Guides
How a chimney sweep business runs the same way every day: SOPs
Daily chimney sweep SOPs work when they name the job, the owner, and the record, so any tech can run the same call, brush, and camera the same way.
What to take away
- An SOP is a decision written down once, so the tech on the roof does not have to invent it.
- Write one per job type, not one per company. A wood stove sweep and a furnace flue sweep are different calls.
- Keep the sheet to one page per job type. Long procedures get skipped on a busy Tuesday.
- Review after the first ten runs, then yearly, or when a callback shows the step was wrong.
A sweep business runs on repeat calls: the same bungalow, the same wood stove, the same soot. What changes is who shows up and what they remember. An SOP fixes the parts that should not vary.
Start with the jobs you actually sell, not with a template. A wood stove sweep and a dryer vent cleaning carry different tools, time, and records.
Write the SOP around the job, not the company
A company-wide procedure covering everything ends up describing nothing, because the reader cannot tell which half applies to this morning's call.
List the steps in order, from the knock on the door to the invoice, then split them into two columns.
Fixed steps, which never bend:
Write the SOP around the job
- Brush size and rod length for the flue
- Photos of the firebox and flue before and after
- Creosote level written on the job sheet
Flexible steps, which the tech decides on site:
Write the SOP around the job
- Whether to pull the stove pipe or sweep through the door
- Which vacuum head fits the hearth
- Whether to walk the customer through the photos
Fixed vs adjustable steps
Fixed
- Inspection
- What gets inspected
- Photos
- What gets photographed
- Sign-off
- What customer signs
- Explanation
- —
- Camera scan
- —
Adjustable
- Inspection
- —
- Photos
- —
- Sign-off
- —
- Explanation
- How long to explain
- Camera scan
- Whether to upsell
That split is the whole point. A tech who knows which rules bend will not bend the ones that matter.
A sample sheet: residential wood stove sweep
Times are typical for a single stove in a single-family home.
| Step | Owner | Record produced | Target time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm the arrival window | Dispatcher | Booking note | Day before, by 5pm |
| Lay drop cloths, set the vacuum, log arrival | Tech | Arrival time on the job sheet | 5 min after arrival |
| Photograph the firebox and flue before work | Tech | Before photos | 10 min after arrival |
| Sweep the flue with the sized brush | Tech | Brush size on the job sheet | 20 to 30 min |
| Vacuum the firebox, check baffle, gaskets, and creosote level | Tech | Notes and after photos | 15 min |
| Walk the customer through the findings | Tech | Signed scope acknowledgment | 10 min |
| Invoice the job and log departure | Office | Invoice coded to wood stove sweep | Same day |
Typical in-home time runs 60 to 90 minutes, arrival to departure.
The daily routine
Start of day: the dispatcher prints the sheets, checks brush and filter stock, and confirms the first arrival window.
On site: the tech logs arrival, works the sheet in order, photographs before and after, and gets the scope signed.
End of day: the tech logs departure and the office invoices and codes each job.
One-page tool checklist by job type
Wood stove sweep: sized brushes, rods, HEPA vacuum, spare filter, drop cloths, light, job sheet.
Furnace flue sweep: the same kit plus a furnace head, a wrench for the flue cap, and a fine ash vacuum.
Dryer vent cleaning: vent brush kit, flexible rods, vacuum adapter, lint tools.
Name the owner of every step
Every line needs a name or a role. "The office confirms access" is a wish. "The dispatcher confirms access the day before" is a step someone can fail at, and failing is how you find the gap.
Who owns each step
- Booking: dispatcher confirms access day before
- Sweeping: tech runs the call
- Invoicing: biller codes the service
- Two-person shop: one person holds two roles
- Technical call: WETT-certified technician
The roles in a small sweep business are usually three: the person booking, the person sweeping, the person invoicing. In a two-person shop, one person holds two roles, and the SOP should say so.
Where the work turns technical, the SOP stops. Creosote level, flue condition, clearance to combustibles, and whether a liner is sound are calls for a qualified technician. In the United States, that means NFPA 211, the local fire marshal, and the CSIA certified sweep credential. WETT certification is the Canadian equivalent.
What to verify before acting
The EPA's chimney sweep page is a public education resource for the trade, not a code. It carries annual inspection reminders and wood-burning guidance, and it is a reasonable thing to hand a customer who asks why the visit is yearly.
The EPA's wood-burning installation and maintenance page treats the appliance, chimney, and vent as one system and notes fire officials' recommendation for professional annual inspection. It is a historical Burn Wise page, so cite it as background, not as the rule in your town.
For records, see the IRS page on what records to keep. Keep a system that clearly shows income and expenses, with documents for purchases, sales, payroll, and assets. How long to hold chimney-specific job records is a question for your accountant.
NFPA 211 is published at nfpa.org, and your local fire marshal or fire prevention office holds the adopted amendments and permit rules.
The four records every sweep call should leave behind
| Record | Who fills it | What it settles later |
|---|---|---|
| Job sheet with arrival and departure times | The tech | Whether the quoted time was right |
| Photos of the firebox and flue before and after | The tech | Callbacks and damage claims |
| Signed customer acknowledgment of scope | The customer | What was and was not included |
| Invoice coded to the service type | Whoever bills | Which services actually make money |
If a call ends without all four, the SOP was not followed.
Four records per call
- Job sheetarrival and departure times
- Photosfirebox and flue before and after
- Signed acknowledgmentscope of work
- Invoicecoded to the service type
Where SOPs quietly fail
The usual failure is a procedure written for the best day. It assumes the ladder is in place and the customer cleared the hearth.
Write the disruption path instead. If the flue is blocked, who does the tech call and does the customer get charged for the return? If the access is blocked, does the tech wait or reschedule, and who tells the customer?
Dispatcher script for a blocked flue: "The flue is blocked, so we cannot sweep today. Here is the cost of the return visit."
Script for blocked access: "We cannot reach the stove. Hold the slot 20 more minutes or rebook free."
Write both answers down once.
Common questions
How long should a sweep SOP be?
One page per service, plus one page of shared rules. If it runs longer, the tech will not read it on site, and an unread SOP is the same as no SOP.
Who writes it?
The person who does the work, edited by the person who owns the business. A procedure written only by the owner describes the owner's idea of the job, not the job.
How often do we revise it?
After the first ten runs of a new service, then once a year, and any time a callback traces back to a step that was unclear or missing.
Does an SOP replace training or certification?
No. It records how your business runs a call. Certifications and technical standards come first. In the US, that is NFPA 211, the local fire marshal, and the CSIA certified sweep credential. In Canada, WETT certification is the equivalent, set by the provincial regulator and the certifying body.
