Chimney repair in Keego Harbor

What goes first on a cottage chimney

The lots Joseph Sawyer started selling around 1912 were small, and so were the chimneys on the cottages built on them. A short brick chimney on a low roof was fine for a fire on summer weekends. Then owners added rooms, raised roofs and put in furnaces, and the same chimney ended up venting more, more often, through a roof line it wasn't built for.

What we find most is a crown that has cracked and been patched, sometimes more than once, and sometimes with roofing tar. Below it, the top few courses of brick lose their mortar and start to flake. Where the roof was redone around an old chimney, the flashing is often bent into place and sealed with caulk that has since let go.

Houses along the canal between Dollar Lake and Cass Lake stay damp, and a damp crown under shade freezes and thaws more times each winter than one in the sun.

Starting prices

The written quote has the exact number. These are where most Keego Harbor repairs start:

• Crown sealing runs $249 to $875 for a crown that is still sound.
• Crown repair starts at $1,000 plus $1 per square inch of crown. A full rebuild starts at $1,500 plus $1 per square inch.
• Flashing repair or replacement runs $595 to $3,495.
• Replacing 1 to 15 damaged bricks is $850 plus $75 a brick.
• A single-flue cap is $375. Re-seating a loose cap is $195.

Tight lots

By land area, Keego Harbor is the third-smallest city in Michigan, and many houses sit a few feet apart. Most chimneys here can still be reached by ladder. When one can't be reached safely, a lift or scaffolding adds $1,249, and we tell you that before you get the quote, not after.

How we quote

We look at the whole chimney along with the spot you're worried about. You get photos of what we found, an honest read on whether a smaller repair will hold, and the price in writing. Nothing starts until you approve it. If you want us to look before you decide anything, book a chimney inspection in Keego Harbor for $49.