Proudly American
Find the boundary of the work
Start at the firebox and follow the route described on the page. Are the visible hearth surfaces the entire scope, or will the deposits in the chimney serving the appliance also be addressed? CSIA distinguishes cleaning the brick in the firebox from a complete sweep. An estimate can legitimately cover a limited job, but the limitation should be clear before you hire someone to solve a different problem.
Circle assumptions that can change a visit
List anything the quote assumes will be accessible. A fitted insert may have appliance-specific access requirements. Two fireboxes may not use the passage the customer thought they did. An obstruction may require identification before ordinary sweeping can start. Ask which conditions stop the quoted job, which would be separately priced, and who must authorize changes while the provider is on site.
Write the same follow-up question on both
Ask, “If you cannot reach part of the vent, what will your record tell me?” A response should let you distinguish a cleaning that was completed as scoped from one limited by access or condition. Ask about any separate inspection or repair proposal too. Keeping those choices separate protects both parties when additional work turns out to be necessary.