About Us · Oswego, IL
Two Oswego brothers, 35 years, and one stubborn standard
Ember Chimney Sweepers is Josh Amber and his brother Jack. We grew up here, we still live here, and the chimneys we service belong to our neighbors. That shapes how we work more than any slogan could.
Our story
We learned this trade the long way
Josh and Jack Amber were born and raised in Oswego, Illinois. Between them they have spent 35 years in chimney care — starting on ladders as helpers, working through the unglamorous parts of the trade, and eventually leading crews of their own. Along the way both earned recognition as team leaders and picked up service awards, though neither of them will bring that up unless you ask.
What they will tell you about is the work. Josh handles most of the diagnostic side: camera inspections, draft problems, the puzzle of figuring out why a fireplace that worked for twenty years suddenly does not. Jack leads the masonry and repair work — crowns, flashing, repointing, rebuilds. On bigger jobs they are both on site, which is unusual in this industry and entirely deliberate.
Why we started Ember
After years working for other companies, the brothers kept running into the same thing: homeowners who had been sold work they did not need, or sold a cheap patch on a problem that required a real repair. A tarred-over flashing job that leaks again next spring. A “chimney special” that turns into a four-figure invoice once the technician is on the roof. Customers who had simply stopped trusting anyone in the trade.
Ember exists to be the opposite of that. We quote before we start and the quote is the price. We show you photographs and camera footage of what we found rather than asking you to take our word for it. If your chimney does not need anything, we say so and charge you for the inspection, not for imaginary repairs. It is a slower way to grow a business and a much better way to sleep at night.
How we work
- The owners do the work. The person who answers your call is the person on your roof.
- Written quotes, honored. No mid-job price changes, no discovery fees.
- Evidence, not assertions. Photos and video with every inspection and repair recommendation.
- Smallest fix that solves it. We recommend the repair the chimney needs, ranked by urgency, and let you decide.
- We work to NFPA 211. The National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 211 is the standard governing chimneys, fireplaces, vents, and solid fuel–burning appliances. It defines the inspection levels, the annual interval, liner and clearance requirements, and when a system must be taken out of service. We know it, we inspect to it, and we will show you the clause behind any recommendation we make.
- Insured and bonded. Fully covered, every job, no exceptions.
- Open 7 days, 7am to 9pm. Because chimney problems do not keep business hours.
Rooted in the Fox Valley
Oswego is home, and the surrounding towns are a short drive: Yorkville, Montgomery, Aurora, Plainfield, Naperville, and Sugar Grove. Working in one region for this long means we know the housing stock — which subdivisions used which builders, which eras have soft brick that cannot take a hard mortar, which neighborhoods have the tall trees that cause downdraft complaints every autumn.
That local knowledge is not marketing. It is the difference between diagnosing a chimney in ten minutes and guessing at it for an hour.
If you have a question about your chimney, call us. Even if it turns out you do not need us, you will get a straight answer.
Talk to Josh or Jack directly
No call centre, no dispatcher — just the brothers who will do the work.
(630) 451-4178