Chimney repair in Berkley

What wears out on a post-war chimney

Berkley's own master plan puts most of the city's neighborhoods between 1940 and 1970. That makes the typical chimney here somewhere between fifty-five and eighty-five years old. It's usually a single brick stack with two clay flues, one for the fireplace and one for the furnace or water heater.

The crown goes first. On houses this age the original crown is often a thin mortar cap poured flush with the brick, with no overhang to throw water clear. Once it cracks, water gets in, freezes and opens the crack wider. After a few winters the joints in the top courses wash out and the brick starts to flake.

The other thing we see a lot is tar. Somebody smears roofing tar over a cracked crown or along the flashing to stop a leak. It works for a while. Then it traps water in the brick behind it, and that brick crumbles faster than the rest of the chimney. If your chimney has black patches near the top, that's where the conversation starts.

Starting prices

These are where most Berkley repairs begin. The written quote gives you the number for your chimney.

• Crown sealing, for a crown that's still sound but starting to craze: $249 to $875.
• Crown repair from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch of crown. A full rebuild from $1,500 plus $1 per square inch.
• Tuckpointing: $595 to $4,995, depending on how many joints need new mortar.
• Replacing 1 to 15 damaged bricks: $850 plus $75 a brick.
• Flashing repair or replacement: $595 to $3,495.

Working on a narrow lot

Berkley's streets are a tight grid, and on a lot of blocks there's only a side yard between your house and the next one. We can usually set a ladder there. When we can't do it safely, a lift or scaffolding adds $1,249, and you'll know that before you see the quote.

How we quote

We go up and look at the whole chimney, plus whatever made you call. You get photos of what we found and a price in writing. If a smaller repair would buy you a few more years, we say so, and we say what it won't fix. Nothing starts until you approve it. If you'd rather have someone look before you decide anything, book a chimney inspection for $49, and the $49 comes off the repair if you go ahead.