Commerce Township, Oakland County
Chimney repair in Commerce Township
Commerce Township has two kinds of chimney trouble: old cottage chimneys on the lakes that were never built for year-round use, and stone-faced chases on newer houses where the metal top has started to fail.
What fails, and where
On the lake streets, the chimney usually came with a summer cottage and stayed when the house was winterized and added onto. Union Lake alone is 465 acres of open water, and Lower Straits, Middle Straits and Commerce Lake all have houses to the shore. The chimneys on those lots take wind and rain straight off the water. The crown cracks first on the lake side, then the mortar in the top courses goes. When a roof was raised or redone around an old chimney, the flashing is often the leak.
Away from the water, the subdivisions built from the 1990s on are full of fieldstone. Some is real stone around a masonry chimney, like the one in the photo, where the crown has cracked around the vent pipe. Some is stone veneer on a framed chase with a metal cover on top. The repair is different for each, so we check which one you have before we price anything.
Starting prices
The written quote has your exact number. Most repairs here start in these ranges:
- Crown sealing: $249 to $875. Crown repair from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch. Crown rebuild from $1,500 plus $1 per square inch.
- Stainless chase cover, one hole: from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch.
- Rotted wood frame under a chase cover: $895 to $2,349.
- Flashing repair or replacement: $595 to $3,495.
- Waterproofing for sound masonry or stone: $795 to $2,725.
Tall two-story chimneys sometimes need more than a ladder. When they do, a lift or scaffolding adds $1,249.
When the chase has been leaking a while
Water that gets past a rusted chase cover soaks the wood framing under it. You may not see it until the siding or stone below starts to stain. If the frame has gone soft, it gets rebuilt before the new cover goes on, because a new cover on rotten wood won't sit tight.
How we price it
We look first at the whole chimney and the spot you noticed. You get photos, a plain explanation of what a smaller repair would and wouldn't fix, and a written quote. Nothing starts until you approve it. For a look before you decide, book a chimney inspection in Commerce Township for $49.
Questions
The crown on my fieldstone chimney is cracked. Do you have to take the stone apart?
Usually not. On most fieldstone chimneys the crown is a concrete slab poured over the top of the stone. If it's cracked but still tight, we can seal it. If it's broken up or pulling away from the flue, we take it off and form a new one, and repoint any loose stones around the top. You see photos and a written price first.
My chimney looks like stone but there's a metal cover on top. What is it?
That's most likely a framed chase with fieldstone or stone veneer on the outside and a metal flue inside, common on Commerce Township houses from the 1990s on. The cover on top keeps water out of the box. When it rusts or the seal fails, water runs down inside behind the stone. We replace it with a stainless cover made to fit.
Chimney repair near Commerce Township
Chimney repair in Commerce Township
Pick a day and a 3-hour arrival window online. If you'd rather talk it through, call (248) 266-9991.