 other Angie's List companies and they both gave me quotes and said it was possible.) Before he gave me a quote, he asked whether I'd had anyone else look at it. I said no. He then gave me a quote for rebuilding it. $5,900. When I asked him if that was his best price he said, "I'm giving you a great price." So we left it at that and I got quotes from two other companies. A couple of days later I got a call from Sixpenny saying they could give me a 10% discount, down to about $5,400. I told them I was still waiting on the final company to give me an estimate and that I would let them know. The final company's initial estimate was $3,700 (or $4,000 to exactly match Sixpenny's estimate). So I sent the estimate to Sixpenny. They called me back the next day and dropped their quote to $4,300. Note that this is $1,600 LESS than their original estimate. When I asked why they came down so much, the lady on the phone mentioned something about buying materials in advance or something. She said that Franko would call me and explain more. When I asked the lady why it was only $4,300 instead of $4,000 to match the other company, she said that Franko said "he was confident he could do more than the other company." I didn't understand what that meant but she said Franko could explain. It took a few days before I heard from Franko. When he called he said that Monday was Columbus Day so he didn't want to call me that day. When I asked him for clarification on my two questions, he never fully explained. I told him that I had gone with the cheaper company and that I suggested he be more forthright with his customers. Overall I did not trust the company since their estimates were all over the place. First it was $5,900, then $5,400 then $4,300. I understand that company doesn't want to start off with their best price, but dropping the price over 25% seems a little much. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't gotten other estimates?

We received two estimates from two separate Angie's List chimney repair services. Sixpenny was thorough, yet extremely competitive. I would use them again without reservation. They stayed to their estimate, yet they pointed 20% of the chimney.

I joined Angies list on September 13 to find a reputable chimney sweep in my area. After doing my research, I decided to call Sixpenny Chimney Sweeps. The woman I spoke with was very pleasant and fairly knowledgeable about the services her company offered. She told me they could come out and inspect/clean my chimney and fireplace on Saturday, September 15, between 9:00 am and 12:00. I called the company at 12:00 when I hadn't seen or heard from anyone. The woman said they were running late because the job before me was taking longer than expected. She asked if I was going to be home around 2:00. When I told her that I was not, she said she would call another chimney sweep and have him come out as quickly as possible. Only when I asked about a discount for their tardiness did she offer to reduce the cleaning by $20. The gentleman that arrived at 12:45 was nice and got right to work. After finishing the job, he informed me that as a result of his inspection, I needed approximately $725 in repair work done. This included a new concrete crown ($350), a new "shoulder" on the chimney ($250.00 - there is 1 brick that has come loose) and re-caulking around the flashing ($125 for about 7-8'). Unfortunately, my first experience with Angies list has not been very good. I will not use this company again in the future.

When we called, they answered right away. They had availability that day, and sent a crew over within two hours. They gave us an estimate and did the work on the spot when we okayed the estimate. They did quick, efficient work. They did a great job!

When I moved into my new home, one of the first service visits was Sixpenny Sweeps for a chimney inspection (November 2011). They recommended extensive work which was out of my budget at the time. I paid for the inspection as well as for a locktop damper combo for the fireplace chimney and a flue extension and raincap on the furnace flue. Two technicians came out to install the damper and raincap, and one told me that he was instructed by his boss to really push me to get the other work done. The technician said the fireplace really wasn't that bad and that he could do the work for half price on the weekend. I wasn't comfortable with that so I did not pursue it. The receipt he gave me indicated that the condition of ALL elements of my fireplace, including the work he had just done, was "unsatisfactory." I had work done on my roof this summer and the roofer noticed that the mortar on the chimney was crumbling so I had a chimney service out to provide an estimate. I was surprised that the estimate included a raincap for the furnace flue since I paid to have one installed last Fall. I called Sixpenny Sweeps and they confirmed I had paid for the locktop damper & raincap, and sent someone out to check. That person then called to ask me to provide the receipt (which I hadn't brought with me to work). He confirmed there was no raincap and it was installed (TEN MONTHS after I paid for it). Franco of Sixpenny Sweeps left me a message that I should be happy with the company that they installed the raincap. I called back and expressed my concern that additional damage had been done in the 10 months with no cap, but he dismissed those concerns. He also called me a liar when I mentioned that the technician said his bosses pressured him to get me to agree to the full scope of work recommended in the initial estimate. When I provided the technician's name (which he had given me with his cell number to call if I wanted him to do the work off the books), Franco said he no longer worked there. I would NOT recommend this company. I do not find it acceptable that I paid for the cap on the furnace that was not installed until another company notified me that it was missing. I also do not appreciate the attitude of the staff.

