
Fireplace Freddie
About us
Fireplace Freddie is a family-owned and operated business specializing in fireplace and chimney repair. Owner, Fred Reno established the company in 1995. Fred and his experienced crew take pride in delivering quality craftsmanship and have worked on over 20,000 chimneys in the Los Angeles area. Fireplace Freddie has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and are members of the National Fire Protection Association, the Golden State Chimney Sweep Guild the National Chimney Sweep Guild and certified through the Chimney Safety Institute of America. Fireplace Freddie was invited to be the guest contractor on HGTV’s Kenneth Brown Design on an episode about fireplace design. Fireplace Freddie was also featured on NBC Nightly News and KTLA as fireplace experts.
Business highlights
Services we offer
Chimney & fireplace repair, gas troubleshoots, inspections, rebuilds, sweeps
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
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63% | ||
6% | ||
9% | ||
11% | ||
11% |
I had these guys out 2 days ago to inspect our fireplaces and tell me what needs to be done to get them up to code and working. I know that it needs work. I was told that when we bought the house. Not a surprise. We've never lit a fire in either fireplace.
I will not go into every detail but I will tell you my quote: $8,920. Nope not to run new pipes or anything major work, this was just to replace the stainless steel cap on top of the chimney and put stainless steel screen in the caps. EIGHT THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLARS!!!
I don't know how the guy could look me in the eye when telling me -- EIGHT THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLARS to replace a cap and screens.
And this quote did not even include opening the top cap to see if the pipes need to be replaced or if they're braced or what needs to get done to get these fireplaces to code. They charged me for the inspection and talked me into a cleaning which I didn't need if I'm not using the fireplace. These guys are first class, A-1, five star SHARKS.
The only reason I got this quote is because of my zip code. Hey, Freddie, I didn't get to live in a nice neighborhood because I'm stupid.
BEFORE YOU HIRE THIS COMPANY: Get multiple estimates. Trust me.
In the two years after buying a house, I?ve done extensive projects, from plumbing and
electrical to replacing the entire house foundation. I?ve worked with various
companies but I?ve never experienced such an astonishing lack of skill,
management, quality, efficiency, and communication as I have with FIREPLACE
FREDDIE; so much so, I almost think that it must be a ?front? for some
clandestine illegal business.
The job, which began in July 2013, was to install a new gas insert fireplace and venting.
They underbid other companies because they used the wrong (cheaper, incorrect) firebox.
I?d found the one I wanted, a see-through front to back unit, but the salesman sold me
something that looked very similar (but less expensive). After installation, the
Fireplace Freddie peeps failed to show up for the inspection, but the city
inspector left a huge list of things that were done incorrectly.
The most egregious issue was the fact the company installed
an indoor/indoor fireplace. The rear portion was never meant to be exposed to
outside, which was clearly indicated in the manual. Their response was to convince
me to let them jerry rig it. Even if I hadn?t refused, the city would have never
allowed it.
The second one they installed was indoor/outdoor, but was significantly
smaller than the unit I wanted. There was so much space around it, the cat
could easily stroll through the gaps around the firebox to the outside of the
house. Finally, I insisted that they install the box that I had brought to them initially.
I paid some more money, and signed a new contract.
At this point Fireplace Freddie (mysterious owner who has
never returned a call to this day) sent his lackeys to have me re-sign yet a third contract
because he was now getting involved and he said the contract I?d signed (the one his people put
together) would mean he?d lose money from all these bonehead mistakes.
Why would anyone in their right mind sign another contract so that they could pay more
money to the people who are screwing him over? Well that didn?t stop them from trying.
The smarmy sales guy lied to my face, I called him out,
pointed to the binding second contract and asked them to finish. Again, they
didn?t show up for the inspection appointment that revealed further failures.
This happened a lot, and the city inspector was as annoyed as I.
When it was all said and done, the fireplace worked
intermittently. They did come by to ?fix? it but there was no change. This
actually turned out to be a good thing, and maybe even saved my life, my
roommates, and my pets.
I hired the best ? Boston Brick and Stone - to reface the
fireplace, install the hearth and re-brick the ventilated chimney. Fireplace
Freddie?s work was so poorly done, Boston Brick were worried about moving
forward. I delayed their start and hired a third party inspector to come and
compile a list of everything still wrong with the firebox install and venting.
That?s when I found out the whole place could?ve burned. I also found at that
the inspector I hired was coincidentally one that had inspected their work on
my fireplace last year. He told me he had informed them of the incorrect firebox
install, and they chose to keep it quiet.
I gave Fireplace Freddie the option to fix everything on the
list, or pay to have a reputable company do it. After another (out of pocket
inspection), everything finally seems to be working, but man I really had to
work for it. Do not use Fireplace Freddie. Pay more and go directly to Boston Brick and Stone.
The work istself took about a week. Some of the special cement used to repair the flue tiles was on special order from the east coast. All materials they used were from the US. They knew what they were doing.
You should contact them if you love your fireplace and want it cleaned or repaired properly. I would not hesitate to use them in the future.
A few weeks after the repairs are done, the lead inspector comes back out to do another thorough review, with cameras and all. He will fix anything that is not 100% to his liking.
This company IS the real deal.
First, John correctly assessed our problem and made it possible for us to have a completely non-functional and broken fireplace rendered usable once more.
Led by George, the crew of Victor, Francisco, and Ian did a terrific job throughout the repair. George's knowledge on fireplace repair was so encyclopedic that we were astounded. His eye for perfection and the smallest of details was incredible. The entire crew was professional and knowledgeable regarding all aspects of the job. They were hyper-aware of how messy a fireplace repair of this type could be, and were absolutely diligent in making sure the entire work area was kept as clean as possible. It was a pleasure to have them do the job.
We are looking forward to the first cold day so that we can enjoy our new fireplace.
We would use this company and this crew (particularly George) again in an instant. We highlhy recommend Fireplace Freddie.
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