Chimney Repairs
Caught early, it's a repair. Ignored, it's a rebuild.
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4.9 · 3,412 Google reviews
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CSIA & NFPA certified
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1-year workmanship warranty
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Written quote before any work
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40 years sweeping chimneys
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3,412 verified Google reviews
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4.9 average rating
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CSIA-certified crew
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NFPA 211 compliant
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Licensed in 6 states
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100% background-checked technicians
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Free estimates
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40 years sweeping chimneys
●
3,412 verified Google reviews
●
4.9 average rating
●
CSIA-certified crew
●
NFPA 211 compliant
●
Licensed in 6 states
●
100% background-checked technicians
●
Free estimates
●
40 years sweeping chimneys
●
3,412 verified Google reviews
●
4.9 average rating
●
CSIA-certified crew
●
NFPA 211 compliant
●
Licensed in 6 states
●
100% background-checked technicians
●
Free estimates
●
40 years sweeping chimneys
●
3,412 verified Google reviews
●
4.9 average rating
●
CSIA-certified crew
●
NFPA 211 compliant
●
Licensed in 6 states
●
100% background-checked technicians
●
Free estimates
Pricing, before you commit
Want an estimate before booking?
Use our free Crown Repair & Rebuild Cost Calculator to get an estimated price in less than 30 seconds — crown work is the most common repair we quote, and the calculator prices both patching and full rebuild. No email, no callback, no surprise fees.
Estimate preview
Live
chimney-repairs
$595 – $4,995
Inspection (credited)
−$49
Typical job
$595 – $2,500
Final price quoted in writing before any work.
The craft, done properly
WHAT CHIMNEY REPAIR COVERS
Chimney repair is the family of masonry and waterproofing work that keeps the structure sound: tuckpointing (grinding out deteriorated mortar joints and repacking them fresh), crown repair (patching and sealing the concrete slab that sheds water off the top), flashing repair (restoring the seal where chimney meets roof), and individual brick replacement where faces have spalled or cracked. Water is behind almost all of it — it enters through a hairline failure, freezes, expands, and turns a $595 repair into a four-figure rebuild over a few winters.
Brown Chimney repairs carry a 1-year workmanship warranty on all structural labor. Tuckpointing runs $595–$4,995 depending on scope; flashing repair $595–$3,495; every job is measured on site and quoted in writing with photos before any work begins. Not sure what's failing? Start with a $49 inspection — the fee is credited toward the repair, and you'll know exactly what's needed instead of guessing.
Professional tuckpointing and chimney crown repair on a residential home
The Work
What a chimney repair actually does.
Masonry doesn't fail all at once — it fails at the joints first. Mortar is softer than brick by design: it's the sacrificial layer that weathers so the brick doesn't. When joints recede, water reaches the brick faces, freeze-thaw cycles pry them apart, and the damage accelerates every season it's left alone. Repair work resets that clock.
Tuckpointing grinds each failing joint to sound depth and repacks it with mortar matched to your brick. Crown work seals the top slab with a flexible coat and repairs the drip edge that keeps water off the brick below. Flashing work re-seals the roofline in aluminum or lead-coated copper — never plastic, never rubber. Where individual bricks are too far gone, we cut and replace them one at a time. Everything is photographed before and after, and if the damage points to something bigger — a failing crown that needs a full rebuild rather than a patch — you get the honest read and both prices in writing.
Related reading: how chimney leaks actually start — and why the stain on your ceiling usually began two winters ago. Filing with your insurer? Here's what home insurance covers on chimney repairs — and what it doesn't.
When to book
What are the signs your chimney needs repair?
Masonry damage announces itself quietly, then expensively. These are the signs our crews see most — each one means water has found a way in. If two or more sound familiar, have it looked at before the next freeze-thaw season.
Caught at the mortar stage, most of these are a one-visit repair. Left through a few Michigan winters, they graduate into rebuild territory — a four-figure difference the technician can show you in photos from jobs that waited too long.
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We don't price by the foot. We price by what your chimney actually needs — and we put that price in writing before we touch anything.
Ben Brown
Owner
The Brown Chimney Standard
Built to last. Backed in writing.
1-year workmanship warranty
Every piece of structural labor we perform 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.
Photos before, during, after
Your report documents the work at every stage. You see exactly what was done and why.
Price fixed before we start
Measured on site, quoted in writing, approved by you — then the work begins. Never the other way around.
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. A typical tuckpointing or flashing job runs half a day to a full day on site.
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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
Photo documentation & cleanup
Before-and-after photos of every repaired area go in your report. Debris hauled, site cleaned, warranty terms in your hands before we leave.
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 much does chimney repair cost?
Brown Chimney tuckpointing runs $595–$4,995 depending on scope and access; flashing repair $595–$3,495; individual brick replacement starts at $850. Every repair is measured on site and quoted in writing with photos before work begins — and carries a 1-year workmanship warranty.
How do I know if my chimney needs repointing?
Look for receding or crumbling mortar joints, white staining on the brick, or mortar sand collecting at the chimney base. If a key dragged across a joint leaves a groove, the mortar has failed. A $49 Brown Chimney inspection confirms scope before you commit to anything.
Is a leaking chimney an emergency?
It's urgent, not instant. Water entering through a failed crown or flashing won't collapse anything this week — but every freeze-thaw cycle widens the path. A leak caught in fall is typically a $595–$1,500 repair; the same leak after two more winters can reach rebuild territory.
Does homeowners insurance cover chimney repairs?
Sudden damage — lightning, storms, chimney fires — is usually covered. Gradual wear like failing mortar or crown cracks usually isn't. Brown Chimney provides a written, photo-backed report with every repair quote, which is exactly the documentation insurers ask for.
Repair or rebuild — how do you decide?
The line is structural integrity. If the brick cores and the chimney's alignment are sound, repair wins — tuckpointing and crown work reset the clock for a fraction of rebuild cost. If bricks are spalled through or courses have shifted, rebuilding is the honest answer. We quote both in writing when it's close.
Related Services
Often paired with chimney repairs.
A safer hearth — for 2026
Fixed right, in writing.
Every Brown Chimney repair is measured on site, quoted in writing with photos before work begins, and backed by a 1-year workmanship warranty on all structural labor. Book online or call — and stop the water while it's still a small line item.