Chimney repair in Fayetteville NC - a chimney that keeps water out of your house
Water stain by the fireplace or crumbling joints up top? We find where water gets in and repair it so your chimney stays dry.
Why is my chimney leaking, and what does fixing it take?
Chimney repair in Fayetteville, NC means finding where water is getting into your chimney and fixing it, usually by replacing worn mortar, repairing or rebuilding the crown on top, or redoing the flashing where the chimney meets your roof, so the brick stays sound and your ceiling stays dry.
Most chimney trouble comes down to water getting in through worn joints, a cracked crown or flashing that's pulled loose, and by the time you see a stain inside, it's usually been soaking the brick for a while. People tend to think of brick as permanent, but the mortar between it wears out and has to be cut out and replaced, the same work as tuckpointing on the walls of a house. The price moves with how much of the chimney needs work, whether the crown or the top courses have to be rebuilt, how tall the chimney is and how steep your roof is, and whether the flashing has to come off and go back on. The schedule mostly turns on what we find once the old mortar and flashing are off, and on whether the job needs a permit. I'll give you your own number at the estimate.
How can you tell your chimney needs repair?
A lot of chimney damage sits up on the roof where nobody looks, so these are the signs worth checking, both from the yard and from inside near the fireplace.
A water stain on the ceiling beside the chimney usually means water is getting in where it meets the roof.
Mortar you can scrape out with a key usually means the joints are worn and letting water in.
Cracks across the crown at the very top let rain sit there and soak down into the chimney.
Brick faces that flake or pop off usually mean water is getting into the brick and staying there.
White, chalky streaks on the outside of the chimney are salts left behind as water moves through the masonry.
Rusty or loose metal where the chimney meets the shingles often means the flashing has stopped sealing that joint.
If water is already showing up inside, don't wait for the next hard rain, because a leak keeps soaking the brick and the framing around it, so call (910) 302-3425.
What happens when you call us about your chimney in Fayetteville?
Here's how a chimney job runs with us, in Fayetteville and the cities around it, from your first call to the last bucket of mortar coming down off your roof.
Call or send us a message
Call (910) 302-3425 or use the form and tell me what you're seeing, whether that's a stain inside or loose brick up top. We'll get back to you to set up a time for me to come out.
I come out and look
I check the top, the joints and where the chimney meets the roof with you and answer your questions, because I want to know where the water's getting in before I price anything. Your estimate lays out what I found, what we'd repair and what it should cost, and I'll tell you which parts I can't be sure of until the old mortar or flashing is off.
Our crew does the repair
If you go ahead, we take care of any permit the job needs, and I work up on the roof alongside our crew through every part of the repair. We cover the area below us so mortar dust and loose brick land on a tarp instead of your shrubs and porch.
Clean up and walk through
I stay on site until the work is done and cleaned up, then I walk you through what we fixed and anything else I noticed while we were up there. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Get a chimney estimate based on what's actually up there
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I'll come out, look at your chimney with you and give you a free estimate, with no pressure to book.
- Call
- (910) 302-3425
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
Mortar, brick and crown choices for your chimney
Most chimney repair is one of two jobs. When the brick is solid and only the joints are worn, we rake out the old mortar to a clean, even depth and pack in new, which keeps your chimney looking like itself. When bricks near the top are cracked, loose or flaking, we take those courses down and lay them back up, reusing sound brick and matching the rest, which is really brick repair done at roof height.
On older houses the mortar matters as much as the brick. Repair on older brick is what we're best known for, so I look at what's in the joints now and match the new mortar to it in strength and color instead of reaching for whatever's fastest. The FAQ below explains why a mortar that's too hard can hurt an old chimney.
The crown is the slab of mortar or concrete that caps the top of the chimney around the flue. If it only has fine cracks, sealing it can be enough, but if it's breaking up or sits flat so water puddles, I'd rather rebuild it with a slope that sheds rain than coat over it, because a coating sits on top of the problem without fixing what's underneath.
Chimney repair questions we hear in Fayetteville
How much does chimney repair cost in Fayetteville, NC?
Chimney repair in Fayetteville usually costs about $500 to $6,000 per project. That's what the work tends to run around here, not our price, and where your chimney lands depends mostly on how much has to be rebuilt rather than repointed, the things I covered at the top of the page. The estimate is where you get the figure for your own chimney.
Does the type of mortar matter when repairing an old brick chimney?
Yes, it matters a lot on an older chimney, because in historic masonry the mortar is meant to wear first while it steers moisture out of the wall, which keeps the brick sound. Mortar made only of portland cement and sand is extremely hard, resists water moving through it, shrinks as it sets and moves a lot with heat and cold, and a harder mortar like that could make the brick take on moisture and fail. Before you hire anyone for an old chimney, ask what mortar they'll use.
What causes a chimney to leak where it meets the roof?
A leak there usually means that joint isn't sealed right, and trade guidance says it has to be properly flashed with two layers, base flashing and counter flashing, to keep water out of the house. The crown up top is the other spot people often overlook, and flashing and sealant there keep water out of the space between the chimney wall and the flue liner, the lining the smoke travels up. If you have a leak near the chimney, ask whether a quote covers both layers at the roof joint.
Who can sign a building permit application in Fayetteville?
In Fayetteville, a licensed contractor or their employee has to sign permit applications, and the city voids a permit signed by a real estate agent, a permit expediter or anyone else, with legal action possible. That rule comes from state law, and the city's Building Plan Review & Inspections office enforces the state building code here. If your chimney job needs a permit, we take care of it with the city or county office and sign for it as your contractor, and if it's not clear whether one is needed, we check with that office before we start.
Does a chimney repair contractor need a license in North Carolina?
The state licensing board for general contractors says a general contractor must be licensed when the total project cost is $40,000 or higher. On any job that needs a Fayetteville permit, the signing rule above applies too. We're fully licensed and insured.
How do I get my chimney ready for a new liner?
Start with a certified chimney sweep, because liner makers recommend having one clean and inspect the chimney before relining, which means fitting a new liner inside it, to check that the mortar and masonry are sound. One maker warns that skipping a thorough cleaning may lead to fire or smoke damage, and its instructions say all tar glazed creosote, a sticky burn residue, and soot have to come off the inner walls and smoke chamber. If your repair means a new liner, we'll want a sweep to clean and check it first, and since chimneys are so sooty, that maker advises moving or covering furniture and rugs during the work.
Other brick work that often goes with a chimney
Tuckpointing
If the walls of your house show the same worn, sandy joints as the chimney, repointing them now helps keep water out of the brick below the roofline.
Brick repair
Cracked or flaking bricks on a wall, steps or porch can be cut out and replaced with a close match, so the repair blends in.
Send photos of your chimney and roof joint
Snap the top of the chimney and the spot where it meets the roof, jot down when the leak shows up, and call (910) 302-3425 or use the form so I come out already knowing what to look for.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM