Town & Country Chimney Service Inc

The owner and an assistant came out to inspect our chimney and said that it needed a new crown, needed to be cleaned and also needed to be waterproofed. I paid a deposit that day and the next day a crew showed up to install the new crown and clean the chimney. They asked for the balance due and I wrote a check and asked when the waterproofing would be done. I was told they would come by within two weeks and leave a note that they had completed the work. Two weeks came and went without a note from them so I called and asked about the status and the gentleman that I talked to seemed to be surprised that I was calling, but said they would be out the following morning. That morning came and went with no team so I called back after lunch and spoke to the same gentleman. He asked who I had spoken to and had no memory of our conversation. He did promise that they would be out by the end of the day. No team ever showed up. So on Monday I called back and spoke to a woman who "promised" me someone would be out on Tuesday. No team ever showed up and I called the office multiple times and left voicemails, all of which went unreturned. I got the distinct impression they had no intention of ever completing the work since I had already paid them. The next day I called from a different number and the same woman answered and was surprised that no one showed up. She said someone would come out that day, and when I got home there was a note saying they had completed the work. It's a horrible feeling when a company is unresponsive, ignores you, and refuses to apologize for poor service. Do not waste your time with this company or give them your money.

Initially in the Fall of 2014, a true mason repaired the top of the chimney which went well. However, when the shoulders of the chimney were done, there were several missed appointments for which they did not show up or contact us. When they did show up, the bricks were laid poorly with irregularity and slanting toward the house. After many calls and again  missed appointments, they assessed the work and agreed that it was not satisfactory. There was time in the Fall to complete the job, but weather and again missed appointments delayed the work.. The shoulders were finally redone in the Spring of 2015, and the results are acceptable, but only marginally so. They were courteous and encouraging in their phone conversations, but of course actions speak louder than words.

Town and Country lied about the condition of the chimney crown and I believed they sabotaged the damper to obtain more work. They said our new crown was only 1.5" thick and cracking. We had to ask our contractor to go up to the crown and take photos showing it was 3.5" thick with no cracks. The damper was working fine before they looked at it. It appears they loosened the set screw and moved the collar to make it look broken.  I fixed it in 5 mins. 
Watch out for these shysters, especially the old man with the cane. They have a BBB rating of "F" and many Facebook complaints. 

No feedback or even a return call from anyone

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unknown

We're very happy with that company. It was the first time that we used them.

My overall experience was so good that I decided to join Angie's List just to write a review. I am surprised to see some of the negative reviews that others have written since every step of the process for me was great.
We had not been using the fireplace in 17 years and I was shocked to find out that water was just pouring in. I did not discover the problem until the hearth bricks started showing white chemicals leeching out. Had I waited any longer I would have literally had water pouring out of the fire place.
I made sure that I got multiple quotes (4 total) for the work to be performed. Another company did the video inspection and sent me the pictures which I shared with each of the contractors. I highly recommend getting pictures and then having each contractor provide an interpretation of what the pictures mean. The quotes were all over the map. I carefully tracked what each contractor planned to do for the price they were quoting.
The Tand C quote was the most work for the least dollars so I went with them. They were available to do the work the very next day. I agreed and took a day off from work to watch.
The guys who showed up were very polite and professional. They took care to line the floors with covers and did their best to not make a mess. The removal of the old tiles was very difficult work but they did it and in the end left the fireplace spotless.
When they tried to feed the 12 inch liner they discovered the bend and it turned into a two day job. Rick the owner called that night to explain what happened and started saying that it was a much more expensive job so I was waiting for him to ask for more money. However he did not and said since it was his mistake not to catch that issue, and that he would absorb the additional costs. Whew.
So the guys came back, did the liner, patched the holes and left everything clean. I have absolutely nothing that I could complain about.
So yes I would use them again and recommend them.

The servicemen inspected all three chimneys. He showed us that our
furnace chimney was backed up with flue tiles and put us at danger for
carbon monoxide poisoning. That was great that he did that for us,
however, he stated that if we put in a new flue that we would see a
change in the usage and money spent on oil for our furnace. Many hours
of research later, as well as contacting an HVAC person, I come to find
out that a clean flue doesn't impact oil usage. We would have been in
the hole a lot of money if I believed him! We went on to buy chimney
caps that were WAY too expensive and caused the house to fill with smoke
the next time we lit a fire. Hate to say that we will not use this
company again.

I thought it went well. But this month before my tenants were going to use the chimney I had they contact the same company for maintenance prior to usage and show them how to use the fireplace. This would have been the first time the system was being used. The owner of the company, Rick came out and explained to my tenant that whomever installed the chimney should have installed the damper and in fact there wasn't one installed. When my tenant called me I contacted Rick and requested an explanation as to why he had not installed the damper when he rebuilt the chimney. He went on to say that he would have to check his records about why he had not installed the damper but it would be an additional $695. I had paid $5400 up to this point. When he finally got back to him he claims that I didnt pay for one and how it was a tough sale and I should just stop b******* and pay for the damper. He was rude and unprofessional and I would not suggest anyone use this company.
I had used them for years and suddenly after $10k and on my 2nd house renovation the owner has shown me that he has no respect for his customers and doesnt think it was his responsibility to install a damper on a chimney.
I spent over $100k on my home in renovations and would never have spent $5400 for a chimney and not install a damper to use it.

