Chimney service operations manager job description
A chimney service operations manager runs a branch's crews each day: who sweeps where, which crew takes a reline or crown job, and whether every truck leaves with working cameras, ladders and fall gear. They make the morning weather call on roof work and sort out jobs that run late.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building services companies · BLS, May 2025
The Operations Manager plays a critical role in ensuring efficient service delivery by allocating crews, managing equipment availability, and optimizing workflows. This position directly contributes to our operational excellence and overall customer satisfaction in the chimney and fireplace service industry.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee daily operations and allocate crews to test and ensure timely service delivery.
Ensure equipment availability and maintenance to support operational activities.
Optimize workflows to maximize efficiency and reduce downtime.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to maintain high-quality service standards.
Monitor and assess performance metrics to drive continual improvement.
Communicate operational changes and updates to the team and management.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review job schedules and assign crews based on skillset and availability.
Conduct daily equipment checks and coordinate repairs or replacements as needed.
Monitor service progress and address any customer or operational issues promptly.
Analyze workflow efficiencies and implement process improvements on a daily basis.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Crew utilization rate: Achieve a minimum of 90% efficiency.
Equipment readiness: Maintain an equipment availability rate of 95% or higher.
On-time service completion: Ensure at least 98% of jobs are completed within scheduled time frames.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Maintain a rating of over 4.8 stars on service feedback surveys.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years of experience in operations management, preferably within home services.
Strong leadership and team management capabilities.
Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
Proficient in scheduling software and workflow management tools.
Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience managing operations in the chimney, fireplace, or home services industry.
Proven track record of optimizing workflows and improving efficiency.
Experience with budgeting and cost management in an operational setting.
Demonstrated ability to lead large, diverse teams in a fast-paced environment.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to occasionally lift equipment weighing up to 25 pounds.
Occasional exposure to outdoor weather conditions during site visits.
Ability to work in varied environments including confined spaces when required.
Capability to stand and walk for extended periods during field operations.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Occasional weekend or evening work may be required based on service demands.
Travel between service sites is expected on a daily basis.
On-call duties may be assigned during peak service periods.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $75,000 - $90,000 per year, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based bonus opportunities available annually.
Health insurance including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
401(k) plan with company match available.
Paid time off and holiday benefits.
Opportunities for professional development and career growth.
Additional fringe benefits such as employee discounts on services.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on fostering a culture of respect, innovation, and growth. Our team is dedicated to excellence and continuously seeks ways to improve our processes and customer service. We invest in our employees' success by providing opportunities for development, a supportive work environment, and the tools necessary to excel. We are passionate about building a diverse and inclusive team that drives positive change in the home services 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].
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What a chimney operations manager handles each day
Every chimney job puts a crew on a ladder, on a roof and in a customer's living room, with soot and a camera in between. The operations manager makes sure each crew leaves ready for all of it.
Two ladder rules on the same truck
OSHA's general industry rule has ladders checked before first use in each shift, and any defective ladder tagged "Dangerous: Do Not Use" and taken out of service. Its construction rule, which covers repair work, calls for ladder checks by a competent person on a set schedule and after any event that might have damaged them. A morning crew check, plus scheduled checks by someone trained to spot defects and allowed to pull a ladder, meets both. Source: 29 CFR 1910.23: Ladders, general industry (eCFR).
Soot is a known health hazard
The National Cancer Institute says chimney sweeps likely have the highest work exposure to soot, which can enter the body through the lungs, the mouth or the skin. Studies of sweeps have found higher rates of skin cancer, and some European studies link the work to lung, esophageal and bladder cancer. Stock every truck with gloves, coveralls, the respirators your program calls for, and wash-up supplies. Source: National Cancer Institute: Soot.
No camera, no Level 2
The chimney camera is the tool a branch can least afford to lose. When one breaks in October, Level 2 inspections get pushed and footage that backs up repair proposals stops coming in. Keep a spare per branch, power up and test each unit before crews load out, and check that every clip saves to the right job before the truck leaves the driveway.
Relines run as a chain of visits
A reline isn't one appointment. It starts with the inspection and measurements, then the liner, cap and parts order, then an install crew booked once everything is on the shelf. One wrong length or missing fitting means a second trip and a customer without heat. The operations manager checks the parts list against the inspection notes before the install is booked.