I left the company a detailed message (voice mail) and never got a return call.

I originally called Sixpenny in January to come out and inspect the chimney and give me an estimate for rebuilding the chimney. Julio did the the inspection and gave me the estimate. He was prompt and professional. He answered all my questions to my satisfaction. The work was actually done in July over a period of 3 days. The crew consisted of three men -- Julio, Edward and Mauricio. They were very hard workers and took pride in their work. Our house sits 80 feet back from the street so all the materials-- bricks, cement, scaffolding had to be hauled to the house in hot humid weather. One day the owner of the company came out to the job and spent a few hours helping. He mentioned to me that our gutters needed to be cleaned and gave me a price. After learning what it would cost I had them clean the gutters. The gutters had not been cleaned for awhile so I was aware that they should be cleaned. It took three days to complete the job. One of the days they stayed late. I am not a mason so this is a layman's opinion but I think and my husband agrees that they did a great job. The chimney looks wonderful. Our chimney was in bad condition and needed to be rebuilt. We feel the price was very reasonable. I got several estimates. Sixpenny charged for the initial inspection but the price of the inspection was deducted from the cost of rebuilding the chimney. All the employees that I interacted with, including Jessica (in the office) were very nice and pleasant. We highly recommend this company and would not hesitate to recommend it to a friend.

They were very professional and no pressure to try to "up-sell" you. I would use them again for these and other services they provide.

I called Sixpenny on 5 September because I wanted an estimate for a chimney chase cover/reapir, being that we suspected ours was leaking. Not being knowledgeable on this, I said in my phone call chimney cap (but I'm assuming they would go on the roof anyway and inspect the chimneyto see if there was damage and what it would take to fix). On the 5th, a young gentleman from Sixpenny showed up and said it would cost about $165 to get a new chimney cap. I asked if he had seen a leak, and he said "oh yeah it leaks". $165 was doable so I said ok. He said he could come back out next day and replace. The next day comes around, and when I get home from work I see the same chimney chase cover. I call the company and they said they needed to talk to me because there was a problem. The young gentleman who came the day prior explained that it was the chase cover and not the cap and that I did not have a cap. I was a bit irate because I would think they went on the roof the day prior and knew I had no cap, and I had a chase cover. They told me because of this "Franco" would be coming out (I believe he was the manager) the next day to talk to me and measure the chase cover. I said ok, I again LEFT WORK EARLY. On the 7th, Franco did not show, he sent the same young gentleman from the past two days who said he measured the chase cover and that when he got to the office, someone would call me with an estimate. No one called me Friday, and no one called Monday. Monday afternoon I called and left a message asking if someone could give me the estimate. I have heard nothing back. I will be taking my business elsewhere.

First of all, Six Penny's quote was almost $3,000 less than the other chimney company I received a quote from. The employees sent to my home were professional, honest, and extremely hard working. They only recommended work that actually needed to be done, and had quite reasonable prices for the work. It took them two half-days to complete the work (I work at night and sleep during the day, so they agreed to show up in the afternoon to accomodate my sleep schedule, thank you!!!). They pointed up the mortar joints on my chimney where necessary and even some other spots within arm's reach of the chimney, which they were definitely not obligated to do, but I appreciated. They took more time than they anticipated in order to do the job properly (they had to go into my chimney from the outside in order to properly spread the smoke chamber liner) even though it probably cost them more money to do it that way--I wouldn't have known the difference. But they stuck to their original quote. I inspected their work when complete and it appeared to be extremely well done. It's nice to know there's still a company out there that values doing the job right, even if a little bit of that comes out of their own pocket. But in the long run it will benefit them because they will have my business in the future as my chimney guys!

This service was pursuant to a AL deal. Our gutters had been overflowing on heavy rain days, so I took advantage of a cleaning special. They did the job - removed a garbage bag worth of dirt, leaves, etc. Gutters are working great now. Nothing special, just 3 guys and a ladder, took about an hour.

