Chimney Crown Repair in Ann Arbor
A flat slab, weeks of snow, and one freeze-thaw cycle after another
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4.9 · 1,066 Ann Arbor reviews
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CSIA certified
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1-year workmanship warranty
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Licensed & insured
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Santa’s favorite chimney crew
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Cleared for reindeer landing
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No soot on Santa’s boots
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Cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer
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Stockings hung, flues swept
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Merry Christmas & happy hearth-days
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Jingle all the way up the chimney
●
Warm fires, cozy nights
●
Santa’s favorite chimney crew
●
Cleared for reindeer landing
●
No soot on Santa’s boots
●
Cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer
●
Stockings hung, flues swept
●
Merry Christmas & happy hearth-days
●
Jingle all the way up the chimney
●
Warm fires, cozy nights
●
Santa’s favorite chimney crew
●
Cleared for reindeer landing
●
No soot on Santa’s boots
●
Cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer
●
Stockings hung, flues swept
●
Merry Christmas & happy hearth-days
●
Jingle all the way up the chimney
●
Warm fires, cozy nights
●
Santa’s favorite chimney crew
●
Cleared for reindeer landing
●
No soot on Santa’s boots
●
Cookies for Santa, carrots for the reindeer
●
Stockings hung, flues swept
●
Merry Christmas & happy hearth-days
●
Jingle all the way up the chimney
●
Warm fires, cozy nights
Pricing, before you commit
Our prices are published, not hidden
Want to know the cost before anyone visits your Ann Arbor home? Our crown pricing page covers sealing, repair and rebuild, and works out an estimate from your crown's size. No email, no callback.
The craft, done properly
CHIMNEY CROWN REPAIR IN ANN ARBOR, MI
The crown is the concrete slab across the top of the chimney, and in Michigan it takes more punishment than any other surface on the house. It is flat, it is horizontal, and lake-effect snow sits on it for weeks at a time. Every thaw sends meltwater into whatever hairline cracks the concrete has developed; every refreeze widens them. That cycle is why crown failure is the single most common finding on Ann Arbor roof inspections.
Brown Chimney measures every crown on site, because price follows the actual dimensions. Surface cracks on a structurally sound crown are cleaned, patched, and sealed with crown coat. A crown that has failed through gets fully demolished and rebuilt — with a one-inch minimum drip-edge overhang, no exceptions, because that overhang is what throws meltwater clear of the brick instead of down it. Crown sealing alone is preventive maintenance for intact crowns. Every option is priced on our crown pricing page.
Rebuilt crown with a one-inch drip edge and crown coat — Ann Arbor, MI
The Work
What crown work does for an Ann Arbor chimney.
More Ann Arbor leaks start at the crown than anywhere else. Snow does not run off a flat slab the way rain does — it sits, it melts slowly, and it finds every craze line in the concrete. By the time a stain appears on a bedroom ceiling, water has usually been tracking down inside the masonry for two or three winters.
The honest fix depends on what is left. Surface cracks on sound concrete get prepped back to solid material and sealed across the full surface. A crown crumbling through gets rebuilt, because coating a failed slab buys appearance, not time. While we are at the top, the cap is right there — a fitted cap and a sound crown protect the same surface, and doing both in one visit costs less than two trips up the same ladder.
We handle crown work across Washtenaw County and in Brighton and Northville. See the local service list on the Ann Arbor page.
When to book
What are the signs your chimney crown needs repair?
The crown is hard to see from the ground, which is why most crown damage in Ann Arbor is found during a roof visit or after the spring thaw. These are the signals that reach you first.
Visible cracks or a crazed, web-like surface on the crown
Chunks of concrete on the roof or at the base of the chimney
Water stains on ceilings or walls near the chimney
White staining (efflorescence) on the brick below the crown
The crown looks flush with the brick, with no overhang
An inspection report flagged crown deterioration
A crown that is cracked but structurally sound is a patch. One crumbling through is a rebuild. An inspection tells you which — with photos from the roof — and the fee is credited toward repair work booked within 30 days.
What to expect
What happens during a crown repair?
Crown work in Ann Arbor is measured before it is priced. A patch is typically a single visit; a full rebuild takes longer because the old crown is demolished first and the new one needs moderate temperatures to cure.
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Crown measurement
The crown is measured at its widest points on the roof. Price follows that measurement, so the number is built from your chimney rather than a rounded guess.
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Repair or rebuild call
Surface cracks on a structurally sound crown get patched. Structural failure gets a full rebuild — you get the honest read and both prices in writing before choosing.
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Crack prep & patching
Cracks are cleaned, opened where needed, and prepped for bonding. Loose material comes off so the patch keys into sound concrete instead of sitting on debris.
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Crown coat & drip edge
Crown coat sealant is applied across the full surface, and the drip edge is repaired or rebuilt to a one-inch minimum overhang — no exceptions. That overhang is what throws water clear of the brick below.
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Final photos & warranty
The finished crown is photographed from the roof and shown to you, with the 1-year workmanship warranty on all labor performed.
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Most crowns we replace failed because someone poured them flush with the brick. That inch of overhang is the whole point — without it, the crown is just a lid.
Company Owner
The Brown Chimney Standard
Built to last. Backed in writing.
1-year workmanship warranty
The labor on our repairs and installations is covered for a full year — in writing, not in promises.
Same crew, every visit
You get a W-2 technician you'll recognize next year — not a rotating cast of subcontractors.
Extra work only with your approval
If we find more once work begins, we document it with photos and get your approval before anything extra is done.
Price fixed before we start
Measured on site, quoted in writing, approved by you — then the work begins. Never the other way around.
For transparency
What this visit doesn't cover.
Tuckpointing below the crown where joints have also failed — quoted separately
Cap replacement, if the cap is missing or failing — priced as its own line
Interior water damage from previous leaks (documented in photos, but repaired by others)
FAQs
Common questions about chimney crown repair in Ann Arbor
How is crown repair priced in Ann Arbor?
From an on-site measurement rather than a flat rate, because crowns vary widely in size. Sealing, patching, and full rebuilds are measured at the widest points and quoted in writing before any work begins. Every option and its price is on our crown pricing page.
Why do crowns fail so often in Michigan?
Snow sits on a flat crown for weeks rather than running off. Meltwater enters every craze line in the concrete, refreezes, and widens it. Repeated across a Washtenaw County winter, that cycle turns hairline crazing into structural cracking faster than rain alone ever would.
What is a chimney crown drip edge?
The overhang at the edge of the crown that throws water clear of the brick below instead of letting it run down the wall. Brown Chimney rebuilds every crown with a minimum one-inch overhang — without it, the crown is not doing its main job.
Can a cracked crown cause a leak inside my house?
Yes, and in Ann Arbor it is one of the most common causes we find. Meltwater enters through crown cracks, travels down through the masonry or flue, and surfaces as a ceiling stain weeks later — often far enough from the chimney that the source is not obvious.
When should crown work be done in Michigan?
Late spring through early fall, while the crown coat and mortar can cure in moderate temperatures. Booking after the thaw also means the winter's damage is visible, so the scope you are quoted reflects what actually needs doing.
Related Services
Related Services
A safer hearth — for 2026
Measured, patched, sealed — in writing.
Every Brown Chimney crown in Ann Arbor is measured on site, quoted before work begins, and rebuilt with a one-inch minimum drip edge where a rebuild is needed — backed by a 1-year workmanship warranty. Book online or call 248-260-5979.
