Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterThe Top Hat Chimney Guarantee
We stand behind every sweep, repair, and rebuild that leaves our truck. The guarantee we put on paper in Waldorf is the same one we’ve stood behind since 1999: if the work isn’t right, one phone call brings Wendell back. No claim forms. No runaround. The 90-Day Done Right Promise is stamped on every job, and it means what it says. If something we touched fails inside ninety days, we return and make it right at no charge. That’s not a warranty buried in fine print. It’s a promise from a neighbor who knows you’ll see him at the grocery store on Saturday.
What’s Covered
- Workmanship. If a repair, cap install, liner job, or sweep we performed doesn’t hold up within 90 days, we come back and fix it at no cost.
- Parts and materials. We install brands like DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield, and we stand behind our installation of them for the full 90-day window.
- Cleanup. We leave your hearth, floors, and surrounding area as clean as we found them. If we didn’t, call and we’ll come back.
- Honest pricing. The price you hear on the phone is the price on the invoice. If a surprise appears mid-job, Wendell explains it before a single extra dollar is spent.
- Arrival window. You get a real arrival window, and if it slips, we call you. You’re never waiting on a ghost.
Our Satisfaction Promise
If something doesn’t feel right after we leave, call (240) 358-4452. A live person answers, day or night, and it may well be Wendell himself. Tell us what’s wrong. If we made a mistake, we come back. That’s it. There’s no arbitration clause and no customer service maze to crawl through. The 90-Day Done Right Promise is the floor, not the ceiling. Plenty of work we’ve done ten years ago is still holding up, but when something wears out or shifts, we’ll tell you straight what’s going on and whether it needs attention now or can wait. If you have a written estimate from another Waldorf chimney company, bring it to us anyway. We’ll give you a free second opinion, and if we can do the job better or cheaper, we’ll say so. Your flue doesn’t care how the fire looks. It cares how it breathes. And we want it breathing right before you light the next one.
Licensed & Insured Backing
Talk is cheap, and so are promises from companies that vanish by spring. We’re state-licensed and insured, and we’ve carried that backing since day one in 1999. Wendell Pike puts his name on the work because he’s the one who has to run into you again on Saturday. That’s the real guarantee behind every piece of paper: a local owner who still lives in the communities he serves, with a published address and a license number you can go look up. Insurance means if something unexpected happens on the job, you’re not left holding the bill. Licensing means the county knows who we are and can hold us accountable. Together, they’re the reason our 90-day promise isn’t just talk. It’s backed by a company that’s been here nearly three decades and isn’t going anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Guarantee
It covers the work we performed. If a sweep we did leaves creosote behind in a spot we should have reached, if a cap we installed loosens, if a crown patch fails, if a liner we fitted shifts, we come back and correct it at no charge. It doesn’t cover normal wear and tear, new damage from storms or chimney fires, or issues that existed before we arrived and weren’t part of the agreed scope. Wendell will tell you plainly which category your issue falls into. Call (240) 358-4452 and he’ll walk you through it.
Yes. A sweep has to actually do its job. If you burn a fire within 90 days of our sweep and notice excessive smoke, a smell that shouldn’t be there, or visible buildup we should have removed, call us. Wendell or one of his crew will come back and take another look. Once a year, burn or no burn. Chimneys break in the off-season too, and we’d rather catch a problem early than watch it become a repair.
Call anyway. Describe what you’re seeing, hearing, or smelling. If it’s tied to our work, we’ll schedule a return visit. You don’t need the technical vocabulary. That’s our job. We’ll put eyes on it, and the camera footage and a plain-English verdict come with every inspection, no exceptions. If it’s our mistake, it costs you nothing. If it’s something new, you’ll know exactly what it is and what it costs before you decide anything.
No. Our guarantee follows our work throughout our entire Maryland service area, including Waldorf, La Plata, Accokeek, Brandywine, Clinton, Hughesville, Indian Head, Marbury, Nanjemoy, Newburg, Pomfret, Port Tobacco, White Plains, and welcome. If we did the work, it’s covered. The no-trip-charge offer applies inside our own service county, and the 10% discount for seniors and veterans applies everywhere we go.
No. Our 90-Day Done Right Promise covers the homeowner who hired us. If you’re selling a home in Waldorf and want a chimney inspection for the transaction, we do those all the time. The new owner inherits a clean, safe chimney, and if they hire us down the road, they get the same guarantee on their own work.
If a DuraFlex liner, HeatShield patch, Gelco cap, Olympia component, Famco damper, or Copperfield product fails within our 90-day window, we handle it. We’ll work with the manufacturer on your behalf so you’re not stuck on hold with a help desk. Past the 90 days, manufacturer warranties may still apply, and we’ll help you navigate that process. We install the brands we do because they’ve proven themselves over the years, and we don’t install anything we wouldn’t put in Wendell’s own chimney.
Call (240) 358-4452. A live person answers. Tell them your name, your address, and what’s wrong. If Wendell is available, he’ll take the call himself. If not, you’ll get a real human who works out of the same Waldorf office, not a call center in another state. We’ll schedule a return visit and make it right. No forms, no fax machines, no waiting on hold.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Waldorf, MD since 1999.