I do not know if this applies all over North America, however the true certified sweeps/technicians here during their visit with you do not only sweep the chimney, they inspect it as well, once inside the house they clean the full length of stove pipe, they remove and inspect it as well to ensure its integrity, they do the same with the stove, they clean, remove all firebricks, baffle and all insulation, inspect it and reassemble everything ensuring gaskets, levers/controls all operate perfectly. I have been using the same person for the last 15 +years, mechanically he knows my installation better than I do.
For peace of mind I get it done every year with the same chap, we burn 8-10 face cords per year.