About Us

Sweeps & Ladders Chimney Service is a full-service chimney sweeping company owned and operated by Tommy and Beka Nelms. As a service company founded by a former firefighter, we take fire safety education seriously, and consider it our number one job. If we can prevent a fire from happening in someone’s home, then we have provided the highest level of customer service possible.

Our team promotes fire prevention through education and routine maintenance of fireplaces and chimney venting systems, while providing warmth, comfort, and peace of mind to all of our customers. When we go to a job, we take the time to sit down with our customers and review their fireplace systems thoroughly. We teach each customer proper techniques and things to watch for. We also aim to be a resource that members of the Brentwood, Nashville, and Franklin communities can come to when they have a question about their fireplaces or dryer vents.

Our services are designed to meet your every need, and include:

Sweeps and Ladders team standing in front of a truck
Two men unloading ladder from truck.
Tommy and Beka Nelms and their sons sitting at office desks.
Tommy (the owner) in the warehouse.

Our Unique History — From Putting Out Fires To Preventing Them

Company owner, Tommy Nelms, has lived in Williamson County all of his life and was a firefighter for the county for over 13 years. During his time as a firefighter, Tommy saw first-hand how devastating fires can be. When you first start out in fire service, you think your job is to put fires out. But the more time you spend on the job, the more you realize that it’s your job to prevent fires from happening in the first place — and it starts with educating homeowners. That’s why Tommy decided to start Sweeps & Ladders Chimney Service back in 2010.

Losing your home to a fire is a terrible thing, and it has always been Tommy’s intent to bring his passion for fighting fires over into a career that prevents them. In order to prevent a fire from happening, you first need to understand how a fire starts and how a fire behaves. Tommy’s firsthand experience as a firefighter taught him both. That’s what makes him uniquely positioned to educate his customers, while providing everything from chimney relining to safety inspections and fireplace installation.

Tommy and two other firefighters dressed in full gear.

Owner, Tommy Nelms, pictured far left.

Red circle icon with word Respect and two hands shaking in the middle.
Red circle icon with word Quality and check mark in the middle
Red circle icon with word Teamwork and group of people in the middle
Red circle icon with the word Technology and lightbulb in the middle

Our Core Values, Experience & Certifications

We hold ourselves to a high standard because we believe our customers and our community deserve the best. Here at Sweeps & Ladders, these are our core values:

  • RESPECT — We treat each other and our customers with respect.
  • QUALITY — Whatever job we do, we take the time and put forth the effort to do it right the first time.
  • TEAM WORK — We believe that the whole team is greater than the sum of the individuals who make up that team. No matter what we’re doing, we do it with the whole team’s best interest in mind.
  • TECHNOLOGY — We harness the power of technology to provide a more efficient working environment for our team members and a higher level of customer service for our customers.

Our certifications and experience include each of these:

Sweeps & Ladders is a Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited business and Tommy is a CSIA board member and Chair of Education Committee. We’re also the 2017 BBB Torch Award Finalist for Ethical Commerce and the recipients of the 2013 Angie’s List Super Service Award.

Tech smiling getting into work truck with ladder on top.

Our Team

Owner Tommy Nelms in logo shirt.  He has a beard.

Tommy Nelms
Owner/CEO, CSIA Master Chimney Sweep

Beka Nelms owner in logo shirt.  She has blond hair and blue eyes.

Beka Nelms
Owner/CFO

Tate Paul General Manager dark curly hair beard and logo shirt.

Tate Paul
General Manager/CSIA Certified Chimney Specialist

Logan Cunningham Lead Service Tech dark hair beard blue eyes

Logan Cunnigham
Lead Service Technician/CSIA Certified Chimney Specialist

Lane Cunningham Lead Service Tech dark hair beard blue eyes

Lane Cunnigham
Lead Service Technician/CSIA Certified Chimney Specialist

Bryce Lay Lead Service Tech brown hair and eyes with a beard wearing a logo shirt.

Bryce Lay
Lead Service Technician/CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep

Luke Cunningham lead service tech dark hair brown eyes logo shirt.

Luke Cunningham
Lead Service Technician/CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep

Austin Criswell apprentice auburn hair beard wearing a logo shirt.
Austin Criswell
Lead Service Technician/CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep
Cody Sisk apprentice auburn hair beard and logo shirt.

Cody Sisk
Apprentice

Blaize Sweeney Lead Service Tech brown hair brown eyes wearing a logo shirt with his name on it.

Blaize Sweeney
Lead Service Technician/CSIA Certified Chimney Sweep

Our Work To Sweep Away Cancer

Tommy’s passion for helping others also led him to join forces with two others in the chimney industry in 2015 to found Sweep Away Cancer, a 501(c)(3) committed to finding a cure.

Every year, chimney sweeps around the globe raise funds and awareness throughout the month of October. In the first year alone, Sweep Away Cancer was able to raise more than $15,000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

To learn more about Sweep Away Cancer and how you can help us find a cure, head to sweepawaycancer.com.

Tommy Nelms Family works everyday to sweep away cancer.  Mom Dad and Son.

Protect Your Home & Get The Peace Of Mind You Deserve With Sweeps & Ladders Chimney Service

How many other chimney sweeps out there can say they’ve fought a chimney fire or know what a fire does when a dryer vent ignites? Trust only Sweeps & Ladders Chimney Service with something as precious as you and your family’s well-being. We are a safety-first company and will bring that knowledge to each job.

Ready to schedule an appointment? Call 615-791-7457 or fill out our online appointment request form. Let’s get started on protecting your home.

 

Once you contact us, you can count on a prompt and friendly response to your questions and to your appointment request. Sweeps and Ladders Chimney Service is always ready to help.

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