What Cambridge Homeowners Say About Hearthstone Chimney Co.
We’ve been sweeping chimneys in Cambridge since 1984, and we’re still here because homeowners tell their neighbors when something’s done right. No review gets posted without the homeowner’s okay, and we don’t offer discounts for ratings. What you’ll read below are real words from real Cambridge addresses, the kind of feedback that keeps our phones ringing and our technicians busy from Porter Square to the Charles River.
Recent Reviews
We bought a triple-decker in Inman Square last fall and the previous owner said the chimney had been swept “recently.” Russell sent a technician with a camera, and we watched together as it showed two inches of glazed creosote from the water heater flue all the way up. They cleaned it that afternoon, showed us the after photos, and we had our first fire that weekend without wondering if the house was going to burn down.
- Renee F., Inman Square, Cambridge
I’ve rented the same apartment near Central Square for eleven years and never thought about the chimney. The landlord finally scheduled a sweep, and the Hearthstone tech found a cracked flue liner that was dumping carbon monoxide into the wall cavity. He didn’t just hand me a scare report, he showed me the photo, explained why it mattered, and gave the landlord a clear repair quote. The work was done two days later. I sleep better now.
- Diego C., Central Square, Cambridge
Our Victorian in Mid-Cambridge has a fireplace that hadn’t been used since the 1990s. I called three companies; two gave me a phone quote without seeing it. Russell came out, did the camera inspection, and found the damper had rusted shut and the smoke shelf was packed with old bird nests. He walked me through every photo, told me what could wait and what couldn’t, and his crew finished the rebuild and cleaning in one day. The number on the estimate was the number on the invoice.
- Oscar M., Mid-Cambridge, Cambridge
I’m a property manager for six buildings around Harvard Square, and I’ve learned that chimney companies either show up or they don’t. Hearthstone answers the phone at 6:30 a.m. when I’m making my schedule, their techs are in uniform with ID badges, and they email me photos from every unit before they leave the site. Last March they found a deteriorating crown on a building on Mass Ave that would have cost me ten times as much if water had gotten through another winter.
- Jason Q., Harvard Square, Cambridge
My wife and I argued for two years about whether to use our fireplace in North Cambridge. She said it smelled smoky; I said she was imagining it. Russell’s technician found a partially blocked flue and a missing chimney cap that was letting squirrels build nests in the off-season. He cleaned it, installed a Gelco cap, and now we use the fireplace every Sunday from October through March. My wife was right about the smell. I was right to call Hearthstone.
- Oscar M., North Cambridge, Cambridge
I got a written estimate from another company for $4,200 in liner work that they said was “urgent.” Something felt off, so I called Hearthstone for their free second opinion. Russell ran his own camera and found the liner was sound, just poorly connected at the thimble. His crew fixed the connection for under $400, showed me before and after photos, and I had the other company’s estimate framed as a reminder to always get a second look. Done right, and they stand behind it.
- Renee F., Porter Square, Cambridge
Why Customers Trust Us
Cambridge homeowners stay with us because we’ve built our business on things you can verify, not promises you can’t. The 90-Day Done Right Promise means if something isn’t right, we come back. No paperwork to dig up, no argument about whose fault it was. The K.E.Y.S. code governs how we work: Krafted right, Every time, Your home first, Standing behind it. That’s not a slogan on a truck, it’s how Russell Haines has run this company since 1984.
Every technician who enters your home is background-checked and uniformed, and most jobs finish in a single visit because we stock professional-grade materials from DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield. No builder-grade substitutes, no running to the supply house while your fireplace sits open to the weather.
The camera inspection isn’t a sales tool, it’s documentation. You see what we see, in plain English, with photos you can keep. When we recommend work, you know why. When we say something can wait, you know that too. A square deal: no surprises on the bill.
And when you call (857) 392-4709, a live person answers. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Not a callback queue, not an app, not “press one for chimney services.” Someone who can book your appointment, answer your question, or get a technician to your door if the situation calls for it.
We’ve served Cambridge for over 42 years. A company that plans to be here in thirty more acts accordingly. Call (857) 392-4709 to schedule your inspection or sweep, or to get a free second opinion on any written estimate you’ve already received.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Cambridge since 1984.