Chimney Repair Cost Calculator
Priced by which repair — because a cap and a rebuild differ by a factor of ten.
Repair cost
$1,150.00
- Crown repair (patch and seal) — 1 crown at $600.00
- $600.00
- Access, inspection and disposal
- $400.00
- Contingency (15%)
- $150.00
- All-in per crown
- $1,150.00
Water near a chimney has causes that range from a $300 cap to a $6,000 rebuild. Diagnose before accepting a quote for the expensive one.
Roof going at the same time? Price the replacement →
How this is calculated
work = quantity × price, in the repair's own unit extras = access + inspection + permit + disposal total = (work + extras) × (1 + contingency%) per unit = total ÷ quantity
Access is a separate line because on a chimney it often rivals the repair. Fitting a $350 cap is twenty minutes of work and half a day of setting up safe access on a steep roof, so two quotes for the same part can differ by hundreds purely on how the mason plans to reach it. It is also the reason to bundle chimney work: doing the cap, the crown and the waterproofing in one visit spreads that setup across three repairs.
The unit changes with the repair, which is why the quantity field is labelled from the selection. A cap is per cap, tuckpointing is by the square foot of face being repointed, and a liner is by the linear foot of flue. Comparing quotes means checking that both are counting the same thing, not just that the totals are close.
Cost by repair
| Repair | Rate | Typical job | Work | With access and 15% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chimney cap | $350.00/cap | 1 caps | $350.00 | $862.50 |
| Crown repair (patch and seal) | $600.00/crown | 1 crown | $600.00 | $1,150.00 |
| Crown rebuild | $1,400.00/crown | 1 crown | $1,400.00 | $2,070.00 |
| Flashing replacement | $800.00/chimney | 1 chimney | $800.00 | $1,380.00 |
| Tuckpointing (repointing joints) | $18.00/sq ft | 60 sq ft | $1,080.00 | $1,702.00 |
| Waterproofing | $3.00/sq ft | 150 sq ft | $450.00 | $977.50 |
| Damper replacement | $450.00/damper | 1 dampers | $450.00 | $977.50 |
| Liner replacement | $100.00/linear ft | 25 linear ft | $2,500.00 | $3,335.00 |
| Rebuild above the roofline | $3,200.00/chimney | 1 chimney | $3,200.00 | $4,140.00 |
Every figure runs through the same function as the calculator, with $400 of access and a 15% contingency. The last column is where the argument for bundling lives: that $400 is charged once per visit, not once per repair, so the cap that costs $860 on its own adds only $400 to a visit that was already happening for the crown.
What the symptom usually points to
| What you see | Usually | Repair commonly quoted |
|---|---|---|
| Stain on the ceiling beside the chimney | Flashing at the roof line | Flashing replacement |
| Damp on the chimney breast inside | Water through the masonry or crown | Crown repair, waterproofing |
| Cracked slab across the chimney top | Crown has failed | Crown seal or rebuild |
| Birds, rain or debris in the firebox | No cap, or a failed one | Chimney cap |
| Mortar crumbling from the joints | Weathered joints, brick still sound | Tuckpointing |
| Brick faces flaking or popping off | Spalling — water inside the brick | Rebuild, not repointing |
| Stack visibly leaning | Structural failure | Rebuild above the roofline |
Two rows deserve attention together: crumbling mortar and flaking brick look similar from the ground and have very different answers. Repointing sound joints on brick that is already spalling is the most common way to spend money on a chimney twice, and it is worth asking a mason to show you which one you have.
Frequently asked questions
How much does chimney repair cost?
It depends entirely on which repair, and the range is enormous: a cap is $250 to $600, crown sealing $400 to $1,000, flashing $500 to $1,500, tuckpointing $1,000 to $3,000, a liner $2,500 to $7,000, and a rebuild above the roofline $2,500 to $6,000. Quoting a single figure for chimney repair is meaningless until somebody has named the work.
What is the difference between the crown and the cap?
The crown is the sloped concrete or mortar slab across the top of the masonry that sheds water off the structure. The cap is the metal hood over the flue opening that keeps rain, leaves and animals out of the flue. They are often confused in quotes, and the price difference is large — a cap is a part you fit, while a crown is masonry that can be patched or rebuilt.
Why is my chimney leaking?
Most often the flashing where the chimney meets the roof, followed by a cracked crown, missing cap, or masonry that has absorbed water through failed joints. Because these have completely different prices, water in the ceiling near a chimney is worth diagnosing before accepting a quote — the cheapest possible cause and the most expensive one produce the same stain.
Do I need a liner?
If the existing liner is cracked, missing or unsuitable for the appliance now connected to it, yes, and it is not optional — an unlined or damaged flue is a fire and carbon monoxide risk. This is the repair most worth an independent Level 2 inspection with a camera, because a liner is the most expensive item on the list and the one you cannot verify from the ground.
Is tuckpointing worth it or should I rebuild?
Tuckpointing replaces failed mortar joints and is the right answer while the brick itself is sound. Once the brick is spalling, faces are popping off or the stack is leaning, repointing sound-looking joints on failing masonry is money spent twice. A mason should tell you which you have, and the honest ones will say when repointing is not enough.
How often should a chimney be inspected?
Annually for a chimney in regular use, and before buying a house with one. A basic visual inspection is inexpensive; a Level 2 inspection with a camera down the flue costs more and is the one that finds liner damage. Any inspection is cheaper than the repairs that follow from ignoring one, which is the argument for having it done by somebody who does not also sell the repair.
Results are planning estimates built from typical price ranges, not quotes. A damaged flue liner is a fire and carbon monoxide risk rather than a maintenance item, and only an inspection with a camera can rule it out. Have chimney work done by a qualified sweep or mason, and prefer an inspection from somebody who is not selling the repair.