Chimney repair in Southfield

Tar, cracks and sealed-over flashing

Most Southfield houses went up in the 1950s and 1960s, many of them brick ranches with one chimney carrying a fireplace flue and a furnace or water heater flue. Sixty-odd winters later, a lot of those chimneys have been patched more than once. Roofing tar smeared across the crown or over the flashing is a quick fix that buys a season. Then it cracks and holds water against the brick, and the real problem is harder to see under it.

The flashing on these ranches has usually been through two or three roofs. Each re-roof is another chance for it to be sealed over instead of replaced. When it lets go, the water stain often shows up on a ceiling a few feet from the chimney and looks like a roof leak. Our guide to chimney flashing leaks shows how to tell.

Older houses in Magnolia

In the Magnolia subdivision, tucked in the southeast corner of the city among the freeways, the first houses went up as early as 1932 and the rest mostly after the war. Lots there were sold one at a time and many houses were custom built, so the chimneys vary a lot from house to house. On the older ones, tuckpointing and replacing a few spalled bricks near the top are common repairs. We match the mortar color and brick as closely as we can.

Starting prices

These are our starting prices. Your written quote gives the exact number.

• Crown sealing: $249 to $875. Crown repair: from $1,000 plus $1 per square inch
• Flashing repair or replacement: $595 to $3,495
• Tuckpointing: $595 to $4,995
• Replacing 1 to 15 damaged bricks: $850 plus $75 a brick
• Single-flue cap: $375. Cap repair and re-seating: $195

How the quote works

We look at the whole chimney along with the spot you're worried about, scrape back the tar where we need to, and take photos. We go over what a smaller repair would and wouldn't fix, then give you the price in writing. Nothing starts until you approve it. If you'd like a look before deciding anything, a chimney inspection in Southfield is $49.