Sweeping
Chimneys, wood inserts, wood burners, pellet stoves, gas, oil and wood boilers. Certificate handed over on site.
€75 – €120 incl. VAT
Qualified English-speaking chimney sweep — Vérines (17540)
Your flue swept properly, and the certificate in your hand.
Expert de vos conduits — your flue specialist
AEP Ramonage sweeps chimneys, wood burners, pellet stoves and boilers across La Rochelle, the Aunis plain and the Charente-Maritime coast. Published prices, no soot left behind, and the insurance certificate handed over the same day.
Arnaud PellerinCOSTIC-qualified chimney sweepI answer the phone, do the job and sign the certificate.
- Formally qualified: professional chimney sweep title awarded by COSTIC
- Certificat de ramonage included — never charged as an extra
- Holiday homes handled remotely: key holder access, paperwork by email
- One person, start to finish — you always deal with Arnaud
COSTIC-qualified, registered title
Certificate included in the price
Same-day reply
10 minutes from La Rochelle
Services
Everything that runs through a flue
From the annual sweep of a farmhouse chimney to de-tarring a neglected flue and the full strip-down a pellet stove needs once a year. One person on site, from the first look to the certificate.
Service + sweep package
Flue swept and appliance serviced in a single visit. On boilers, the service covers the flue-gas path, not the hydraulic side.
€150 – €250 incl. VAT
Pre-sale or insurance inspection
Condition of the appliance and flue, with a written report for the notaire, the buyer or your insurer.
€300 incl. VAT
Tar removal
Glazed tar (bistre) is the hard deposit that starts chimney fires. It has to go before any flue liner is fitted.
On quote
On site
Clean, sheeted, vacuumed
No stock photos: these are real jobs in real homes.
Prices
Published before I set off
Prices for private homes, including French VAT at 10%, with the sweeping certificate included. Nothing appears on the invoice that wasn't agreed when you booked.
| Job | Price |
|---|---|
| Chimney | €75 |
| Wood insert | €80 |
| Wood burner | €80 |
| Pellet stove | €85 |
| Gas boiler | €90 |
| Oil boiler | €100 |
| Wood / pellet boiler | €120 |
| 2 flues, same address | €140 |
| Each flue beyond 2, same address | + €50 |
| Job | Price |
|---|---|
| Wood insert + sweep | €150 |
| Wood burner + sweep | €150 |
| Pellet stove + sweep | €190 |
| Gas boiler + sweep * | €190 |
| Oil boiler + sweep * | €220 |
| Wood / pellet boiler + sweep * | €250 |
* Boilers: the flue-gas path only, not the hydraulic side.
| Job | Price |
|---|---|
| Pre-sale or insurance inspection | €300 |
| Tar removal (débistrage) | On quote |
| De-tarring | On quote |
The sweeping certificate and any inspection report are always included, never charged on top.
| Case | Price |
|---|---|
| Urgent call-out | €50 |
| Complex work at height | €50 |
| Second appliance at the same address, when servicing | €66 |
| No-show or instructions not followed on the day | €75 |
Your sweep
Arnaud Pellerin, formally qualified
AEP Ramonage is a one-man business based in Vérines, about ten minutes from La Rochelle. The same person answers the phone, quotes the job, goes up on the roof and signs the certificate — so you always know who you are dealing with.
Worth knowing if you have moved here from the UK: chimney sweeping is not a regulated trade in France, so anyone may call themselves a ramoneur. The professional title awarded by COSTIC, the reference body for the heating and ventilation industries, means real training and a real examination on flues, combustion and safety.
Book an appointment
Titre à finalité professionnelle
Ramoneur Fumiste
Listed on the French national register of professional certifications.
- Holder
- Arnaud Pellerin
- Awarded by
- COSTIC — technical and scientific committee for the climate industries
- Level
- Level 3, NSF code 230r
- Panel decision
- 3 July 2026
- Title no.
- 2026-77
The original certificate can be shown on request during the visit.
The French rules, in plain English
Twice a year for wood, once for gas — and keep the certificate
Flue maintenance in France is governed by the Règlement Sanitaire Départemental and by your commune's own by-laws. If you have moved here from the UK, these are the differences that matter:
- Wood, charcoal, pellets: two sweeps a year, one of them during the heating season.
- Gas and oil: once a year, usually alongside the boiler service.
- Renting out a gîte: the certificate belongs in the property file with the other diagnostics.
- Insurance: a claim after a chimney fire can be cut or refused without a valid certificate.
