Chimney Repairs in Ann Arbor
Michigan winters find every crack. We close them.
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CSIA certified
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1-year workmanship warranty
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Written quote before any work
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4.9 · 1,066 Ann Arbor reviews
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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
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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
Crown work is the repair we quote most. 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 REPAIR IN ANN ARBOR, MI
Chimney repair in Ann Arbor is mostly a water story. Lake-effect snow sits on masonry for weeks, thaws, and refreezes — and that cycle is what opens mortar joints, cracks crowns, and lifts flashing across Washtenaw County every single winter. Every job is measured on site and quoted in writing, the prices for tuckpointing, crown, and flashing work are published on our pricing pages, and all structural labor carries a 1-year workmanship warranty.
The housing stock here makes the work specific. Century-old brick near campus and through Burns Park was laid with soft lime mortar that weathers differently than the harder mixes on newer builds in Scio and Pittsfield Township — matching it correctly is the difference between a repair that lasts and one that fails in three seasons. The craft itself is detailed on our chimney repair service page. Not sure what's failing? An Ann Arbor inspection settles it, and the fee is credited toward repair work booked within 30 days.
Tuckpointing and crown repair on a 1950s colonial — Ann Arbor, MI
The Work
What a chimney repair does for an Ann Arbor home.
Mortar is the sacrificial layer — it weathers so the brick doesn't. When joints recede, water reaches the brick faces, and Michigan's freeze-thaw cycle pries them apart a little more each season. Walk the older streets here and you'll see the result: flaking faces, crumbling joints, and the white efflorescence staining near the Huron River that means water is already moving through.
Tuckpointing grinds each failing joint to sound depth and repacks it with mortar matched to your brick. Crown work seals the top slab and repairs the drip edge. Flashing gets re-set in aluminum or lead-coated copper — never plastic, never rubber. Everything is photographed before and after. And if the damage points to something bigger, you get the honest read and both prices in writing before anything starts — see what a full rebuild costs for comparison.
Our Ann Arbor crew also covers Brighton and Northville, plus Ypsilanti, Saline, Dexter, and Pittsfield Township. Full local service list on the Ann Arbor page.
When to book
What are the signs your Ann Arbor chimney needs repair?
Masonry damage announces itself quietly, then expensively. These are the signs our Washtenaw County crews see most — each one means water has found a way in before the next freeze.
Water stains on ceilings or walls near the chimney
White staining (efflorescence) on the exterior brick
Crumbling or missing mortar you can see from the ground
Loose, spalling, or flaking brick faces
Rust on the damper or firebox — a sign water is getting in
An inspection report flagged crown, flashing, or mortar issues
Caught at the mortar stage, most of these are a one-visit repair. Left through two or three Michigan winters, they graduate into rebuild territory — a much bigger job.
What to expect
What happens during a chimney repair?
Repair visits are quoted first, worked second — you approve the written price before a single joint is ground. Most Ann Arbor tuckpointing and flashing jobs run half a day to a full day on site.
01
Assessment & measurement
Every failing joint, crack, and flashing gap is measured and photographed on site. The quote is built from real dimensions, not estimates from the driveway.
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Written quote first
You approve the exact price in writing before a single joint is ground. All structural labor carries a 1-year workmanship warranty.
03
Surface preparation
Deteriorated mortar is ground or chiseled to sound depth; failing flashing is lifted; crown cracks are cleaned and prepped for bonding.
04
The repair itself
Joints repacked with mortar matched to your brick, flashing re-set in aluminum or lead-coated copper, crowns patched and sealed with a flexible coat.
05
Walkthrough & cleanup
Every repaired area is walked through with you before we leave. Debris hauled, site cleaned, and the labor backed by the 1-year workmanship warranty.
Brickwork check
Repoint, partial rebuild, or full rebuild?
Mortar fails before brick does, so the repair a chimney needs depends on which one is going and how far it has spread. Answer four questions to see which repair fits, what it covers, and what is priced separately. Nothing is submitted.
Repoint
Repoint the mortar joints
The bricks are holding up but the joints are not. Mortar fails before brick does, and repointing now prevents a rebuild later: worn joints are cleaned out and repacked with new mortar matched to the existing masonry.
- Mortar jointsCracked or recessedWater gets in behind the face.
- BricksIntactNo cracks or flaking.
- StructureStraightTight to the roof.
What the work covers
- Worn joints cleaned out and repacked with new mortar matched to the existing masonry.
- Cleanup included.
- Priced by the area repointed, measured on site.
Good to know
- New brick and mortar are matched as closely as possible and approved by you in advance. An exact match to weathered brick is not guaranteed, and white staining or color change as mortar cures is normal.
- A breathable sealer is recommended after repointing.
- Hard-to-reach chimneys carry an access charge.
- When joints need repointingWhat to look for→
- How chimney leaks startFrom the inside out→
- Repair or remove?How to decide→
A guide, not a diagnosis. The repair is set on site after the technician checks the joints, the bricks and the structure, and the price is confirmed with you before work begins.
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Moe (and team) did a great job with our chimney repairs! Moe’s inspection was thorough and he took the time to explain each task in the quote. Scheduling the repairs was easy and after the work was complete, he explained everything they did. Moe also took lots of pictures before and after the work to document, which I appreciated.
Jacob Rogers
Ann Arbor Client
The Brown Chimney Standard · Ann Arbor
Built for Michigan winters, not brochure weather.
Freeze-thaw is the local enemy
Lake-effect snow sits for weeks, then thaws. That cycle is what cracks Ann Arbor mortar — and what our repairs are specified against.
Code-ready inspections
From older homes near campus to newer builds in Scio and Pittsfield Township, our repairs pass local inspection.
1-year workmanship warranty
The labor on our repairs and installations is covered for a full year — in writing, not in promises.
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.
Full chimney rebuilds — brick-count pricing, quoted separately after assessment
Pre-existing shingle or roof deck damage (documented in photos and quoted, but roofing repair is scoped separately)
Gas appliance service — separate visit with its own dedicated safety checklist
FAQs
Common questions about chimney repairs
How is chimney repair priced in Ann Arbor?
Each repair is priced by its own scope and access — tuckpointing by how much of the chimney is affected, flashing by chimney size and complexity, brick replacement by the number of bricks. Every repair is measured on site and quoted in writing, backed by a 1-year workmanship warranty, and its prices are published on our pricing pages.
When is the best time for chimney repair in Michigan?
Late summer and early fall. Mortar and sealants cure best in dry, moderate temperatures — and finishing before the first freeze means the repair faces its first winter fully set. Ann Arbor's fall schedule fills early.
Why do Ann Arbor chimneys crack so often?
Freeze-thaw cycling. Lake-effect snow sits on masonry for weeks, melts into any hairline opening, then refreezes and expands. Repeated over a few winters, that pressure opens joints and spalls brick faces — it's the single most common cause of the repairs we quote here.
Do you repair chimneys outside Ann Arbor?
Yes. From our Eisenhower Parkway office we cover Washtenaw County and the surrounding area — Ypsilanti, Saline, Dexter, Pittsfield Township, plus Brighton and Northville.
Do older homes near campus need different repair work?
Often, yes. Much of the older Ann Arbor stock was laid with soft lime mortar, which needs a compatible mix rather than modern hard mortar — the wrong material accelerates brick damage instead of stopping it. We match to what's there.
Related Services
Related Services
A safer hearth — for 2026
Fixed right, before the freeze.
Every Brown Chimney repair in Ann Arbor is measured on site, quoted in writing before work begins, and backed by a 1-year workmanship warranty on structural labor. Book online or call 248-260-5979.
