What Westchester County Homeowners Say About Top Hat Chimney
Reviews matter because a chimney is one of the few things in your house you can’t easily inspect yourself. You can’t see the flue liner from the living room, and most of us don’t spend weekends on the roof. So when someone in Westchester County hires a sweep, they’re trusting a stranger with their family’s safety. That trust gets earned one visit at a time. Wendell Pike and his crew have been earning it since 1999, and the comments below reflect what happens when the person who shows up treats your house the way he’d treat his own.
Recent Reviews
“Wendell came out to our place in Chappaqua after we’d had three fires in the fireplace and started noticing a smell in the den. He pulled a camera through the flue and showed me exactly where the creosote had built up behind the damper. He swept it, then ran the camera again so I could see the difference. No guesswork. He told me the liner was fine and didn’t try to sell me a new one. That’s why I’ll call him again next year.”
Heather W. – Chappaqua
“We bought a 1920s colonial in White Plains and had no idea when the chimney was last cleaned. Wendell’s crew arrived in uniform, laid down drop cloths, and got to work. They found a bird’s nest sitting on top of the damper and removed it before it became a blockage. The whole visit took under two hours, and the price he quoted on the phone was the price on the invoice. That almost never happens.”
Jodi P. – White Plains
“I burn wood all winter in Yonkers, so I schedule a sweep every fall without fail. Wendell has been out the last four years. Last season he noticed early third-degree creosote starting to glaze inside the flue and told me to switch to drier wood and burn hotter fires. He could have just brushed it and gone. Instead he explained what was happening and saved me from a chimney fire down the road. The 90-Day Done Right Promise card he leaves on the fridge says it all.”
Michael N. – Yonkers
“Top Hat came recommended by two people on my block in Mount Kisco. Wendell himself answered when I called, which surprised me. He gave me a two-hour arrival window and actually showed up during it. The sweep was thorough, the fireplace was spotless when they left, and he spent ten minutes explaining what the camera footage showed. He said the chimney was in good shape but the cap was rusting, and he quoted me a fair price to replace it without any pressure. We booked him.”
Erin W. – Mount Kisco
“Our chimney in Rye hadn’t been swept in probably a decade, judging by what came out of it. Wendell’s crew pulled out enough creosote and debris to fill a couple of buckets. When they ran the camera afterward, you could actually see the terra cotta liner again. He walked me through the footage and said the masonry looked solid, which meant we didn’t need a rebuild. That’s the thing I appreciate most: he tells you when the work can wait.”
Heather W. – Rye
“I called Top Hat after a different company in Ossining quoted me a full liner replacement I wasn’t sure I needed. Wendell offered a free second opinion, came out, and ran his own camera inspection. He showed me the original estimate was based on a single spot of mortar damage, not a failing liner. He repaired it for a fraction of what the other company wanted. That kind of honesty doesn’t come along often.”
Jodi P. – Ossining
Why Customers Trust Us
Every review above shares a common thread: the customer got the truth, and the truth came with proof. Top Hat Chimney doesn’t ask anyone to take a recommendation on faith. Every chimney cleaning in Westchester County includes a camera inspection, and you see the footage with your own eyes before anyone recommends a repair. If the flue is fine, Wendell says so. If it isn’t, he explains it in plain English and quotes a fair price before a single tool comes off the truck.
That approach has kept us busy by word of mouth since 1999. Wendell lives and works right here in Westchester County, so the reputation he carries matters to him. The 90-Day Done Right Promise goes on every job in writing: if something isn’t right, one call brings him back at no charge. Live people answer the phone around the clock, senior and veteran discounts never expire, and nobody charges a trip fee inside the county. Call (914) 537-6479 to schedule your sweep or ask for a free second opinion on any written estimate.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Westchester County since 1999.