Anyone know what's a reasonable charge?

We've just been quoted £45 per chimney which is a bit steep compared to past years. :-( 

Kath.

We paid £70 last year to have 2 swept - so its probably about right - depends how far he has to come, I suppose.

We're lucky - still got one in the next village - he said then that he earns more money on Saturdays, turning up at Weddings than he does sweeping chimneys!

Margot

We just paid £15 to have ours done by the village handyman.

Looks like mines not a bad deal then, I have just paid £20 :D mind you the cost seems to go up by £2 every 6 mths which is how often we get ours done.

Thankyou all for your replies. :-)  It makes £45 sound a lot then!

So, we're now thinking of getting a brush and doing it ourselves, we've got some drain rods already so can use those and I've still got my old vacuum cleaner. Or we could use a holly branch like they did on Tales From The Green Valley. :-D Failing that we could throw a hen down (only joking :-) ) ... or send a young lad up (still only joking :-D)

I paid £25 this summer - a good job I think.  Paid about the same the year before - but he wasn't very good.  Our regular sweep has retired.  Don't relish doing the job myself.  These folks have a hoover and although the air smells sooty there is no mess.  I remember my father doing the sweeping himself when I was young.  I was always sent outside to shout when the brush came out!

We only changed as our regular one suddenly finished (we heard he comitted suicide, poor chap). The one we had last year was rubbish. We rang and left messages with a couple of others last month but never got replies. I hate it when workmen don't bother to ring back :-(

I paid £18 this year.

>>So, we're now thinking of getting a brush and doing it ourselves,

:D good for you,we used to do ours, wish we could now but as we have a woodburning stove with no access at the bottom we have to be brushed from the top downwards. well we do have access but you could never get a rod in never mind a brush head LOL ;)

How much are brushes?

I don't fancy the bill to clean the soot out of the carpet if I did it myself!

Our local harware shop sells brush heads at £3.60 + vat
the rods are approx £20-£25 :)

That's cheaper than most I've found on the internet. :-)  There are some starting cheaply on ebay but depends on who else bids.

>I don't fancy the bill to clean the soot out of the carpet if I did it myself!

  Good job I've got a shampooer

Hi kath
Just done a search for you and have found the drain rods @ £14.99 and chimney brush @ £5.89
plus p+p @ £5.95 . Total cost £26.83 :)

Where from?? i hear you ask
screwfix direct :D

Thanks for that Jane :-) I think hubby has one of their catalogues, I never gave them a thought.   Actually though, my hubby rang one of the sellers on Ebay today (theirs are £5.20) as they are only a few miles from us so it'll save us postage. He also sells the soot cloths to cover the opening (£8).  :-)  As I say, we have the rods already so it'll be peanuts compared to the £90 it would have cost us!

The chap said most folk would be able to do the job themselves. ;-)

Your welcome.... knew i'd seen them reasonably priced somewhere :D

It is very easy to do the job yourself, we used to do our ordinary coal fire 2/3 times a year but since we got a big wood burning stove it has to be done from the chimney pot down, not good when you dont particularly like heights although we are only a bungalow so not too high but it gets verrry windy up there :D