The certificate is not a formality here. It is the single document that decides whether your insurer pays out, which is why it is included in the price rather than sold separately.
What a visit looks like
1. Floor and surroundings sheeted5 min
2. Flue swept mechanically20 min
3. Soot vacuumed with a filtered unit10 min
4. Flue checked clear of obstruction10 min
5. Certificate and invoice handed over5 min
Around an hour for a sweep on its own, an hour and a half to two hours for a service and sweep package on a pellet stove.
Area covered
Vérines, La Rochelle, the Île de Ré and the Aunis
Based in Vérines, ten minutes from La Rochelle and five from Dompierre-sur-Mer, covering the north of Charente-Maritime: greater La Rochelle, the Île de Ré, the Aunis plain, the coast from Châtelaillon up to Marans, and the Surgères and Rochefort areas.
Village not on the list? Call anyway: it is probably within reach.
Check my village
- Vérines
- La Rochelle
- Dompierre-sur-Mer
- Sainte-Soulle
- Aigrefeuille-d'Aunis
- Surgères
- Châtelaillon-Plage
- Marans
- Rochefort
- Périgny
- Aytré
- Angoulins
- Puilboreau
- Lagord
- Nieul-sur-Mer
- Marsilly
- Esnandes
- Villedoux
- Saint-Xandre
- L'Houmeau
- Salles-sur-Mer
- La Jarrie
- Croix-Chapeau
- Thairé
- Ciré-d'Aunis
- Saint-Rogatien
- Clavette
- Montroy
- Bourgneuf
- Saint-Médard-d'Aunis
- Le Thou
- Ardillières
- Landrais
- Virson
- Muron
- Courçon
- Saint-Jean-de-Liversay
- Andilly
- Longèves
- Tonnay-Charente
- Rivedoux-Plage
- Sainte-Marie-de-Ré
- La Flotte
- Saint-Martin-de-Ré
- Le Bois-Plage-en-Ré
- La Couarde-sur-Mer
- Loix
- Ars-en-Ré
- Saint-Clément-des-Baleines
- Les Portes-en-Ré
Commitments
Safety, performance, trust
AEP Ramonage opened in August 2026, so there is no wall of reviews here yet. Here is what you can hold me to from the first visit instead.
The price doesn't move. Every rate is published on this page and confirmed when you book. If the installation throws up a surprise, I call you before carrying on, not afterwards.
The house stays clean. Dust sheets, filtered vacuum, boot covers. The appliance goes back into working order and you shouldn't have to clean up after me.
You know what was done. Before and after photos on request, a straight explanation of the flue's real condition, and a detailed certificate — useful when you're managing the house from abroad.
Questions
What people ask most
Is sweeping actually compulsory in France?
Yes. The Règlement Sanitaire Départemental requires regular sweeping — in practice twice a year for wood and pellets, once for gas and oil. Beyond the rule itself, it is your home insurer who will want to see the certificate if anything goes wrong.
What's the difference between sweeping and servicing?
Sweeping deals with the flue: soot out, draw checked. Servicing deals with the appliance: strip-down, heat exchangers, burn pot, fans, seals, restart. The package covers both in one visit: €150 for a wood insert or wood burner, for example. On boilers, servicing covers the flue-gas path, not the hydraulic side.
We only use the house in summer. Do we still need it?
If the fire is never lit the risk is lower, but insurers rarely make that distinction, and nesting birds and debris are a real problem in empty properties. An annual sweep with a certificate keeps the file clean and the flue clear.
Can you work while we're in the UK?
Yes, and it is common here. Access is arranged with a neighbour, gîte manager or key holder, photos are taken during the visit, and the certificate and invoice go out by email the same day.
Will it make a mess?
No. Floors and surroundings are sheeted, soot goes straight into a filtered ash vacuum, and the appliance is put back into working order before I leave.
When should we book?
Late summer and early autumn are ideal — the flue is cold and the season hasn't started. From September to December the diary fills up quickly, because that is when everyone lights the fire and discovers the problem.
Book an appointment
Pick a slot, I'll confirm it
- Tell me the job, a date and a slot that suit you.
- I call back the same day to confirm the time and the exact price.
- I do the work, and you're left with the certificate and the invoice.
Phone+33 6 99 18 46 36
Emaila.pellerin@aepramonage.fr
Address8 impasse des Blés d'Or
17540 Vérines, France
HoursMonday – Saturday, 8am – 7pm
Call nowNo answer? I'm probably on a roof. Leave a message and I'll call back at the end of the day. For anything urgent, say so — a quick call-out is possible with a €50 surcharge.