After they replaced the cap and platform, when it rained, there were no leaks!

They did the job and later i noticed that the work was substandard and I called the owner. After calling a number of times over a period of many days with no return call, as a last resort I disputed the payment on my credit card. Boy did that work! The owner called and left several threatening messages. I was out of town and returned his call several days later. We met at the property and he agreed that they would correct the problems. They were supposed to bring a concrete sealer with them for me to buy but did not and filed to do so on another visit.

Two workman came and they arrived on time. They laid out a drop cloth to catch any debris and soot. They took their time to do the cleaning to ensure the soot dust did not come blasting out of the chimney as it was being cleaned.
After the cleaning, I had some questions about possibly installing a wood burning insert - not the stove type. Ryan took the time to discuss options and manufacturers with me. He took measurements, recommended a unit and provided a ballpark estimate for the work.
I have previously, used Town and Country to clean my chimney and have found them to be an excellent value and true to their word. In their first visit to my home they recommended I purchased a fire plate, which I did on the spot. My partner thought we got ripped off, because I got sold something we didn't need. The following year, I did not use Tand C to clean my chimney, but the other chimney sweeper remarked that it was good we had a fire plate to prevent the fireplace back wall cracking from the heat. The next year, I went back to Tand C and this time, I wanted a thorough inspection, including a camera look at the inside of the chimney. I called a couple of chimney sweepers and Tand C had the best competitive price. Again, two workers showed up on time. While one inspected the chimney from the roof, the other cleaned the chimney from the inside of the house. The sweepers advised, because the chimney was a prefab (which I did not know) a standard inspection would suffice and therefore I would only be charged for a cleaning. The sweeper that inspected the chimney from the roof told me the chimney, including the cap was in excellent shape. He advised I could get a better price for cleaning if I have it done in the summer when the sweeps are less busy, which is what I did this time and it worked out great.
I have had nothing but excellent service from this company. I would highly recommend Town and Country.
Satisfied Customer, Columbia, MD

We contacted these people because they are located close to where we live. Their fee of close to $200 was higher than other companies we contacted, but we decided to give them a try anyway. We would advise others not to do this.
They sent out two men to clean our chimney, on a warm dry morning in August. I had to pressure one of their guys to go up on the roof to look down into the chimney to make sure there were no problems. It would have been different on a snowy December morning, but this was mid-summer, and the roof was bone dry. It is the only time a chimney sweep has not gone up on the roof as a matter of routine. They contacted me a year or two later, and when I explained why I was not using their service again, they had me speak to a supervisor of some kind. He was apologetic, but provided no explanation about his employees' performance, and made no offer of an adjustment in the price for us to use them again.
We did not use them then, and we have no plans to use them again. There are plenty of good chimney sweeps in this area, and these folks are not worth their inflated prices.

Jan. 2014 - UPDATE on our previous post below.

When we hired Town and Country to inspect our chimneys last year, they were and quot;deemed unsafe,and quot; claiming that and quot;both flue systems are cracked and need to be relinedand quot; and recommended and quot;Breakout existing flue tilesand quot; and and quot;rebuild chimneyand quot; at a cost of nearly $8,000.

We recently had a wood burning stove installed, with an insulated and sealed liner running through one of our existing flues (Not by Tand C). In the process, we had both chimneys reinspected and scoped. We were shocked to find out that none of them were and quot;unsoundand quot; as Tand C had previously suggested. In fact, the flue systems that Tand C recommended breaking out and replacing were in near perfect condition, with only one hairline fracture on a top tile - the other chimney was virtually unused.

It now made sense why Tand C would not share their photos and video after their inspection, despite claiming sever damage. Our new inspections showed that Town and Country's previous inspection claims were false and nothing more than deceitful salesmanship.

