Why a sweep's site is different
Chimney sweeping is seasonal. Most people think about their chimney when the weather turns, then everyone wants a sweep in the same few weeks. Before they book, they want to know three things: are you registered, will you make a mess and can you come soon.
That shapes everything. A sweep's site needs to be easy to book from at ten at night, show your registration where people can check it and say plainly that you leave a certificate. It doesn't need to be big. It needs to be clear before the autumn rush, not during it.
What a chimney sweep's website needs
- Your phone number on every page and a Call button that stays on screen. A WhatsApp link too, if that's how you take bookings.
- Your registration and number: HETAS, NACS or the Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps, plus OFTEC if you install. Link to the scheme's own search where there is one.
- The certificate. Home insurers can ask to see a certificate from a registered sweep, so say you give one after every job.
- What you sweep: open fires, wood burners, multi-fuel stoves, AGAs and Rayburns. Then the extra jobs like stove servicing, bird guards, smoke tests and installs.
- Photos that prove you're clean: dust sheets down, a tidy hearth, a stove you fitted.
- A simple booking form, so people can get on your list when they think of it.
What adds to the cost
For a sweep, the expensive add-ons are calendars and payments. A full online booking system with slots and deposits costs more to set up and needs to be kept in step with your diary. For most sweeps a form that sends you their name, address, appliance and preferred dates does the same job at no extra cost.
Area pages are worth thinking about. Sweeps often cover a wide rural patch with lots of small villages. Rather than a page per village, list the villages on your main page and add pages for the two or three towns where most of your work comes from. On our Standard plan that's up to 3 town pages. Growth is up to 6.
A seasonal notice, like 'booking for October now' or 'fully booked until November', is a small change but a useful one. With us, it comes out of your monthly changes.
How many pages does a sweep need?
Three to five covers it: a home page with your registration and certificate, a page on what you sweep, a page on stoves and other jobs, then about and contact with the area you cover. That fits our Starter plan. If you want town pages too, Standard adds up to 3.
What it costs over three years
Totals for a small sweep's site at the time of writing (October 2026). Wix figures use the yearly Light plan, with about £12 a year for the domain from year two.
| Option | 12 months | 24 months | 36 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wix Light, you build it | £108 | about £228 | about £348 |
| Onside Starter, 3 to 5 pages | £667 | £1,135 | £1,603 |
| Onside Standard, plus up to 3 town pages | £1,027 | £1,855 | £2,683 |
| Onside one-off from £695, then £20 a month | £935 | £1,175 | £1,415 |
Freelancers typically charge £800 to £3,000 for a small trade site, according to one published UK guide. DIY figures leave out your own time.
What a sweep can skip
- Online payment. Most customers pay on the day.
- A blog about chimney fires you'll never update.
- Pages for every village. List them instead.
- A chatbot. A Call button and a booking form are quicker for everyone.
Facebook or a website?
Lots of sweeps get most of their work through Facebook and word of mouth. That's fine for people who already know you. A website is what Google shows to someone who doesn't, when they search for a sweep in their town. It's also yours, so it doesn't change when Facebook changes how it shows posts.
When to get your site ready
The time to sort a sweep's website is spring or summer, not October. Google takes a while to find and trust a new site, so one that goes live in the quiet months has time to settle in before people start searching. It also gives you time to gather photos and reviews from the jobs you're already doing.
Over the summer, think about what else you can sell when sweeping is quiet: stove servicing, bird guards, cowls or installs if you're registered for them. Giving those their own section on the site helps fill the diary outside the rush.
Reviews matter here too. Ask happy customers in the quiet months to leave a Google review while the job is fresh. By the time the autumn searches start, someone comparing two sweeps will see recent reviews next to your name. We link to your real reviews on the site. We never write them.
What to ask before you sign
- Can you show my registration badge and number, with a link to the scheme?
- Can I change the booking notice quickly in the busy season?
- Is the domain in my name? Can I take the site if I leave?
- Do you write the words, or do I?