I'm so glad to see this thread on craftsmen, tradesman and other services. I learned a lesson the very hard and expensive way this week and would like to give you a heads up.

I contracted work to be done on my fireplace, a relining that needs to be done. I signed a contract with a company who had cleaned the fireplace for several years. Only when they were unable to pull the permit I requested did we find out they do not have a Class C license as required to do this work. They will not return my check and I am working with the county to get this straightened out. I discovered this is actually a criminal offense.

My words to the wise are:

All work over $1000 on your home in Fairfax County requiring a permit needs a class C license. Ask for proof of the license and proof of insurance. Should they fall off your roof or injure themselves in any way- you are responsible.

Pay by Credit Card if possible- it does give you a level of protection.

If you do have a problem with a contractor Fairfax County has an Office of Code Enforcement to register a complaint with and also the Virginia Department of Professional Occupational Regulation will register your complaint and investigate.

BIG NOTE: Had I checked the Better Business Bureau's website, I would have learned that this business has an unsatisfactory rating. I have heard nice things about Angie's list too but the BBB is free to check.

Also forum's like this provide a perfect way to steer friends to companies that are trustworthy and do a great job.!

So -- please contribute! And if you know a good chimney company, I still need to get the work done.

Sandy Gardner
Commonwealth Staging LLC
www.commonwealthstaging.com

Sandy, this is good to know. We need to have a deck and a fence built here in Stafford county and I will check on licensing and permits before we hire someone. I will also check the BBB. We are new homeowners and have lots to learn!! I'd appreciate any referrals for good deck or fence builders here in the Stafford/Fredericksburg area. Please let us know what the conclusion is to this problem.

Would like to add that when you get a home inspection for a home purchase, if the home has a wood burning fireplace, you should write in the contract a requirement for a separate chimney inspection by a certified chimney repair company. Most home inspectors are not qualified to make a determination as to whether the chimney is safe /serviceable. Have seen chimney liner replacement's cost up to $6000. If you are listing, having the inspection in advance is a good idea so you won't get surprises!

Just an update to let you know how the chimney reline is going.

We haven't been able to get our money back from the unscrupulous company, we will have to sue them to get our money back.
We did have Winston's Chimney Service complete the work. They have good BBB ratings, and their customer follow-up is good. I know absolutley nothing about what kind of job they did- because I know less than that about chimneys. But the crew were polite, arrived on time, the cost was good, there was no mess whatsoever and the Fairfax County Inspector gave the work his blessing. I'm glad Fairfax County knows what a good job does or doesn't look like!
I'm going to go read by the fire now-- cheers!