What San Mateo Homeowners Say About Emberly Chimney Cleaners San Mateo
We’ve cleaned and inspected more than 38,000 chimneys since 2009, and every one of those jobs ended with a written record and a documented photo file. Most of our calls in San Mateo come from neighbors who were referred by someone we’ve already worked for in Hillsdale, Baywood, or the Village. That’s how we built the business. These reviews come from actual customers who had their chimneys swept, inspected, or repaired by our crew. They’ll tell you what happened, what it cost, and what they walked away with.
Recent Reviews
“We bought a place near Aragon High in 2022 and the inspector flagged the chimney as ‘unknown condition.’ Corrine’s tech ran a camera up the flue and showed us Class II creosote buildup, which is glazed and harder to remove than the flaky stuff. They quoted $289 in writing before they started, swept the whole smoke chamber and firebox, and gave us photos of the clean liner afterward. No surprises, no upsell.”
Nathan A.
Aragon, San Mateo
“Our fireplace in Baywood hadn’t been used in six years. I was worried about calling someone who’d invent problems. The technician did a Level 2 inspection with the camera, found the flue liner had a hairline crack at the second joint, and explained exactly where the exhaust could leak. He showed me the footage, wrote up two options - repair now or monitor annually - and the price for each. We scheduled the HeatShield repair for the following week. Both visits, the price came before any work started.”
Aisha G.
Baywood, San Mateo
“I manage a rental property near Hillsdale Mall. The tenant reported a smoky smell even when the fireplace wasn’t running. Corrine’s crew found the chimney cap had rusted through and water was pooling in the flue, mixing with old soot. They replaced the cap with a Gelco stainless unit, swept the flue, and documented everything with photos for my property file. The tenant hasn’t called back in two winters. Clause 4 photo record saved me from a he-said-she-said with the owner.”
Sana R.
Hillsdale, San Mateo
“After the atmospheric rivers in 2023, I noticed mortar falling into our firebox from above. I got a quote from another company for $4,200 to ‘rebuild the upper chimney.’ I remembered Emberly offers free second opinions on written estimates, so I brought them the quote. Corrine’s tech scoped the crown and found spalling - surface flaking, not structural failure. They repointed the crown and sealed it for $680, with photos showing the before and after. The other company wanted to sell me a rebuild I didn’t need.”
Bryce W.
San Mateo Village
“We heat with our wood stove three months a year in the Village. I thought I was doing fine with those store-bought logs. Corrine’s inspection showed Class III creosote - thick, tar-like deposits that those logs don’t touch. The sweep took three hours because they had to use rotary chains to break it up. They showed me the creosote samples and explained why the stove was drafting poorly. Written price was $340, which they gave me before unloading any equipment. I schedule them every August now, before burning season.”
Nathan A.
San Mateo Village
“I’m in a 1954 ranch in Baywood with the original clay flue liner. Two companies told me I needed a full stainless steel relining at $3,800 minimum. Corrine ran the camera and found the liner was intact but the mortar joints had degraded, which is common for clay this age. She recommended a HeatShield cerfractory resurfacing instead, which restored the liner surface for $1,950. The camera footage from before and after is in my file. She named what she found, stated what it would cost, and moved on. Exactly what you want.”
Aisha G.
Baywood, San Mateo
Why Customers Trust Us
Every review above mentions the same elements because they’re built into how we operate, not optional extras. Clause 1 of the Haven Standard requires a written price, written scope, and written warranty before work begins - no exceptions, no “call for a quote.” Clause 4 requires a documented photo record on every visit, included as standard, not sold as an upgrade. Our materials come through Haven’s buying network from DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield, which keeps our pricing honest and our sourcing transparent.
Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed, with license information on every page and a named tech assigned to your job. You get a text when they’re on the way. Calls are answered by a live person, 24 hours a day, not a voicemail tree. And every job is backed by our 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not done right, we make it right, stamped on every invoice under the Haven Standard.
We’ve completed more than 38,000 chimney inspections and cleanings since 2009. If you’re in San Mateo, Hillsdale, Baywood, Aragon, or the Village and you want a second opinion on another company’s written estimate, bring it to us. We’ll look at the same camera footage they did and tell you what we see. Call (650) 600-3117 to schedule or to request your free second opinion.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Emberly Chimney Cleaners San Mateo, serving San Mateo since 2009.