The morning roof call
Frost, rain, ice and high wind all make a roof unsafe, and the fall is full of those mornings. The operations manager decides early which jobs go ahead, which move to inside work such as dampers, fireboxes and dryer vents, and which get rescheduled. Then the office calls those customers before the crews leave.
How much chimney service operations managers make
The closest BLS group for chimney service operations managers is general and operations managers. General and operations managers who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $82,580 a year ($39.70 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $105,770 median for general and operations managers in all industries. About 74,770 of the 3,503,020 general and operations managers in that survey work for building services companies.
Salaried, with an annual bonus in the template. Base that bonus on completed jobs, equipment uptime and safety results, not on job counts alone.
Building services companies
$82,580$82,580 median Middle half $60,290–$118,560 10th–90th $45,720–$164,990
All industries
$105,770$105,770 median Middle half $72,320–$167,280 10th–90th $50,090–$253,390
$0k$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k
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
$45,720
$60,290
$82,580
$118,560
$164,990
All industries
$50,090
$72,320
$105,770
$167,280
$253,390
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 scheduled field crews in a seasonal home service business
Stops roof work in bad weather and backs crews who stop it themselves
Keeps cameras, vacuums, ladders and fall gear in working order with a spare plan
Matches jobs to skills: who sweeps, who runs Level 2 inspections, who sets liners
Talks a frustrated customer through a delay without blaming the crew
Teach these on the job
Your scheduling and routing software
Chimney camera models and their upkeep
Liner kits, caps and parts you stock
Your ladder, fall protection and soot exposure procedures
How long each inspection level takes on the schedule
Plan on field service software for the schedule and job files, a chimney camera on each inspection truck, rotary sweeping gear, soot vacuums, ladders and fall gear. Count the cameras and spares before you post the job, since candidates who know the work will ask.
Chimney service operations manager 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 · Assigning crews for a mixed day
Tomorrow includes a crown rebuild, a stainless liner install, [12] sweeps and [two] Level 2 inspections. You have [three] two-person crews and [two] solo technicians. How do you assign them?
A strong answer: Matches skills and certifications to each job, puts two-person crews on roof-heavy work, uses realistic times, groups jobs by area and stages materials the night before.
Behavioral · Controlling masonry dust
Tell me about how you've controlled dust from cutting or grinding brick and mortar on a job.
A strong answer: Silica controls: wet cutting or tools with vacuum shrouds, respirators per the written plan, and HEPA cleanup.
Set targets from your own crews' history, and keep fall and off-season numbers apart. A crew that looks idle in May may be waiting on liners, not avoiding work.
Crew utilization rate
Hours on paid jobs divided by paid crew hours, by crew and by week. Separate drive time, weather days and waits for parts so you can see which one is eating the day.
Equipment readiness
Share of crew days when every camera, vacuum, ladder and harness on the truck worked. Log each failure with the date it was fixed or replaced.
On-time service completion
Jobs finished in the window promised to the customer, from the job software. Log weather moves separately, so a stormy week doesn't hide a scheduling problem.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Post-job survey and review scores by crew. Pull out comments about arrival times, soot left behind and how well the crew explained what it found.
What does a chimney operations manager do in the off-season?
Spring and summer are for repair crews, relines and masonry, so the schedule shifts to longer jobs. It is also when cameras get serviced, ladders and harnesses get replaced, new hires train, and fall routes get planned. A good off-season sets up the next fall.
How much does a chimney service operations manager make?
General and operations managers who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $82,580 a year ($39.70 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $60,290 and $118,560 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Why does the template mention confined spaces and long periods of standing?
It points at real tasks. During inspections and job checks, the operations manager may crawl into attics or under homes, kneel in a firebox, and spend hours walking job sites. List them in the posting rather than describing a body. Anyone who can do them, with an accommodation if needed, meets the line.
Should a chimney operations manager be a certified sweep?
The template doesn't ask for it, but plan for it. If the company shows the CSIA logo, each job needs a currently certified sweep on site doing or supervising the work, so the operations manager builds crews around who holds a current certification. A manager who holds one can check a crew's work on the spot and fill that slot on a short-staffed fall day.
What should a chimney operations manager job ad include?
Say whether the role runs sweep routes only or reline and masonry crews too, how many trucks carry cameras, and whether the manager covers a route on short-staffed fall days. Give the real October start time, and say whether the role hires and trains technicians or only schedules them.
