Meet the Team - Top Hat Chimney

Meet the Annapolis Team Behind Top Hat Chimney

Top Hat Chimney has been working in Annapolis homes since 1999, and the crew who shows up today is the same kind of crew Wendell Pike hired back then: local, trained, and easy to talk to. Nobody here is a franchise employee passing through on a rotation. We live in the same Maryland weather you do, we know what Chesapeake humidity does to a flue, and we’ve probably waved at you at the grocery store. When you call Top Hat, you get a person, not a script. When we arrive, you get a name, not a truck number.

Our People

Wendell Pike, Owner and Founder

Wendell started Top Hat Chimney in 1999 with one truck, a set of brushes, and a simple rule: if the work isn’t right, he comes back. Twenty-nine years later he still answers the phone, still rides along on rebuilds, and still goes up on the roof when the job is tricky enough to need a second set of eyes. Wendell holds his CSIA certification and has pulled everything from squirrel nests to a 1998 Ravens banner out of Annapolis flues. His favorite call is the second one: the homeowner who passed his name down the street.

Marcus T., Lead Technician

Marcus has been with Top Hat for 14 years and runs most of the sweep and inspection work in Annapolis and the surrounding towns. He’s the one who can look at a fireplace from across the room and tell you whether the damper is the problem before he touches a tool. Marcus is certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America and handles the HeatShield liner repairs and DuraFlex stainless liner installs. He’s a crab cake purist, a Ravens fan, and the guy our repeat customers specifically request by first name.

Denise R., Senior Installer and Masonry Lead

Denise joined the crew 11 years ago after a decade in masonry restoration, and she runs the cap, crown, and rebuild side of the business. She’s the one who re-points the brick, pours the crown, and makes sure water stops getting where it shouldn’t. Denise is factory-trained by Olympia Chimney and has rebuilt more chase tops in Edgewater and Arnold than she can count. She keeps a level in her truck that belonged to her grandfather and she will absolutely tell you if your “simple leak” is actually a five-year problem you’ve been ignoring.

Sam K., Service Coordinator and Apprentice Sweep

Sam is the newest member of the team, three years in, and he’s usually the first voice you hear when you call. He schedules the work, gives you a real arrival window, and calls ahead if traffic on Riva Road changes the plan. Sam is also working through his sweeps under Wendell and Marcus, which means the person booking your appointment understands exactly what the job involves. He grew up in Severna Park, knows the difference between a Shaw Street roofline and a Murray Hill one, and is the reason our scheduling runs the way it should.

One Standard, Every Job

Every Top Hat job gets the same treatment whether it’s a simple annual sweep in Annapolis or a full liner rebuild across the county line. The price is settled before the first tool comes off the truck. The work is done by someone whose full name you know. The flue gets camera-checked before anything gets recommended, and you see the footage yourself. If something isn’t right after we leave, the 90-Day Done Right Promise kicks in: one call brings Wendell or his crew back, no invoice and no argument. That promise applies to every crew member on this page, every job, every time. Some things aren’t in the contract because they should never have to be.

Written by Wendell Pike, Owner at Top Hat Chimney, serving Annapolis since 1999.