Homeowners remember the chimney when it gets cold. Sweeps end up with a waitlist in fall and a quiet spring.
For chimney sweeps and chimney repair companies
Chimney sweep leads from homes with fireplaces, before the first fire.
Spur finds homes in your service area most likely to have wood-burning fireplaces and stoves, writes a friendly safety postcard for each owner, and mails it in late summer, before the fall rush. Then it reminds every customer every year.
Free forever plan · No card · 20 property searches a month
USPSFirst-Class
Paul Jensen45 Hemlock Ridge RdAsheville, NC 28803Scan to book a sweep
Paul J. booked a sweep from your postcard · 3 min ago
AI-written for this owner · Mailed in 2 days
Annualinspection called for by NFPA 211
Sept–Octwhen sweep calendars fill
2 daysfrom approval to USPS first-class
The problem
Chimney work crowds into a few weeks every fall.
Crown cracks, flashing leaks, and damaged liners hide until an inspection finds them.
Without a yearly reminder, customers who loved your work forget to book next year.
How it works
From list to mailbox in one workflow.
The same five steps every time, set up for chimney sweeps & chimney services.
app.usespur.com
Plays for Chimney
Chimney plays you can run in Spur today
Fill September before the October rush.
Built pre-1990Auto-schedule
Masonry, crowns, and caps when it's warm.
Your listRepairs noted
Level 2 inspections when homes change hands.
Sold last 60 daysBuilt pre-1990
Keep out water and animals.
Built pre-1980Owner-occupied
Older masonry chimneys and furnace flues.
Built pre-1970Owned 10+ yrs
Add-on service on the same visit.
Your listAuto-schedule
Mail the street while your truck is there.
Radius 0.25 miSame era
Rebook every customer a year later.
Your listSwept 11+ mo ago
Safety cards with a QR to book.
Per-owner copyQR tracked
See the full play →Direct mail programFour offers on a yearly calendar.
Auto-scheduleCost per booking
See the full play →New buyer welcomeLevel 2 inspection offers for new owners.
Sold last 90 daysBuilt pre-2000
See the full play →Liner replacement leadsCamera inspections for older flues.
Built pre-1990Owned 10+ yrs
See the full play →Annual sweep remindersEvery customer rebooked each August.
Your listAuto-schedule
See the full play →Seasonal campaignsSummer sweeps, winter caps, spring repairs.
Auto-scheduleYearly
See the full play →Street neighbor marketingMail the street before the crew arrives.
Radius 0.25 miSame era
See the full play →Leads without AngiExclusive calls from homes you chose.
ExclusiveInbound first
See the full play →Past customer reactivationWin back customers who skipped a year.
Your listSwept 2+ yrs ago
See the full play →Landlord programsDocumented inspections for rentals.
Absentee owner2+ properties
See the full play →See it in Spur
What a chimney list looks like in Spur
A sample list for one Asheville zip: owner-occupied single-family homes built before 1990 on larger lots. Names are partly masked.
Zip 28803Owner-occupiedBuilt pre-1990Lot 0.3+ acreSingle-family
- Paul J.45 Hemlock Ridge RdBuilt 1978 · masonry chimneyOwned 14 yrsWood-burning
- Karen & Lee B.61 Hemlock Ridge RdBuilt 1982 · 2 fireplacesOwned 21 yrsWood stove
- Nora T.12 Laurel Cove DrBuilt 1965 · masonry chimneyOwner 73Owned 35 yrs
- Sam D.28 Laurel Cove DrBuilt 1971 · masonry chimneyBought 1 mo agoNew owner
- Eli & Rose M.93 Sweeten Creek RdBuilt 1986 · insertOwned 11 yrsWood-burning
AI draft for Paul J. · 45 Hemlock Ridge Rd
Hi Paul,
With fall coming to the mountains, a lot of homes on Hemlock Ridge will be lighting their first fire soon. National fire safety standards call for chimneys to be inspected every year, because creosote builds up and small problems like a cracked crown or loose flashing are easy to miss from the ground.
