Terms & Conditions

Pricing Terms & Conditions – Please read carefully

Missed Appointment Fee: £40: A call out fee of £40 will be applied if, upon arriving at an appointment, I am unable to gain access to a property for any reason. To reschedule or cancel appointments, please call 0791 465 4832 by noon the day beforehand.

Deposits: Occasionally I will ask for a deposit, depending on the nature and overall price of the work. The deposit is non-refundable. non-transferable. The balance will then be payable on completion of the works.

Refunds: Refunds are issued at my sole discretion and will be issued via the means suitable to me. Any and all refunds are issued purely as a goodwill gesture, with no prejudice or liability.

Gas Fires: Some gas fires require disconnection before a flue serving a gas appliance can be swept. This must be undertaken by a Gas Safe registered engineer and is to be arranged by the customer at their own cost.

Preparation for the sweeping appointment: Please do not use appliances at all in the 24 hours leading up to an appointment. Please remove any ash/debris/other items from the fire grate so it is clear. I require a space of around 6ft in front of the fireplace, so please move any coffee tables/furniture and items from the hearth. Please ensure a plug socket (extension lead if necessary) is next to the hearth area.

Payment: Immediate payment is due at the end of each appointment please. Cash, cheques, BACS transfers and all major Credit and Debit cards accepted, thank you.

Please note, if monies owed become overdue a polite reminder will be provided. If they continue to remain outstanding the monies owed will be sought via the county court. Consequently the owed monies will then be subject to additional costs for time and expenses including lost interest.

General Terms & Conditions – Please read carefully

Your chimney will be inspected by a professional, qualified chimney sweep (Antony Howes) and assessed to the national standards (including British Flue & Chimney Manufacturers Association and Building Control Regulations, Approved Document J).

All services are carried out in good faith; brief visual inspections are carried out of the appliance and chimney, but due to the concealed nature of chimneys and associated appliances, information should not be relied upon as a guarantee that the appliance and/or chimney are safe and/or free of faults or issues related to age, misuse, or poor installation.

I, Antony Howes (the Chimney Sweep) will assume unless otherwise told by the homeowner or the person allowing me entry into the property that the appliance is correctly and safely installed and is in a fit state to be swept.

If a fault occurs during sweeping, this is not the fault of the sweep (Antony Howes); for a chimney and items connected to the installation to be considered fit for use, it must be in such condition that it can be safely cleaned and tested.

If damage is caused during sweeping, this suggests an underlying fault which simply was exposed by the sweeping process. This includes, but not limited to, liners, pots, cowls and terminals etc. These are not the responsibility of the Chimney Sweep (Antony Howes). Reasonable effort is made not to damage items or eject cowls and terminals. However if no internal or hands on inspection has been requested, or is not possible, or undertaken, all and any damage and/ or ejection and in relation to it is at the owners complete risk and expense.

Working at height - Please read this carefully
Arriving on site, I will conduct a risk assessment to establish if it is safe to access the roof/ chimney stack etc using ladders. The risk assessment is hands on and will involve the deployment of ladders. It is conducted on the day that is agreed to commence the work. If you require or it is necessary for a risk assessment to be conducted separately on a different day or different time, this will be subject to an extra charge.

All work undertaken at height is conducted via ladders. If scaffolding, a cherry picker, hydraulic platforms etc are deemed necessary, then these will need to be arranged and funded in there entirety by the owner. Should the owner decide after all not to go ahead with the work, for example (not exhaustive) because the risk assessment has highlighted the requirement of specialist equipment (e.g scaffolding, cherry picker etc), then Mid Wales Chimney Sweep reserves the right to charge for time and materials for undertaking the risk assessment.

If damage is caused when working at height this suggests an underlying weakness which is exposed by the process of working at height. This includes, but not limited to guttering, fascia, soffit, roof, pots, slates and tiles etc. These are not the responsibility of the Chimney Sweep (Antony Howes). Reasonable effort is made not to damage items. All and any damage in relation to them and any consequential damage/ effects is at the owners complete risk and expense. Further any cowl which is fitted, is completed on the understanding and agreement that the cowl and its operation is reliant upon the condition of the structure on which it sits. If the structure (e,g. a pot) is in a poor state of repair then the cowl will not be able to function correctly. For example, anti down draught performance will be impaired, ingress of water could occur (due to it entering via the deteriorated pot) , as well as possible vermin ingress.

Reasonable effort is made to install cowls onto poor structures (e.g. to prevent bird activity) and when this occurs I will communicate pictures and make recommendations to expedite future repairs. However should I deem the structure as dangerous or of poor integrity I reserve the right to refuse the installation and charge for time and materials relating to the work undertaken.

All of the items, including the performance of a cowl (including its performance in wind driven rain) and any consequential damage/ effects are not the responsibility of the Chimney Sweep (Antony Howes). They are at the owners complete risk and expense.

Antony Howes shall not be liable for any damages, losses, costs or expenses, direct, indirect or incidental, consequential or special, arising out of, or related to the items mentioned above.

CCTV

When CCTV is deployed there is no guarantee that I, Antony Howes, will be able to traverse the whole length of the flue. Examples (not exhaustive), electrical cables, metal bars, awkward bends.

Children and Pets

It is your responsibility to keep pets and children supervised within the property throughout my visit. They should remain in a separate room for the duration of my visit and have a designated responsible person(s) with them at all times. I cannot accept liability for loss or injury.

Security

The sweeping process involves multiple trips to and from my vehicle. This means access doors sometimes remain open. It is the responsibility of the customer or their designated person to ensure all valuables are secure and away from the work route/area.

Covid 19

As a responsible local professional, I am committed to helping prevent the

spread of coronavirus.

I have undertaken a Covid 19 awareness training course with the British

Assessment Bureau, including Coronavirus Infection Prevention & Control.

My procedures are as follows:

1. If you, or any member of your household, has coronavirus or is displaying

symptoms, you MUST contact me beforehand to rearrange.

2. Social distancing must be respected at all times and customers/pets etc

must leave the room while the sweep is in process.

3. To prepare for my visit you must, where possible;

*Remove all objects, such as ornaments, pokers, fuel etc, from the

fireside/hearth area

*Remove any ash of debris from the grate/stove

*Allow a clear, uninterrupted passage from the main doorway into your

property through to the fireplace area. Remove any furniture

(coffee tables etc) which are in the way of this route.

*Ensure a plug socket (extension lead if necessary) is next to the hearth area.

4. Payment will be taken at the end of the appointment. The customer, or

their appointed person, must be presentable to make payment. Cash, cheques, BACS transfers and all major Credit and Debit cards accepted, thank you.

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