Royal Fireplace

They were great.

He was very friendly and conscientious of keeping the work area clean. Everything went very well and the fireplace looks very modern and in time for the holidays.

Harry, the owner was very knowledgeable and easy to work with. He was patient and informative through out the whole process. He made sure the outdoor Barbecue island was not only beautiful but very functional. The Fireplace install and the chimney repair went without a hitch and the projected was completed on time as promised. I really enjoyed working with Harry and will definitely recommend his services.

Fine. Harry, the owner, is very pleasant and mailbox was ready and installer (Harry's cousin, I think) was available earlier than expected. The installation was difficult because a metal post from my old mailbox had to be dug out of a cement block that was buried maybe 2 feet into the ground! I did not think he'd be able to do it, but the installer got the entire ugly block out of the ground using his own brute strength! so he could make a clean, new install. Installer was very patient in getting the measurements just right (required height and distance from the curb) and did a very good job. I think I paid more for the mailbox than I could have elsewhere, but for the time it took to install, I am satisfied. Love my new green Victoria-style box. Harry did try hard to upsell a new gas fireplace...very tempting! But I had to stick to budget. Maybe next time. I would work with them again.

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They were able to install the same day, which happened to be the day before Thanksgiving (we wanted to have a cozy fireplace for our guests). They sent someone out right away and did the install perfectly. We had no complaints. They were fast, prompt, professional, and courteous.

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We went to Royal Fireplace in the late afternoon. The owner was there and we talked about what was needed. He showed us exactly what was needed and was able to send out a man immediately. The reconnecting of the gas line was not easy as access was not through the normal under-the-house access pane. We had the gas line installed by early evening and the ceramic logs were put in place early the next day. We enjoyed a fire that evening. We really love the result.  The folks at Royal Fireplace are honest, responsive and do quality work. This was the second time we used them.  The first time was to repair damage after an earthquake.

As new home owners, we were buying a foreclosure, as is, and since our overall inspection went well, we didn't feel the need to do a chimney inspection since which ever way it went, it would not stop us from buying the house, and they specified no fixes, and there was so much competition to just get the house that to ask for repairs or cash back would have maybe caused the cancelation of the purchase. After we moved in, I called this company for their chimney cleaning and inspection.  The workman was prompt, professional, quick and clean, which was great.  He did say that he saw some cracks on the outside of the chimney above the roof, so he doesn't feel it would be safe to use until we can install a liner for a cool $3500 - yikes! As new homeowners it will be awhile till we have $3500 to spend on that.  He did offer if they did the work, they would install gas logs for free.  We were very disappointed, but this can be expected in older homes, so in the meantime, I'll put some pretty candles in there, and when it comes time to having the time and money to do this, we'll definitely get some second opinions just to make sure.

We recently moved into a home that had been unoccuppied for 5 months and not properly maintained for abut 7 years.  I did not want to light any kind of fire without first having the chimney checked and cleaned. A two man team came out. One on the roof and one by the fire place. They checked for safety and then cleaned it out. Our chimney is now ready for use!

The liner they first tried to install was the wrong size and had to re-order. Had to wait 2 extra weeks.Installer was not licensed.  Seems ok now but overall the setup seemed a little flakely.

I called Royal Fireplace and explained the work that I wanted done.  I had never had a fireplace before so I asked many questions and got patient, helpful answers and advice.  When I asked for an estimate, he asked for the size of my fire place.  I didn't know so he patiently waited while I found my tape measurer and checked the dimensions.  What surprised me most was that since I already had a gas line installed and ready for connection, he said they could do the work that same day (I was calling around noon).  He gave me the price of a couple of different kits then I asked him if I could think about it and call him back.  In about an hour, I decided to have the work done and when I called back to choose a kit, I asked if I had time to come to his store, see the actual kits, choose one and still get it installed.  He said that would be fine if I came in soon and asked if I could bring in a picture of my fireplace so that he could confirm the size and type of kit I would need.  In half an hour I was at his store and in fifteen minutes he had helped me find the proper kit (the smallest one he had, which was the perfect size for my fireplace).  I was worried that it was getting too late for him to send someone to install it that day, but he was true to his word and sent someone to my house with the kit.  The installer was friendly and courteous and after the hassle of removing the stuck cap from the gas pipe, the work went very smoothly.  There was no mess, no problems and he was careful to make sure I knew how to light it safely before he left.  When he finished the work, he gave me the bill which was exactly the amount I was quoted in the store.  Overall, this was a great experience with a local, friendly, small business.

