Chimney service chief executive officer job description
A chimney service chief executive officer sets where a sweep and repair company goes next: which markets it enters, how much of its revenue comes from relining and rebuilds, and which small sweep shops it buys. Owners or a board hold the CEO to account, and the CEO guards the company's name with homeowners.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building services companies · BLS, May 2025
Lead the organization's overall strategic vision and direction to drive sustainable growth in the chimney and fireplace services industry. Oversee top-level decision-making processes and ensure alignment with business objectives. Represent the company to stakeholders, partners, and the broader community while fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Develop and implement long-term strategic plans to promote growth, profitability, and market presence.
Oversee all operations, ensuring that service quality and safety standards are maintained at the highest level.
Manage executive teams and provide mentorship to foster leadership and professional development within the company.
Cultivate and maintain relationships with investors, partners, and key industry players.
Lead risk management initiatives and drive optimization of financial performance and business efficiency.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review performance reports and financial statements to inform strategic decision-making.
Conduct daily meetings with senior leadership to discuss operational updates and strategic priorities.
Engage with key customers and stakeholders to ensure satisfaction and incorporate feedback into service improvements.
Monitor industry trends and competitive landscape to identify new opportunities for growth.
Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and public engagements.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Revenue Growth: Achieve a minimum annual revenue growth of 15%.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Maintain a rating above 4.8 stars across service platforms.
Operational Efficiency: Improve capacity efficiency by at least 10% year-over-year.
New Business Leads: Secure at least 20 new strategic partnerships or business opportunities annually.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, or a related field; MBA preferred.
At least 10 years of senior leadership experience, ideally within home services or a related industry.
Proven track record in strategic planning, operational management, and financial oversight.
Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills.
Strong leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous executive experience in the home services, construction, or specialty contracting sectors.
Demonstrated success in managing multi-disciplinary teams and large-scale operations.
Experience in developing and executing growth strategies in competitive markets.
Familiarity with the regulatory and safety standards specific to chimney and fireplace services.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to work in an office environment with variable demands in travel to operational sites.
Occasional site visits requiring moderate physical activity, including standing and walking.
Capacity to tolerate extended periods of focused decision-making and strategic planning.
Minimal exposure to onsite environments with specific safety requirements.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard executive work schedule of 40-50 hours per week with flexible hours as needed.
Occasional travel required for industry events, stakeholder meetings, and operational oversight.
On-call duties during critical operational incidents or strategic decision-making situations.
Collaborative and dynamic work environment that supports innovation and continuous improvement.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary range: $200,000 - $300,000 USD, commensurate with experience and performance.
Performance-based bonuses tied to revenue growth, profitability, and other key metrics.
Comprehensive benefits package including Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions.
Additional fringe benefits such as executive wellness programs and professional development opportunities.
10. Company Culture and Overview
Our company fosters a culture of innovation, integrity, and collaboration, where every team member is empowered to contribute to our mission and grow personally and professionally; we celebrate success by nurturing long-term relationships and delivering exceptional service in the chimney and fireplace industry.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
A chimney company wins customers with a low-priced sweep and earns its margin on the repairs that sweep finds. Nearly every big call the CEO makes comes back to that link.
The wood-burning customer lives in an older house
EIA's 2020 home energy survey counted 11.1 million homes that burned wood, 2.3 million of them as the main heat. Only about 0.4 million of those homes were built after 2009, and 5.1 million were rural. Few newer homes burn wood, so the CEO plans growth around gas venting, inserts, dryer vents and the aging masonry chimneys already standing. Source: EIA: Household wood consumption, 2020 (RECS table CE7.2).
Upselling repairs is a legal risk
Cheap sweep, scary finding, costly repair: New Jersey has gone to court over that pattern more than once. In 2011 it sued a chimney company it accused of following 39 to 60 dollar cleanings with false warnings of danger, then charging elderly and disabled homeowners thousands for repairs they didn't need. The FTC Act also bans unfair or deceptive practices. The CEO sets the pay plans, footage rules and tone that keep every finding honest. Source: New Jersey Attorney General: suit against a chimney repair company (October 3, 2011).
A fall from a roof is a company-level event
Sweeps and masons work on steep roofs all year, often in cold and wet weather. OSHA's maximum penalties for 2026 stay at 16,550 dollars for each serious violation and 165,514 dollars for each willful or repeated one. Add what a serious injury would do to your workers' comp costs, and fund the fall gear, training and setup time that prevent one. Source: OSHA: 2026 annual adjustments to civil penalties (memo, May 21, 2026).
Fall fills the calendar and spring tests the plan
Sweep requests pile into the cold months, and the rest of the year leans on relines, crowns and masonry. Before adding a branch or a crew, ask whether that market can sell enough repair work from April to August to carry the payroll the fall needs.
