Masons (Free Would be Preferrable, but We’re Talking Chimneys Here, Folks)

So my chimney has a 1/2 inch crack in it that runs for three feet or so. You don’t want that when you’re using the chimney to burn 4 cord of wood a winter, or at least that’s what they tell me. I’m in the process of getting masons to come to my house and give me estimates. Here’s the thing–what estimate do I go with? Should I take el cheapo or the el expensivo? (My Spanish is clearly lacking here–sorry.) I mean, the cheap one would be great for my pocketbook, but why is it so cheap? I don’t want to skimp on safety. The expensive one: one would assume you get better quality? Maybe?

The big goal is this: I want to successfully continue to burn wood in my house, without my house burning down. A secondary goal is: I’d like to be able to afford it.

If only life were easy. If anyone knows any good masons in the area, I’m still on the lookout . . .

In other house news, the rotten sill my barn was sitting on is now fixed! And we’re starting work on the scraping, sanding, and painting. Navajo Red stain, actually. Very exciting, and much more visible a fix than the chimney fix will be.