Chimney Rebuild in Ann Arbor
A century of freeze-thaw eventually reaches the brick
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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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Written quote before any work
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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
Want to know the cost before anyone visits your Ann Arbor home? Our chimney rebuild pricing page explains how rebuilds are priced and works out an estimate from your brick count. No email, no callback.
The craft, done properly
CHIMNEY REBUILD IN ANN ARBOR, MI
Rebuilding is what happens when Michigan winters have finally reached the brick itself, not just the mortar between it. Ann Arbor gives masonry a hard time: lake-effect snow sits on a stack for weeks, melts into the pores, refreezes, and pries the faces apart a fraction at a time. On the century-old chimneys through Burns Park and near campus that cycle has been running for a hundred seasons, and eventually there is nothing sound left for new mortar to bond to.
Brown Chimney works out of 455 E Eisenhower Pkwy and prices rebuilds by counting every brick in the scope, so the number comes from your chimney rather than a rounded guess. Larger scopes drop to a lower rate per brick. Crown, flashing, and cap are rebuilt in the same visit and quoted as their own lines. If the brick cores are still sound and only the joints have gone, repointing is the cheaper and more honest answer — and we will tell you so before writing a rebuild estimate.
Top-section rebuild with matched brick and new crown — Ann Arbor, MI
The Work
What a rebuild does for an Ann Arbor chimney.
Around here the damage runs top-down, and so does the fix. The exposed section above the roofline takes the weather; the masonry below it, sheltered by the roof, is usually still sound. That is why most Ann Arbor rebuilds stop a few courses under the roofline rather than taking the whole stack — you are quoted for what has actually failed.
Matching brick on older Ann Arbor homes is its own problem. Century-old campus-area brick was fired differently than anything made now, and an exact match is not always available. We show you the closest option before ordering rather than surprising you on the day. If the chimney serves no appliance anymore, there is a cheaper decision worth pricing first — removal ends the maintenance cycle instead of restarting it, and we quote both so you can compare.
Our Ann Arbor crew also covers Brighton and Northville, plus Ypsilanti, Saline, Dexter, and Pittsfield Township. See everything we handle locally on the Ann Arbor services page.
When to book
What are the signs your Ann Arbor chimney needs rebuilding?
Rebuild territory looks different from repair territory. These are the signs our Washtenaw County crews see most — each one means the freeze-thaw damage has moved past the mortar and into the brick.
Brick faces spalling, flaking, or falling off entirely
Cracks running through bricks, not just along the joints
The stack is leaning, bowing, or pulling away from the house
Whole sections of mortar are gone and bricks move by hand
Repair quotes are climbing toward rebuild cost
An inspection report flagged structural, not cosmetic, damage
If only the mortar has failed and the brick is sound, this is a repair, not a rebuild. An Ann Arbor inspection settles which one you are looking at, and the fee is credited toward repair work booked within 30 days.
What to expect
What happens during a chimney rebuild?
Ann Arbor rebuilds are assessed and quoted before anything comes down. Scope, access, and brick count are documented on site, and the written estimate lists every line before demolition begins.
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Assessment & brick count
Every brick in the rebuild scope is counted on site and the matching tier rate applied. Height, access, and the condition of the masonry below are documented with photos before a number is quoted.
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Written estimate first
Rebuilds are never quoted verbally. The written estimate lists every line — brick count, crown rebuild, flashing, and cap — so you see the full total before any demolition begins, not after.
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Controlled demolition
The failing section comes down course by course from the top. Sound masonry below is protected, debris is contained, and nothing travels through the house.
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Rebuild with matched brick
New brick sourced to match your original, laid to the existing bond pattern. Crown, flashing, and cap are rebuilt in the same visit and quoted as their own lines on the estimate you already approved.
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Seal, walkthrough & clean
Crown coat sealed, flashing set, cap fitted. The finished work is walked through with you, debris is hauled off site, and the labor is backed by the 1-year workmanship warranty.
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Rebuilding is the last quote we want to write, not the first. If the brick is sound, we'll tell you to repoint it and we'll come back in fifteen years.
Company Owner
The Brown Chimney Standard · Ann Arbor
Your Ann Arbor crew, not a call center.
Based on Eisenhower Parkway
Our Ann Arbor office is at 455 E Eisenhower Pkwy — same-week openings across Washtenaw County, not a queue behind three other states.
1,066 Ann Arbor reviews
4.9 stars from your actual neighbors — Burns Park, Scio, Pittsfield, and everywhere between.
Crews who know these houses
Century-old brick near campus and 2000s builds in Scio need different work. Our techs have been on both this month.
Price confirmed before we start
The price is confirmed with you before any work begins. Anything extra we find is shown to you with photos and needs your approval first.
For transparency
What this visit doesn't cover.
Interior finish work where the chimney passes through living space (drywall, paint, flooring)
Hazardous materials such as asbestos, which require a specialised contractor
Rebuilds over 1,000 bricks — quoted by our office and confirmed in writing before booking
FAQs
Common questions about masonry rebuild in Ann Arbor
How is a chimney rebuild priced in Ann Arbor?
Brown Chimney prices rebuilds by counting every brick in the scope and applying the matching tier rate, so larger rebuilds cost less per brick. Crown, flashing, and cap are quoted as separate lines in the same written estimate — nothing is added afterward. The tier rates are on our rebuild pricing page.
Why do Ann Arbor chimneys need rebuilding so often?
Freeze-thaw. Lake-effect snow sits on masonry for weeks, melts into the brick, then refreezes and expands. Repeated over decades that cycle spalls brick faces from the inside out — and on century-old chimneys near campus it has been running a very long time.
Can you match brick on an older Ann Arbor home?
We source as close a match as is available and lay it to the existing bond pattern. Century-old campus-area brick was fired differently than modern stock, so an exact match is not always possible — we show you the closest option before ordering.
When is the best time to rebuild in Michigan?
Late spring through early fall. Mortar needs moderate temperatures to cure properly, and finishing before the first hard freeze means the new work faces its first winter fully set. Ann Arbor's autumn schedule fills early.
Do you rebuild chimneys outside Ann Arbor?
Yes. From our Eisenhower Parkway office we cover Washtenaw County and the surrounding communities — Ypsilanti, Saline, Dexter, Pittsfield Township, plus Brighton and Northville.
Related Services
Related Services
A safer hearth — for 2026
Rebuilt right, counted honestly.
Every Brown Chimney rebuild in Ann Arbor is priced by brick count, quoted in writing before demolition begins, and backed by a 1-year workmanship warranty on structural labor. Book the assessment online or call 248-260-5979.
