Phoenix Chimney and Venting Specialists Inc

Phoenix came to place cap our chimney after some swifts took nesting there. Another company said I needed a cherry picker to reach the top, will need a full sweep with install, and removal of all nesting material (increased cost), these guys just used a ladder. They were in an out in under an half hour, and price was half of other companies. They did a quick inspection and said the flute looked good with no nests and didn’t press me for additional work. Great honest company.

I moved into my place a year ago and had another company inspect and clean the two chimneys in my townhouse. They found some issues that needed repair, but never called me back with estimates for the additional work. My new neighbor recommended Phoenix.
The team at Phoenix was great. They arrived right on time for the appointment and laid out drop cloths everywhere. One guy went onto the roof to inspect the caps while another ran a camera up both. They confirmed that I needed to have the liners replaced and were upfront that the work was more complex than they usually do. Charlie at Phoenix recommended another company who specializes in liner replacement. He initially refused any payment for the 30 minute appointment, but I insisted.
I would definitely hire them again for my yearly inspection and cleaning.

Here’s the deal: we are selling our house. The new buyers had a home inspection (by another company), and the inspector said that one of our chimneys was leaning away from the house and that it had a collapsed smoke chamber. We were pretty sure he was on crack, but the buyers asked us to have both chimneys inspected and repaired by Phoenix, so we were kind of stuck. We prepared ourselves to get financially screwed, since Phoenix basically had a free pass to tell us that we absolutely needed a completely new chimney and it would cost a gazillion dollars. We agreed to pay Phoenix $ 278 to inspect both chimneys and to clean the one that we had used on occasion, and to give us a quote on the inevitable repairs. So, Phoenix shows up, does a thorough inspection, and tells my realtor that both chimneys are in great shape, and in fact, neither one even needs to be cleaned, so our total bill is $ 89. Whaaaat??? I nearly fell out of my chair! What company LOWERS the price you’ve already agreed to pay? These guys are the real deal. Thank you!

Incredibly honest and responsive service. I was remiss in not posting a review after their first work at our house — but I’m glad that I can provide an up-​to-​date review that highlights their incredible customer service. Like a previous reviewer, we had an issue with the smell of smoke coming from our upstairs fireplace when we lit a fire downstairs, and Phoenix blocked the upstairs chimney in order to properly diagnose the problem at NO CHARGE. It was our decision whether to move forward with what ended up being a not-​too-​costly repair or leaving the cap in place, since we do not use our upstairs fireplace. Was incredibly impressed with their honesty and professionalism, and we chose to have the repair done (new cap on the upstairs chimney).
Fast forward one month… the ice storm earlier this brought down a fair number of limbs from our extremely large pine trees… including one large branch by our chimney. Didn’t see any clear damage, but we went to light a fire the weekend before Christmas, only to have VERY strong smoke smell again upstairs. (This after heavy use for the previous month with NO problems.) I called Phoenix first thing Monday morning to get on their schedule to come take a look, with no expectation that we could get it fixed in time for Christmas. Imagine my shock when they offered to come out Christmas Eve! The guys arrived mid-​day, quickly diagnosed the problem (the limb had indeed damaged the cap), and replaced the damaged piece quickly and for an incredibly reasonable price. Wow… a «rare find» indeed.

Honest folks who give good customer service ought to be rewarded. Donnie, the Phoenix chimney owner, is as honest as the day long, and his rates are reasonable too! When I moved to Alexandria years ago, I had another company come and sweep our wood burning chimney. I also wanted them to inspect it, as the inspector told me it needed pointing. They swept the chimney, but wanted over $ 2k to grind out the mortar, etc. it’s the inside the beltway yuppie gouge!
instead, I called Phoenix, which gets stellar reviews on
. One of their guys came out and did it for $ 120, without trying to upsell me on a thing. They are busy, as good service people often are. But, just as it generally isn’t a good Idea to eat in a restaurant that’s empty, the best advice is to stay away from folks who don’t have any business. Call Donnie’s folks. They’ll fix you up.