I have to say, I've been remodeling my house and used Angie's list for almost everything.  It's been a great resource.  It was a major failure in this case.  
I went to the shop in pasadena.  I explained that I had one fireplace that only had a gas hookup that I wanted to put fire rock in but that I wanted to just remove the doors as well because the brass didn't go with the rest of my place.  He said he could do that, but that then they would have to put something in place that would keep the rooks from falling out of the fireplace.  That made sense.  I had pictures of the fireplace and everything.  I also wanted to convert my weber BBQ from propane to nat gas as I have a gas line right next to it.  He said no problem, I just needed to buy a tubing.  I didn't get the greatest vibe from the place but everything he said made sense, so I went ahead and ordered it all along with the installation ($89)
Well, despite saying he would call on monday, almost a week later I called to set up a date for installation.  Finding a date in and of itself was a process.   But that doesn't bother me as much.
The guy who comes out to install is a disaster.  Hardly speaks english (and not spanish b/c I speak spanish).  I explain the whole thing about taking the doors off and building it up.  He nods and smiles but doesn't understand.  He puts the burner in and covers it with the filler rocks and fire rock on top.  I again explain about the doors (as they should have been done first b/c now the rock is in there being held back by the door).  Eventually he calls back to the store and I talk to the original guy (Harry I believe).  I have to go over the entire plan again and how I could have hooked up the burner and covered it in rock (that doesn't take a rocket scientist clearly).  He says not to worry that he will come back out on saturday afternoon and take the doors off and hook up the BBQ (which the guy who came couldn't do either apparently).  Frustrated, I agree.
That night I turn on the fireplace... only to realize that the burner was not placed centrally so the fire is noticeably off to the right.  It would be simple to move the burner except that it's now under 60 pounds of rock!!  It looks ridiculous.  I figure they can fix it on saturday with the rest.
Saturday comes around.  I don't hear a word.  So I call.  Harry says it is getting kind of late (duh, I can read a clock that's why I'm calling).  Then he proceeds to tell me that the BBQ can't be hooked up to the natural gas line and it needs a converter kit.  Now I'm p***** b/c we discussed this WAY back at the beginning.  He says the kit is $179 and asks if that's fair to me.  Are you kidding?!?!  No it's not fair, that's not the plan.  So I ask for a refund for the tubing I bought (that I clearly can't use) which he gives (a few days later).  So then I talk about the fireplace doors.  He says that he can take off the doors but that the brass frame is a unit and can't be removed.  Okay, again, we'd talked about this before and he said no problem.  And the frame is simply screwed in, so I KNOW it can be removed.  These are the two reasons I paid for the installation!!  Harry says that he'd be happy to remove the doors but can't do anything more.  Are you kidding me!?!?!  What a waste... $89 to hook up a burner and cover it (sloppily) in rock
I have slowly moved the burner more centrally.  And I guess I'm going to try to paint the brass silver, I'm not sure yet.  But I would never use this place again.  To say one thing and then not follow through on what you said later is ridiculous.  I feel like they totally overcharged me for what I got.  Not sure how they have so many good reviews.  I'm not that hard to get at least a C grade out of.  But this company I think is more scam than legitimate business and I hope others with similar experiences share them so they can lose their great (an undeserved) angie's list rating.

I called someone in the morning and they said that Harry was out in the field and they would get back to me. And that was okay but it was getting late in the afternoon and no one had called me so I decided to call back. I explained that I was just following up on a call I had made in the morning and he said Harry is out in the field and will call when he has the time. And he was a little abrupt and I was offended. I said that wasn't the type of response I would of expected from someone on Angie's List so just forget it. I said there's no reason for him to call me, I'll find someone else. I was upset and he was rude.

It was a terrible service. They tried to make me pay more money than what we agreed to. They tried to take $800 and it was not clear from the online service about the services that they would provide. I just wanted them to do the cleaning and give me an estimate. They didn’t do anything. I would not recommend them for anything. I wanted them to clean the chimney and they didn’t do that. It was an evaluation of the chimney. They quoted me $1000 and then after two or three days they called and told me that they could do it for $600. I did not enjoy the encounter with them. I didn’t get anything in writing. I would not use them in the future.

