What each job involves, in plain terms. For a price on any of them, call or send a request.
Every wood fire leaves a layer of creosote and soot coating the flue walls. We brush it loose and pull it out with a vacuum running at the fireplace, with drop cloths down so nothing ends up on your floor.
If you burn wood through the winter, plan on having it swept once a year. Late summer and early fall fill up fast, so call before the weather turns.
People usually call for one when they're buying a house, after a chimney fire, or before switching to a new furnace, insert or stove. We go through the firebox, damper, smoke chamber and flue, then get on the roof for the crown, cap and flashing.
We go over the results with you on the spot, and you get a written copy.
Water soaks into mortar joints, freezes overnight and pushes them open a little more each winter. After enough of that, bricks start to flake and the top courses work loose.
Tuckpointing means grinding out the worn mortar and packing in new. Bricks that have cracked or crumbled get cut out and swapped, one by one. If the upper courses have gotten too loose to patch, that's a rebuild, covered below.
A rebuild is for a chimney where patching won't hold anymore. Bricks have come loose, the crown has broken apart, or the top of the stack has shifted. We set up scaffolding, protect the roof and the yard, and take the chimney down until we reach brick that's still sound. Then we lay it back up with new brick and mortar, reset the flue tiles, pour a new crown and put a cap on.
Restoration is the other route, when the chimney is standing straight but has had years of weather. That can mean tuckpointing the whole stack, swapping out spalled brick, new step flashing at the roofline, and waterproofing once the masonry is done.
These jobs take longer than a single visit and need a careful look before we can price them. We'll come out, go over the chimney with you, and put the price in writing.
Brick chimneys are finished at the top with a poured concrete slab, which is what we mean by the crown. A crack in it lets rain run straight down into the masonry below.
Small cracks can usually be sealed. If the crown is broken into pieces or keeps cracking, we tear it off and pour a new one.
An uncapped flue collects rain and leaves, and raccoons and birds move in. Around here, the animals are the bigger problem. We fit stainless steel caps to single flues, and larger caps that cover the whole top when a chimney has two or three flues.
Chimneys framed in wood and covered in siding get a sheet-metal lid, called a chase cover, where a brick chimney would have a crown. Older galvanized ones rust and start to hold water. We measure yours and have a new one made to fit.
Brick soaks up water. A masonry water repellent cuts down how much gets in while still letting the brick dry out. We put it on after any repairs are done, since sealing over open joints doesn't help.
Smoke and exhaust travel up through the liner, a tube or tile channel running the height of the chimney. Many older houses around Detroit have clay tile liners that have cracked or shifted over the years. Some have no liner at all.
We install stainless steel liners. Before we quote one, we measure the flue and look at what's hooked up to it, whether that's a fireplace, insert, stove or furnace.
We repair firebox brick and dampers that no longer close. We also work on wood stoves and fireplace inserts, including the connection to the chimney.
Gas fireplaces get cleaned, with the logs, burner and glass looked over.
These are our usual prices. Size, height and access move the number within a range, and repairs get a written quote after we've seen the chimney.
| Chimney and fireplace inspection | $49 |
|---|---|
| Chimney camera inspection | $99 |
| Standard chimney sweep | $349 |
| Chimney sweep and inspection | $349 |
| Glazed creosote removal (PCR treatment) | $1,800 to $4,000, assessed on site |
| Difficult cap removal and reinstallation, with cleaning | Add $50 |
| Standard single-flue chimney cap | $325 to $575 |
|---|---|
| Multi-flue chimney cap, with or without drop edge | $475 to $3,500 |
| Custom copper chimney cap | $5,000 to $7,000 |
| Top-mount chimney cap damper | $1,200 to $1,450 |
| Custom stainless steel chase cover | $1,400 to $3,200 |
| Storm collar replacement | $60 |
| Chimney cap painting | Quoted individually |
| Chimney crown repair | $700 to $1,400 |
|---|---|
| Chimney crown rebuild | $1,000 to $4,000 |
| Chimney tuckpointing | $500 to $2,400 |
| Chimney shoulder repair | $400 to $1,400 |
| Stainless steel chimney liner installation | From $2,200 |
|---|---|
| Aluminum chimney liner installation | From $1,400 |
Our standard sweep is $349, and a sweep plus inspection in one trip costs the same $349. If the flue has glazed creosote that brushing won't remove, that treatment runs $1,800 to $4,000 and we price it on site.
Plan on a yearly sweep if the fireplace or stove runs most of the winter. If you only light a few fires a season, an inspection will show whether it's due.
The firebox, damper, smoke chamber and flue inside, then the crown, cap and flashing up on the roof. You hear the results before we leave and get them in writing, and if we do any work for you afterward, we take the $49 off the price.
Yes. Repairs and rebuilds get a written quote after we've seen the chimney. If taking it apart turns up damage that wasn't on the quote, we stop and talk to you before doing anything extra.
We cover 57 cities and townships in Oakland, Wayne and Washtenaw counties, plus Sterling Heights, Utica and northwest Warren. The full list is on our service area page.
Yes. Pick a day and arrival window on the booking page, or send a request with photos and we'll reply with next steps.
Most people aren't. Tell us what you've noticed and we'll work out the right visit with you.
