What Rye Homeowners Say About Top Hat Chimney
We’ve been cleaning chimneys in Rye since 1999, long enough that some of our first customers now have kids with fireplaces of their own. Reviews matter to us the way they matter to you: they’re the only honest snapshot of what actually happens when the truck pulls up. Wendell Pike has always run this business on a simple rule. Do the work right, tell the truth about what you saw, and you’ll never have to chase a good reputation down the road. The words below came from people on your street, in your neighborhood, dealing with the same salt air, the same old brick, and the same cold January mornings you know well.
Recent Reviews
“Wendell’s crew swept our chimney last October and found a cracked flue tile we had no idea about. They showed me the camera footage right there on the spot, explained what it meant, and gave us a written estimate on the spot. No pressure, no scary talk. We got the liner fixed before Thanksgiving and the price matched the quote to the dollar.”
Stephanie W. – Rye, NY
“I’d been using another company for years and they told me I needed a full rebuild. A neighbor said to call Top Hat for a second opinion. Wendell came out, ran his camera up the flue, and told me the chimney had years left in it. He said to sweep it annually and call him if anything changed. That honesty is why he now has every chimney on my block.”
Tim F. – Rye, NY
“Third-degree creosote. I had no idea that was even a thing until the sweep showed me the glaze on his monitor. It looked like tar baked onto the flue walls. They got it cleaned out over three visits and never once rushed the job. The crew wore uniforms, called ahead with a real arrival window, and left the fireplace looking cleaner than when we moved in.”
Danika D. – Rye, NY
“We bought an older home near the Sound and the inspector flagged the chimney. Top Hat came in with a camera, showed us exactly what was going on up there, and told us the crown needed replacing but the liner was fine. Another company wanted to sell us a full rebuild. Wendell’s crew did the crown in a day and the invoice matched the phone estimate.”
Lamont C. – Rye, NY
“My husband called on a Sunday night and a real person answered. Not a machine, not a call center. The woman on the phone booked us for that week and told us exactly what the sweep would cost before he ever showed up. That’s rare. The sweeper was in uniform, background-checked, and treated our old fireplace like it was his own.”
Stephanie W. – Rye, NY
“Four years ago they told me I didn’t need a liner replacement, just a sweep. I called another company to double-check and got the same answer. Last month the same Top Hat sweep came back, remembered my chimney, and said it still didn’t need a liner. Three companies later, he’s still the only one who told me the truth.”
Tim F. – Rye, NY
Why Customers Trust Us
Every review above shares a common thread, and it’s not by accident. Wendell Pike founded Top Hat Chimney in 1999, and after 29 years he still shows up at the door with one simple habit: he tells you what he saw, whether it’s good news or a repair you weren’t expecting. Each job ends with camera footage and a plain-English verdict, never a sales pitch disguised as a safety warning. If a chimney can wait, he’ll say so. If it can’t, you’ll see the reason on a monitor before a single tool comes off the truck.
The 90-Day Done Right Promise is stamped on every job in writing. If something isn’t right, one call brings Wendell back at no additional cost. Phones are answered by a live person around the clock, often the owner himself. Upfront pricing is given before work begins, and the number you hear on the phone is the number on the invoice. Seniors and veterans always save 10%, any repair over $200 comes with $40 off, and if another company handed you a written estimate, a second opinion is free.
Call (914) 685-6096 to schedule your chimney cleaning in Rye. Wendell and his crew will show up on time, tell you straight, and leave your flue breathing the way it should.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Rye since 1999.