License check
How to check a chimney contractor's license in Suffolk or Nassau
A license number takes a minute to check and tells you the company can legally do the work. Here is who issues it in each county, where to look it up, and what else to ask, from the official pages we read on 2026-11-03.
In Suffolk County
- Because Suffolk's home improvement law reaches any repair to residential property and names masonry outright, a chimney repair business needs a county license unless exempt.
- Suffolk Consumer Affairs includes masonry when it spells out what home improvement covers.
- 1Step 1For a chimney contractor, Suffolk's License and Complaint Violation Look Up takes a business name or a license number once Home Improvement License is picked.
- 2Step 2Phone (631) 853-4600, the Suffolk Consumer Affairs line for license verification, to confirm a chimney contractor's license.
In Nassau County
- Nassau Consumer Affairs lists chimney and fireplace builders, repairs and cleaners among the home improvement work that needs a county license.
- Chimney cleaning is written into the home improvement definition in Nassau's Administrative Code.
- 1Step 1Nassau's Valid Business License Search has fields for License, Company Name, Street Address and Insurance Coverage, and one filled field is enough to check a chimney contractor.
Towns with a license of their own
- Town of Southampton: Southampton requires its own Home Improvement Contractor's License for home improvement work, and its licensing covers every village except the Village of Westhampton Dunes. A builder of a new home needs no town license for now, but the builder's subcontractors must be licensed.
- Town of Southampton: A Southampton home improvement license is valid for one year. A new application costs $250.00 by cash or check or $257.50 by credit, and an on-time renewal costs $175.00, or $180.25 by credit.
- Town of Shelter Island: Shelter Island requires home improvements to be performed by a licensed contractor holding a Shelter Island license.
- Town of Shelter Island: Shelter Island's notice to contractors says every contractor or subcontractor working on the island, landscapers included, needs a town license.
- Town of Shelter Island: Shelter Island takes home improvement license applications online, and a new license needs a $250 check to the town, a liability certificate naming the town as certificate holder and, if applicable, a workers' compensation certificate.
Beyond the license
- Ask for a certificate of insurance sent to you by the insurer, naming you as the certificate holder.
- Ask who files the permit and books the inspections, and get it in the contract.
- Get the price, the scope, the start and finish dates and the payment schedule in a written contract.
Related
Questions homeowners ask
Does chimney repair need a license on Long Island?
Chimney repair on a home is home improvement work, so the county home improvement license applies.
Why does a new boiler or furnace affect my chimney?
Newer equipment can vent differently than the old one, and the chimney or its liner may need changes. Ask the HVAC contractor and the chimney contractor to agree on the plan.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these official pages. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the office before you file anything.
- Suffolk County Consumer Affairs, Home Improvement License Law (PDF) (read 2026-11-03; page dated 5/25)
- Suffolk County Consumer Affairs, Licensing and Enforcement (read 2026-11-03)
- Suffolk County, License and Complaint Violation Look Up (read 2026-11-03)
- Nassau County Consumer Affairs, Who Must Be Licensed? (read 2026-11-03)
- Nassau County, Administrative Code (PDF) (read 2026-11-03; page dated January 1, 2026)
- Nassau County Consumer Affairs, Valid Business License Search (read 2026-11-03)
- Town of Southampton, contractor licensing questions (read 2026-11-03)
- Town of Southampton, Licensing Applications and Forms (read 2026-11-03)
- Town of Shelter Island, FAQs (read 2026-11-03)
- Town of Shelter Island, Notice to All Contractors (read 2026-11-03)
- Town of Shelter Island, Building Department (read 2026-11-03)
Checked 2026-11-03. Facts come only from the official pages listed, read on that date.
Talk the job through before you call anyone
Tell us about the house and the job in about four minutes. Revival calls you, free, to go over the scope, the budget, the timing and your town's permit office. Contractor matches open as our first licensed partners sign.