Birmingham, Oakland County
Chimney repair in Birmingham
Chimney repair in Birmingham splits two ways: masonry work on the brick chimneys of the 1920s and 1930s, and chase covers and framing on the houses built in the last few decades.
The older brick chimneys
The neighborhood around Quarton Lake was laid out after the Quarton family sold the land around the old mill pond on the Rouge River in the late 1910s. Many of the houses there, and in the older blocks closer to downtown, have tall brick chimneys with corbels or clay pots near the top. Big trees shade a lot of those roofs. A crown that stays damp grows lichen and moss, and the moisture works into the cracks and the top joints of the brick.
Flashing is the other weak spot. On a roof that has been replaced two or three times, the flashing around the chimney may be a mix of old metal and patch work from different decades, and that's where ceiling stains near the chimney usually start.
The newer houses
Houses built on Birmingham lots in the last twenty-five years often have a factory-built fireplace inside a framed chase, finished with brick or stone veneer. The repairs there are different. The steel cover on top of the chase rusts, water pools on it, and the wood frame underneath starts to rot. Inside, it can look like a roof leak: a stain on the ceiling or wall near the fireplace, or water dripping into the firebox after a heavy rain.
Starting prices
- Crown repair from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch. A full crown rebuild from $1,500 plus $1 per square inch.
- Flashing repair or replacement: $595 to $3,495.
- Tuckpointing: $595 to $4,995.
- A stainless chase cover for one flue: from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch.
- Rotted wood frame under a chase cover: $895 to $2,349.
Tall chimneys on steep roofs sometimes need a lift or scaffolding, which adds $1,249. We'll tell you before you get the quote.
How it works
Birmingham has designated historic districts, including Bates Street and several around the Mill Pond. If your house is in one, we check with the city about your repair and put any permit cost on the quote.
For every job, we look at the whole chimney first, then send photos and a written quote. Nothing starts until you approve it. If you'd like an inspection before deciding, a Birmingham chimney inspection is $49.
Questions
My Birmingham house has a stone-veneer chimney but a metal fireplace. What usually needs repair?
Usually the top. The veneer hides a wood-framed chase, and the metal cover on top of it is what keeps water out. When that cover rusts or sags, water runs into the framing and down behind the stone. We check the cover, the framing under it and the flashing, and we quote the cover and any rotted wood separately so you can see where the money goes.
My house is in one of Birmingham's historic districts. Can you still repair the chimney?
Yes. We ask whether the house is in a district before we quote anything visible from the street, and we check with the city about what the repair needs. Any permit cost goes on the written quote. On older chimneys we plan the repair around matching the brick and the mortar color that are already there.
Chimney repair near Birmingham
Chimney repair in Birmingham
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.