Jan. 2013

Rick High (the owner) and his assistant showed up on time and were quick to set up. As Rick made his initial walk-through, he pointed out, to me, some visible water stains inside one of the fireplaces and some previous repair work on the exterior of the chimney, indicating that someone had previously been and quot;chasing water.and quot; As we walked around, his assistant imaged the inside of the chimneys with a snake camera. The visit was professional and seemed thorough. By the end of the visit, our conversation covered the visible and evident issues and a detailed report was expected to follow.
Town and Country's gross failures followed the inspection. After a number of ignored requests for the report, by our agent, their response came a week later. The final report contained no detail beyond and quot;Both flue systems are cracked and need to be relined,and quot; and was accompanied by a photo of the house, three superficial photos of cracked exterior bricks and a price tag of $7900.
We followed up on the report, requesting details for both chimneys with supporting evidence and photos. The response came in an email, from Kay, apologizing for our unhappiness - noting that all the details and photos were already provided in the report and adding that and quot;we have been established for 30 years and service over 20,000 homes per year and half of those homes are real estate transaction such as this. If there is anything further that we can to remedy this matter please feel free to contact our office.and quot;
We did. And there has been no response since.
In the end Town and Country charged us for two inspections, provided us nothing of value and took advantage of our time as a business development opportunity (on which they had poor follow through). I'd like to believe that the quote they provided us was legitimate and reasonable, but their reluctance to substantiate the claims gives me little reason to believe some of these issues even exist.
This is the complete report we paid $400 for:
and quot;During our inspection we deemed both fireplaces unsafe to use. Both flue systems are cracked and need to be relined. Due to water damage we also feel that the chimney is not of sound structure.
There have been repairs made to stop water from damaging chimney but it has gone too far and needs approx. the top fifteen (15) courses rebuilt along with a new masonry concrete crown and a properly sized stainless steel multi-flue cap for clearances purposes.
Recommendation: Fireplace Relines: Breakout existing flue tiles, Install stainless steel lining system, Insulate flue cavities with light weight masonry mix, Seal liner at top and bottom
Chimney Rebuilds: Set scaffolding to top of chimney, Tear down approx. fifteen (15) courses of brick, Rebuild back to original using new brick, New concrete crown 2and quot; thick, Install new stainless steel multi-flue cap, Waterproof with Chimney Saver from roofline up
$7900.00and quot;

Performed standard sweep of chimney

They showed up on time and did a great job for both of the tasks. I will use them again next year for the chimney sweep. It is really hard to find a good quality chimney sweep. There are a lot of fly by night groups out there, make sure you find one that is qualified (has certifications) and is reliable.

NEVER use this company!! They rebuilt our chimney for the furnace. They
dropped bricks and mortar into the chimney and never cleaned it out. The only
reason we didn't get carbon monoxide poisoning is we had a different furnace
company come to inspect our furnace. They told us that the chimney was blocked
and not venting. If we hadn't our furnace inspected we could have died.
They also told us we had to have a stainless steal liner for $3200, but we were told
by another company that it only required a aluminum liner ....that only cost
less than $1000.

Crew was on time took precautions to protect floors and patios. They had 3 masons and 3 laborers over 3 days. They were efficient and clearly have been working together for a long time. They took before and after photos and walked me through their process as they worked.
In addition to the crew, the office was good at communicating status. Their trucks have GPS so they know where the crew's are during the day. They use a digital signature app to avoid faxing contracts etc. They called to confirm schedule and payments. Professional.
They could have done a bit better on preventing dust and debris, from spreading beyond the work areas. They did a decent job trying to control it and cleaning up afterward. As with any masonry work, it is messy and the dust and debris is everywhere, in hindsight, I would have done more ahead of there arrival (tenting rooms etc.).
I would recommend them and would use them again should the need arise.

The service was just fine. They did a fine a job. I no longer have a leak in my chimney. They were there, and they came on time.

They came and gave me an estimate, and they did the work. My overall experience with them was excellent. Their price was excellent. It was the best price. I would use their service in the future too.

The guys came out and did the chimney sweep. They were courteous and professional. They came in inspected our wood stove to make sure all the seals were in proper working order. They swept out the chimney liner we had installed a few years ago. They performed an inspection on the chimney itself and recommended we replace the masonry cap at the top of the chimney. I went up on the roof to see what they had in mind. They showed me the cap and described that it was to keep water and moisture out of the masonry in the chimney structure itself. They came back out a few days later while I was at work to perform that job and it looks good.

I have had a very difficult time finding a good chimney sweep. Do your homework and read a lot of the reviews. There are a lot of fly by night sweeps out there. These guys came out when scheduled and did a good job for a fair price.

It appeared that Tand C had done a nice job and the workers were pleasant to deal with. We noticed that the brick around the fireplace inside the house looked damp. When we had heavy rains in early September 2011 there was actually water seeping down the brick on 3 sides. Water was also dripping onto the top of the wall oven which adjoins the fireplace. I called Tand C to let them know we had a leak. Two service employees came out on 9-12-11. After inspecting the chimney one technician said the flashing was improperly caulked and then asked who did it. Well it was Tand C that did the inadequate caulk job. Due to the water leaking I had to replace the insulation around the chimney and tear down a portion of the drywall due to mold and water damage from water leaking in for what was months. I have called Tand C several times and am asking for them to cover the drywall repair cost. Considering their employee said this was their fault I did not think this was too much to ask. They have yet to return my calls and it is now Oct. 19. Spend more money to go with a more reputable firm.

The work went great. They performed it over about two weeks due to the colder weather. I just asked them to come back to fix one tiny spot I think needed repair and the came out and did so without charging me. This company stands by their work which is excellent quality. I'll be sure to call them when I need more work done again.

n 2007 we had these folks install a new damper for $500 + dollars. We may have used it a dozen or so times in this period. This season when we attempted to close the damper after a fire the cable broke in our hands. We were left with a wide open damper and temperatures in the teens. We called immediately and they said they only guarantee for one year and they couldn't come out until the following week. The following week it was raining in the morning that they were scheduled to come in the afternoon. They cancelled and rescheduled about 4 days later. That afternoon it was sunny. We have a one story chimney. The installer said the first damper was installed incorrectly. No we will find someone else in the future.