Buying a sweep shop means buying its reminder list
A small sweep shop may be little more than its owner and a truck or two. Then what you buy is the customer list that books every year, the owner's name in town, and whichever certified sweeps stay on. Check how many customers booked again last fall, and agree on how long the seller stays to introduce you.
How much chimney service chief executive officers make
The closest BLS group for chimney service chief executive officers is chief executives. Chief executives who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $130,000 a year ($62.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 430 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for building services companies.
The template sets a salary range plus bonuses on growth and profit. If the owners plan to sell, decide early whether the CEO shares in the sale, and put it in writing.
Building services companies
$130,000$130,000 median Middle half $102,340–$208,630 10th–90th $93,610–$275,020
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Building services companies
$93,610
$102,340
$130,000
$208,630
$275,020
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS doesn’t publish pay for chimney sweeps on their own. These figures cover services to buildings and dwellings, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has run a company or division with several branches and owned its profit through the managers below
Judges a market by its housing stock and fuel mix before signing a lease
Builds pay plans that reward honest findings, not the size of the repair proposal
Negotiates with lenders, sellers and insurers, and tells the owners bad news early
Knows how a sweep, a reline and a crown rebuild each make money
Teach these on the job
NFPA 211 inspection levels and what each one covers
The CSIA credentials your technicians hold
The referral partners each branch leans on
Each branch's local codes and permit habits
The reports your field software already produces
The CEO works from monthly statements, a cash forecast and field software reports that split revenue into sweeps, inspections, relines and masonry by branch. If the software can't split revenue that way yet, say so; building that view may be the new CEO's first project.
Chimney service chief executive officer interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Evening out a seasonal business
Most of your revenue comes in [four] months of the year. How would you decide whether to add a service, like hearth product sales or masonry work, to even out the year?
A strong answer: Looks at local demand, margin, the skills and equipment already on hand, capital and inventory needs and brand fit, then tests it on a small scale with clear measures.
Behavioral · Choosing field leaders
Tell me about a time you promoted your best chimney technician to run the field team and it didn't work out. What did you change in how you choose leaders?
A strong answer: Names what they missed, such as strong technical skill but no coaching or planning ability, and a specific change like a trial lead role, leadership training or structured interviews for managers.
Replace each target with one the owners or board set from your own history. A good fall can hide a weak repair season, so read the numbers by quarter.
Revenue Growth
Year over year, by branch and by line: sweeps, inspections, relines and masonry. Growth that comes only from a busy heating season is less durable than growth in repair work.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
The average public review rating across all branches, plus complaints filed with state agencies or the Better Business Bureau. Read the low ratings that mention a repair proposal first.
Operational Efficiency
Booked hours as a share of the hours your crews could work, tracked through the slow months as well as the fall. Spring and summer are where gains usually hide.
New Business Leads
Count deals that bring steady work: referral sources such as home inspectors and real estate offices, property managers, bought companies and new service lines. Count only those that sent paying jobs this year.
Career path
General managerRuns one market's sweeps, repairs, office and profit.
Time on roofs and in fireboxes is a plus, not the test. The job is choosing markets, raising money and building managers. Someone who has led a roofing, HVAC or masonry company picks up chimneys quickly if a strong master technician and operations leader are already in place. What they can't skip is learning why a repair proposal is right or wrong.
How much does a chimney service chief executive officer make?
Chief executives who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $130,000 a year ($62.50 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $102,340 and $208,630 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
What should a new chimney CEO study in the first fall?
Ride along on peak-season calls in more than one branch. Pull a sample of repair proposals and watch the camera footage behind them. Check how far out each branch is booking, which complaints reached a manager, and how many sweeps turned into repair work. That season shows what the company really is before you set a plan for the next one.
Should a chimney company add hearth sales and installation?
It can fill the slow months and raise the average job, but a showroom runs on different math. It needs stock, a sales floor and gas line work, and installers need their own training. Test it in one branch with a clear profit target before rolling it out, and keep sweeps and inspections from turning into a pipeline for selling new appliances.
What does the template mean by long periods of focused decision-making?
It describes the work, not the person. Budget weeks, board meetings, lender talks and deal reviews can run all day. Put those tasks in the ad, such as leading a full-day planning session or reviewing a purchase agreement, and leave out wording about a person's endurance.
What should a chimney CEO job ad include?
Give the mix: how revenue splits between sweeps, inspections, relines and masonry, and how much of it lands in the fall. Say how many certified sweeps and masons you employ, whether you use the CSIA logo, and whether any branch works under local wood-burning limits. Name any sweep shops you plan to buy and any plan to add hearth sales.