Great

Royal Fireplace was fantastic! I cannot recommend them highly enough.
I had gotten a quote from an Angie's list competitor for over $16,000.00! This other company had insisted that the entire fireplace must be totally rebuilt. I requested a bid from another recommended Angie's list contractor and a second opinion about whether the full rebuild was necessary. They returned a bid for 12,000.00 based on the previous company's report, but did not come to look at the fireplace. Also, both of these companies hinted that it might be challenging to begin quickly. I had bought a new home, and needed the fireplace worked on before any other work could start.
Harry from Royal Fireplace was immediately available to come and inspect the fireplace at my convenience. He gave his opinion that it would not be necessary for function or safety to rebuild the entire fireplace. He described the work he planned to perform clearly. I had a general contractor and a construction project engineer with me- both felt that Harry's recommendations were sound, would make the fireplace safe, and eliminate the problem of small wisps of smoke coming into the house. Harry's quote: $4500.00!!! 
Harry's crew was available to start immediately, They performed most of the work over a period of five days, and then had to return the following week to install the metal flu which was specially ordered. And then it was done! They test burned a log to be sure of the fireplace was working properly, and were gone.
Royal Fireplace has a store in Pasadena, which made it very convenient to pick out a gas log set. I was able to look at the displays- Harry has a gas fireplace that can be turned on in the store. That really helped, because most of the log sets don't look totally natural when you buy them, but look more natural after they have been used. The burning changes the color somewhat, and the blackened areas add to the realistic look. My log set is all picked out, and Royal Fireplace will return to install it at my convenience- as soon as the rest of my home repairs are complete.
We are building a bookcase right next to the fireplace, so I will return to the store in Pasadena to pick out a mantle that ties everything together. I will also select a decorative front cover (don't know what that is called), and fire tools. It is very helpful to look at all of the options in the store and to get Harry's advice about appearance.
Royal Fireplace saved me sooo much money, and was immediately available. I couldn't be more pleased.

My initial phone call, Harry was very nice on the phone and was willing to offer the service. He offered me the discount price the company had on the Angie's List as soon as I mentioned that I was calling from the Angie's List directory. Not only Harry arranged it right away, when I mentioned I wanted it done soon, the guys showed up early. I really appreciated it. They were very courteous and well mannered. They looked well trained and did it very quickly. They had a blanket to put around the chimney and left no debris on the floor. They had the statement ready for me at the end. Very nice job!

They were nearby. I would use them again.

I was very pleased.  I would use them again.  There were some small glitches, but they were good at remedying the problem.  Basically, I was quite happy with them.  I tried for months to work with another provider who seemed to have a very good image, but they put me in a difficult situation time-wise.  I felt this company had a decent and honest owner.  The workers were also very nice people.  I have a critical eye for that.

This company was really nice and straightforward. I called Harry a few days before my service request  for a log lighter and he gave me a quote immediately. When he came onsite the job was done quickly and without any problems. I recommend royal!

They were great.  I really just wanted 2 chimneys swept.  They came and found that one of the chimneys was inoperable.  They tried to help me fix it, but it wouldn't budget.  They had a solution and made it happen in 30 minutes.  It DID cost me much more money than I expected but I didn't feel like I was being "sold."  Rather, Manny and John were fast, helpful, clean and polite.  Great service.

See above.

Not quite sure how to rate this company/experience: Manny and his assistant were on-time, polite and clean. But, the chimney cleaning seemed very quick and cursory compared to ones I have had done in the past with other companies. I have a gas log fireplace which they didn't even turn on until I asked them to. Also, Angie's list coupon stated price of $79.00 - I asked when I made the appt. if  2 story house was more, and it was $89.00. Not a big deal, but there are enough 2 story houses out there that maybe this should have been disclosed without me asking......?????

It is very possible that I need repairs/replacement, (house is 50 years old.....) but I almost felt like the chimney cleaning coupon offer  was just an opportunity  to sell me other stuff - they said I needed replacement gas logs, as well as repair/water seal on outside brickwork/mortar. The latter was quoted at $850.00. I will get other quotes/opinions on these items, and if Royal is in-line, will upgrade my report and grades.

Great, it was a very good job, great price, well done.