Being unfamiliar with chimneys, we initially were taken aback by the amount of suggested repairs and uncertain whether they were needed. But after doing a brief bit of internet research to educate ourselves, it was clear to us that Sixpenny was right on target with all of their suggestions. They were able to return the next day to do the repairs, and the owner even came out to help with the work. They returned for a few hours the day after that and completed all the work. The team was professional, polite, and very clean. I would emphasize that even with the communication barriers others have expressed, the company was very clear in their initial assessment. We were the ones that were not familiar with the ins and outs of chimney repair.

Amazing! Punctual, Professional, Efficent, and most of all Honest.

Sixpenny Chimney Sweeps prices were adequate. They were pretty professional. They came in, told us everything they were going to be doing, and got it done.

Techs arrived on time. Crew prepped the site so no dirt came into the house from their services. They worked quickly and efficiently. Cleaned the windows on the fireplace doors as well.

As scheduled, Franklin arrived promptly to inspect and provide an estimate for repair work to my chimney. Franklin took pictures of the condition of the chimney and provided a thorough and complete estimate. The chimney was pulling away from the house and needed to be partially torn down and rebuilt. The crown was cracked and needed to be redone and more. After getting two other estimates, I selected Sixpenny for their professionalism and reputation. The team arrived and inspected the brick. They worked hard to find an exact match for my 31 year old brick. After searching, the owner arrived with samples for my approval. There was a two day delay for installation due to weather. The workers arrived by 10am each morning for three days and worked all day. The team worked diligently and were very professional. The brick work was performed by a master mason and skilled craftsman. You can’t distinguish where the new brick begins and the old brick ends. The work turned out much better than we expected. Once completed, the workers cleaned up and left my property neat. It is such a relief and reward to hire a company that does more than expected and performs as promised. Thank you!

Sixpenny did and excellent job - when they were finished the ductwork was clean and sealed up tight! They were professional and cleaned up after the project was finished. I also requested a quote for some chimney repair work and before leaving they provided me with the quote and an explanation of the work outlined on the quote. Great company!

Sixpenny was great. The personnel seemed very knowledgable. this was the first time we were using the woodburning fireplace in our rental townhouse so we called to have them inspect and clean it. The estimate over the phone was about $130, as I recall. The guys checked the chimney and let me know right away that it was clean so they would not need to perform that service, just an inspection. They did a visual inspection, provided us with their findings and recommendation and estimate for repair. They let us know that the issue was not critical and the fireplace was safe to use. They even gave me some pointers (a novice at woodburning fireplaces) on how to get a fire started without having our house fill up with smoke during the process. Oh, and they showed me where the damper was (which had been opened since the time we moved into the house about a year and a half before! We never could figure out why it was so cold down in the basement. LOL.) All in all it was a very informative visit and the guys didn't make me feel stupid even though I gave them plenty of reason to!

I signed a contract with Sixpenny Chimney Sweeps when water seeped into my basement due to masonry deterioration and a design flaw in my older chimney. The damage assessment and explanation by Franklin Coles was clear, detailed, and included photos from the roof. Sixpenny said they would expedite the repair prior to an anticipated thunderstorm, but they were unable to do so. Unfortunately, that was not communicated to me in a timely way, causing me confusion and anxiety about more water coming inside. That's when I wrote a prior negative report about my experience with this company on Angie's List. At my request, they came just in time before the storm with a plastic tarp to prevent more water seeping in. Over the past few days the crew came and completed the job. Their service was excellent and workmanship was great, making structural design changes to prevent the same problem from recurring. After seeing my previous negative review, they made every effort to make it up by providing superior customer service. I spoke to the owner about the importance of giving his crew the permission to communicate honestly to the customer when unanticipated barriers arise that delay the job. He was open to my feedback and said he understood. My thanks go to Jessica in the office, crew captain Frank, his partner Mauricio, the owner Franco, and all those who helped resolve this issue. I would, after all, recommend Sixpenny Chimney Sweeps for the quality of customer service and their craftsmanship. .

Everything went well. The company came out and gave me an estimate and was prompt on the day of service. The took care to protect everything while moving out the wood stove and cleaning the chimney. Gutter work and dryer vent work went very well.

They were supposed to come out this morning and tear down my chimney, then rebuild it. I've called every hour on the hour because there is a large storm coming through our area and supposed to drop 1-2 inches of rain at 5pm. The last time this happened, I ended up with a flooded basement. They have finally called me and said they would be out there in an hour to put plastic on the chimeny to prevent another flood. They couldn't get out to do the work today.