The Chimney Chap, Inc

The Chimney Chap, Inc. is a family-owned chimney and hearth company at 352 Main Street in Hanson, Massachusetts, on the South Shore. The company says it was established in 1980 and passed through generations of chimney sweeps, with Scott Sarras, who also serves as president of the Massachusetts Chimney Sweep Guild, as owner and Rania Sarras as operations manager since the two joined forces in 2010. It sweeps, relines, repairs and rebuilds chimneys, installs caps and dampers, does inspections, and runs an attached showroom, South Shore Fireplace, selling and installing gas, wood, pellet and electric stoves, inserts and outdoor living products. The state registry shows HIC registration 170652 active under the company and Construction Supervisor license CSFA-106118 active under Socratis Sarras; the Better Business Bureau lists it as accredited since 2012 with an A+ grade and one complaint on file. The review record is large and mostly favorable: Google 4.7 stars from 239 ratings, Houzz 4.8 from 12, Porch 4.3 from 22, with 14 reviews in the past six months and none negative. This year's reviewers describe two gas inserts installed with significant chimney repairs where owner Scott found a way to save thousands after the contract was signed (June 2026), an aging chimney replaced on time and under estimate (June 2026), a full fireplace surround, hearth and mantel redo with a new gas unit coordinated by Casey (March 2026), a boiler draft problem diagnosed after a $250 inspection (February 2026), and technicians who show photos of the problem and the finished repair the same day (April 2026). Longer-tenured customers mention nine years of gas fireplace maintenance and a direct-vent unit still running after nearly 20 years. Casey, Scott, Holly and technicians James and Jim are named repeatedly for patience and clear explanations. The complaints cluster around money before the work starts. A May 2025 reviewer waited three weeks for a paid site visit, signed and put down a large deposit, then got a call two days later that the reviewer's account cuts off at; December 2024 reviewers objected to a $555 fee to quote a liner and to a $300 sweep being required before a pellet stove sale. A 2022 reviewer said a pilot assembly failed inside two years with no warranty information and a $300-plus fee to look at it; another 2022 reviewer had a technician arrive 45 minutes late saying he overslept; a 2017 HomeAdvisor reviewer described poor customer service on a pellet stove purchase at South Shore Fireplace. On r/SouthShore in July 2026, one poster described a poor installation and a difficult warranty claim and another said not to use them, while a third reported good luck. Separately, Violation Tracker lists a federal OSHA penalty against The Chimney Chap, Inc. dated August 1, 2024 for a workplace safety or health violation, shown as $6,000 in one entry and $5,000 in another. For a South Shore homeowner needing a chimney relined or rebuilt, a stove or insert installed, or a fireplace renovated, Chimney Chap brings 46 years of family history, current licensing and deep recent praise. Ask up front what site visits and quotes cost, get warranty terms in writing, and raise the 2024 OSHA penalty for the company's account.