How do I spot a chimney scam in New Jersey?

New Jersey Chimney Co. · October 18, 2026

This has happened here

In April 2012, the New Jersey Attorney General and the Division of Consumer Affairs sued a group of chimney and roofing companies, among them Brick City Chimney Service, A 1 American Chimney and businesses trading as Chimney Squad and Roofing Police. The state's announcement described about 70 consumer complaints: unregistered contractors, substandard and unsafe work, deposits kept for jobs never finished, work done without permits, and company names chosen to suggest a police or government connection.

Three years later, in April 2015, ABC7 reported on homeowners in Piscataway and Caldwell who said a Long Island company cold-called them with a cheap inspection offer, then tore down their chimneys without a permit. They had paid $2,500 and $5,000. The pattern has not gone away; National Chimney Service, a Morris County company, has a blog post titled "chimney scammers on the rise."

How the pitch usually goes

The details change, but the shape is familiar. If several of these show up together, slow down.

• An unsolicited call, flyer or knock offering an unusually cheap inspection or cleaning.
• During the visit, a sudden emergency: the chimney is about to collapse, or the house is full of carbon monoxide.
• Pressure to sign and pay a large deposit the same day.
• Work started before any permit, or demolition first and a price for rebuilding after.
• No photos of the problem, or photos you can't match to your own chimney.
• A company name that sounds official, or no registration number anywhere.

Why chimneys are an easy target

Most people never see the top of their own chimney, so they have no way to judge a claim about it on the spot. That is what makes the cheap-inspection pitch work. It also explains why the cleanest defense is simple: insist on seeing the problem. Any honest company can photograph a cracked crown, a loose brick or a broken flue tile and show you the picture on the ground, next to a shot of your house so you know it is yours.

Rebuilds and demolition are where the money is in these schemes, which is why the ABC7 homeowners lost chimneys rather than just paying for a cleaning. If someone recommends taking masonry down, that is the moment to stop and get another look.

Checking the 13VH number

New Jersey requires home improvement contractors to register with the Division of Consumer Affairs, and their registration numbers begin with 13VH. The Attorney General's office gives two ways to check one: call the state verification line at 973-273-8090, or look it up online. When the state announced the 2012 lawsuit there were about 43,000 registered home improvement contractors, and home improvement was the largest category of consumer complaints.

Ask for the number before anyone climbs your roof, and check that the name on the registration matches the name on the estimate and the truck. A company that can't or won't give you the number has answered your question.

Use the permit as a second check

Structural chimney work, rebuilds and new appliance venting go through your town's construction office under the state Uniform Construction Code. Ordinary maintenance does not, but anything affecting structural or fire safety does. If a company is taking a chimney down or rebuilding it, ask who is pulling the permit, and if you are unsure, call the construction office yourself.

The same goes for heating work. When a furnace, boiler or water heater is replaced, the state's F-370 chimney verification has to be signed by a professional, not the homeowner. A contractor who tells you no paperwork is needed for that is telling you something about how they work.

Before you sign or pay

A real chimney problem will still be there tomorrow, unless something is actually falling, in which case keep people away from it and get a second look the same week. Ask for photos of every defect, a written itemized price, and the scope in writing. Do not hand over a large deposit before any work starts. Get a second opinion on anything that involves tearing down masonry.

Our own process is built so you can check it. The inspection is free and covers the chimney top to bottom, with photos of what we find and a written price before any work. We work Sunday through Friday in three-hour windows, and call ahead to confirm. Nothing is done until you have agreed to the written price.