"Switched from Housecall Pro after the last price increase. Nexa does everything I needed for $279. Wish I'd done it sooner."
— Verified chimney sweep, former Housecall Pro customer
The Bottom Line
Chimney Sweeps on Housecall Pro pay $99/month — $1,188/year. Over three years, that's $3,986. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 2.8 months. The median chimney sweep earns $40,000/year, so Housecall Pro's annual cost is roughly 3.0% of typical revenue — every year, forever.
Key Numbers
$40,000
Median chimney sweep income
2.5%
Typical SaaS spend as % of revenue
2.8 mo
Break-even vs Housecall Pro
$3,707
3-year savings switching to Nexa
What Housecall Pro Is Costing You
The Damage
Housecall Pro monthly$99/mo
Annual drain$1,188/yr
Year 2 (11.4% SaaS inflation)$1,323
Year 3$1,474
3-year total$3,986
That's $3,986 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.
Your Housecall Pro subscription has cost you $0.00 since you opened this page.
Why Chimney Sweeps Leave Housecall Pro
✗Add-on model creates 30-50% cost creep
✗Per-user fees ($35/month) scale fast
✗Basic plan missing QuickBooks integration
✗Payment processing fees (2.99%) are high
✗No job costing functionality
✗Cost creep from paid add-ons is the single most common reason businesses stop using Housecall Pro.
✗If you have a team of 10, you're paying $299 base plus $315 for 9 additional users. That's $614/month.
✗The add-on model creates a slow bleed that catches people off guard.
Chimney Sweeps are leaving Housecall Pro every week.
You're not the only one who's had enough.
Why This Matters for Chimney Sweeps
It's September and suddenly everyone wants their chimney cleaned before fireplace season. You've got 4 sweeps today. The first chimney has a cracked flue liner — you need to document the damage, photograph it, write a repair estimate, and still finish 3 more sweeps by 5pm. Each customer needs an inspection report. You're writing them by hand on carbon copy forms and typing them up at night. You pay Jobber $69/month even in the five months you have zero work.
Chimney Sweeps face unique challenges: Highly seasonal — fall and winter only in most markets. Upselling repairs and relining after inspections. Managing Level 1, 2, 3 inspection documentation. Paying monthly software fees during the 5-month off-season. On top of all that, Housecall Pro charges $99/month ($1,188/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median chimney sweep earns $40,000/year. Software at $1,188/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your Chimney sweep rods and brushes is yours. You bought it once. Nexa works the same way — $279 once for invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, and full accounting. All connected. All offline-capable. You own it like you own your tools.
Your Full Stack Cost
Housecall Pro is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?
Want this breakdown emailed to you?
Your exact Housecall Pro cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.
"I was paying Housecall Pro $99/month and didn't question it until I did the math. $3,986 over 3 years for tools I don't even own. Nexa was $279. Once. Done."
— Chimney sweep business owner
What You Get Instead
Feature
Housecall Pro
Nexa
Invoicing
✓
✓
Scheduling
✗
✓
CRM
✗
✓
Time Tracking
✗
✓
Full Accounting
✗
✓ (SIMPL)
Task Management
✗
✓
Price
$99/mo forever
$279 once or 3 × $99
3-Year Cost
$3,986
$279
Stop paying?
Lose everything
Keep everything forever
Switching Takes 1-2 Days
Most chimney sweeps are fully switched before the weekend.
1
Export your data
Go to Settings → export customers, job history, and invoices as CSV files.
2
Set up Nexa
15-minute setup. Import your customer list and service categories.
3
Parallel run
Run both for 2 weeks. Transition dispatching and booking to Nexa.
4
Cancel Housecall Pro
Cancel subscription (check for early termination fees). Download all records.
✓ Run both in parallel. Cancel Housecall Pro when you're confident. Zero risk.
What chimney sweeps actually deal with
Highly seasonal — fall and winter only in most markets
Upselling repairs and relining after inspections
Managing Level 1, 2, 3 inspection documentation
Paying monthly software fees during the 5-month off-season
A day in the life of a chimney sweep
It's September and suddenly everyone wants their chimney cleaned before fireplace season. You've got 4 sweeps today. The first chimney has a cracked flue liner — you need to document the damage, photograph it, write a repair estimate, and still finish 3 more sweeps by 5pm. Each customer needs an inspection report. You're writing them by hand on carbon copy forms and typing them up at night. You pay Jobber $69/month even in the five months you have zero work.
The tools a working chimney sweep actually owns
Chimney sweep rods and brushes
Inspection camera (chimney-specific)
Industrial vacuum (HEPA)
Creosote removal chemicals and tools
Why chimney sweeps leave the big platforms
jobber: $69/month even in May, June, July when I have zero chimney calls. That's $345 wasted on the off-season.
housecall-pro: I'm a chimney sweep, not a plumber. The software doesn't understand inspection levels or flue documentation.
quickbooks: I need inspection reports and scheduling, not accounting software. QBO doesn't do either.
Where chimney sweeps actually talk shop
r/chimneysweep (Reddit)
r/Chimneys (Reddit)
r/Fireplaces (Reddit)
ChimneySwep.com Forum (Forum)
HearthNet Forum (Forum)
The Chimney Sweep (YouTube)
Full Service Chimney (YouTube)
Local chimney sweeps on Nexa
Real chimney sweeps near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee.
Are you a chimney sweep? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time.
Or browse every chimney sweep on Nexa →
FAQ
Is Nexa really a Housecall Pro replacement for chimney sweeps?
For solo operators and small teams (1-5), yes. Nexa includes invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting. Housecall Pro may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.
$279 seems like a lot.
It's $7.75/month over 3 years. Housecall Pro is $99/month — that's $3,986 over 3 years. Which is more? And if you'd rather split it, Nexa is also available as 3 payments of $99.
Can I pay in installments?
Yes. Nexa is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.
What if I don't like it?
30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.
Can I import my Housecall Pro data?
Export your data from Housecall Pro as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.
Chimney Sweeps in Fresno
The average solo operator there spends about $2,448/year on software — and chimney sweep face their own version of that math. CA state licensing requirements apply.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Fresno metro. Your situation will vary.
If You Need These — Nexa Has Them
Specific gaps Chimney Sweeps run into with Housecall Pro, and what Nexa does instead.
✗
Housecall Pro gapNo QuickBooks on Basic plan
✓
NexaEverything in $279 — no tiers, no locked features.
✗
Housecall Pro gapNo built-in route optimization
✓
NexaBuilt into Nexa’s $279 once purchase — no separate add-on.
✗
Housecall Pro gapLimited reporting on lower tiers
✓
NexaEverything in $279 — no tiers, no locked features.
Where Chimney Sweeps Talk Shop
If you want to compare notes or see how other chimney sweeps are running their tools, here's where the conversation happens.
Reddit
r/chimneysweep, r/Chimneys, r/Fireplaces
Forums
ChimneySwep.com Forum, HearthNet Forum
YouTube
The Chimney Sweep, Full Service Chimney
"Housecall Pro raised prices again and I was done. Found Nexa — $279 once. I own it. No more 'we're updating our pricing' emails. Best business decision this year."
— Chimney sweep, switched from Housecall Pro
Stop Losing $1,188/Year to Housecall Pro
$3,986 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.