Up on the ladder, you need heat that won't quit.

Chester sits along the Jacob's Ladder Trail, the scenic Route 20 corridor that climbs from the valley into the Berkshires. It's beautiful country, but the altitude and exposure mean serious winters. Homes up here work their heating systems harder than anywhere else in Hampden County.

The housing is a mix of old farmhouses, modest capes, and scattered newer construction. Oil heat dominates. Some homes have been updated with modern efficient boilers; others are running equipment that's older than the homeowners.

Chester doesn't have a lot of local services, so residents are used to calling contractors from the valley. We connect you with ones who already serve this stretch of Route 20 and won't make you wait a week for a service call.