Our CSIA-certified sweeps clean the flue, inspect the firebox, damper, crown, and cap, and send you photos of what we found. We use drop cloths and leave no mess.
Scan the code on this card to book a September visit and skip the October waitlist.
Jake Morris · Ember & Flue Chimney Co. · (828) 555-0152
Sample data for illustration. Your results depend on your market and filters.
Playbook
How chimney sweeps fill the calendar before fall
Chimney service is one of the most seasonal trades in home services. Homeowners think about their chimney when the weather turns cold, so calls crowd into October and November while spring and summer go quiet. Sweeps who mail in late summer, and who build a yearly reminder habit with customers, smooth out that curve.
Target homes with fireplaces. Wood-burning fireplaces are most common in older homes and in higher-value, larger homes, and wood stoves are common in rural and mountain areas. Spur can't see a chimney from records, but build year, home value, lot size, and region are strong proxies, and you likely know which neighborhoods are full of fireplaces.
Lean on the standard. NFPA 211, the national fire protection standard for chimneys and fireplaces, calls for chimneys, fireplaces, and vents to be inspected annually. That gives homeowners a clear, non-alarmist reason to book every year. CSIA certification is the credential homeowners and insurers most often look for, and it belongs on every card.
Home sales are another opportunity. NFPA 211 calls for a more thorough Level 2 inspection when a property is sold or transferred, and new buyers often don't know the condition of their chimney. A welcome card offering an inspection gives buyers peace of mind and builds a long-term customer.
Use the off-season for repairs. Masonry, crown, cap, and liner work are best done in warmer months. Every fall inspection that finds a repair is a spring job, so follow up with those customers early in the year. Dryer vent cleaning is a natural add-on that uses the same equipment and skills.
Keep the tone friendly and practical. Chimney fires and carbon monoxide are real risks, but alarming copy gets thrown away. A card that explains what an inspection covers, what you'll show them afterward, and why booking early beats waiting until the first cold night is far more persuasive. Follow every visit with photos and a yearly reminder.
1 repairlike a crown or cap covers a full year of Spur Team
A few sweeps and one repair cover your year of Spur.
- Spur Team: $49/mo billed annually = $588/yr
- 300 postcards on Team at $0.94 each = $282
- Sweep + inspection ≈ $200–$400; crown, cap, or liner work far more
Example math. Your pricing and job mix will vary. Run your own numbers →
One tool, not four
Spur vs. the usual chimney marketing
What you needThe usual waySpur
Find homes with fireplacesEDDM routes✓ Built in
Owner name and mailing addressNot available with EDDM✓ Built in
Safety-first seasonal copyGeneric flyer✓ Built in
Late-summer schedulingManual reprints✓ Built in
Annual remindersPaper records✓ Built in
Know who's interestedNot available✓ Built in
Chimney by the numbers
Why chimney service happens every year
Annual
inspection of chimneys, fireplaces, and vents is called for by the national standard
Level 2
inspection is called for when a property is sold or transferred
1 repair
like a crown or cap covers a full year of Spur Team
FAQ
Questions from chimney sweeps & chimney services
How do chimney sweeps get more customers?
Target homes likely to have wood-burning fireplaces, mail in late summer before the fall rush, and send every customer a yearly reminder.
How often should chimneys be inspected?
NFPA 211, the national standard for chimneys and fireplaces, calls for an annual inspection, with a more thorough Level 2 inspection when a home is sold.
When should chimney companies send postcards?
Late summer, typically August, so homeowners book September and early October before demand peaks. Send repair follow-ups in early spring.
Can Spur tell which homes have fireplaces?
Not directly. Build year, home value, lot size, and region are strong proxies, and you can target the neighborhoods you know have fireplaces.
What does Spur cost for a chimney company?
Solo is free forever with no card. You pay per postcard when you mail. Team is $49/mo billed annually with more searches, QR codes, automations, and lower postcard pricing.
Keep exploring
Related trades and guides
Start in minutes. No card required.
Burning season starts on schedule. So should your bookings.
Build a fireplace-home list and schedule your late-summer sweep campaign today.
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