Straight answer first: most of the chimney work we do falls between a few hundred dollars and a few thousand. Below are the actual numbers we quote in the Chicago area, what drives them up or down, and where the ranges are wide enough that no honest company can price the job over the phone.
Every estimate is free. Call 847-994-4388 or request one online.
Chimney Repair Prices at a Glance
Broadly: inspections are $205–$295 depending on level, a sweep is $335 with the inspection included, chimney caps typically run a few hundred dollars to about $1,000 installed, crown work ranges from roughly $500 for resurfacing to $2,600 for a full rebuild, and most tuckpointing and rebuild projects land between $2,000 and $6,000. The sections below explain each range and what moves a project within it.
These are current Chicago-area prices for typical residential work and are meant to help you budget, not to serve as a quote. Chimneys vary enormously in size, height, condition, and how hard they are to reach, and we would rather show you a real number after seeing yours than defend an average.
This page covers chimney and masonry repair. For sweeps, gas fireplace services, liners, dampers, and new fireplace and insert installations, our complete chimney & fireplace service cost guide covers the rest of the price book.
Inspection Costs, and Which Level You Need
A Level 1 inspection is $205. That is the annual checkup: the readily accessible parts of the chimney inside and out, the appliance and its connection, and verification that the flue is clear. A utility inspection of a furnace or water heater flue is also $205.
A Level 2 inspection is $295 and includes everything in a Level 1 plus a video scan of the flue interior and a look at accessible attic, crawl space, and basement areas. Additional flues on the same chimney are discounted, so a two- or three-flue chimney does not cost two or three times as much. You need a Level 2 when you buy or sell a home, when you change the appliance or the fuel, and after a chimney fire or a severe storm.
An inspection is also how every other number on this page gets pinned down. We will not quote a crown, a liner, or a rebuild without one, because the visible damage is routinely the smaller half of the problem. Full detail on our chimney inspection page.
Chimney Sweeping, Inspection Included
A full chimney sweep is $335, and a Level 1 inspection is included in that price. That covers containment and drop cloths, mechanical cleaning of the flue, cleaning the smoke chamber and smoke shelf, vacuuming the firebox with a HEPA unit, and a visual check of what we can see while we are in there.
What moves the price up: flues that have not been swept in many years, heavily glazed creosote that needs rotary methods rather than brushes, multiple flues, and difficult roof access. If we open a flue and find third-degree glazed creosote, we will stop and tell you what removing it costs before continuing rather than adding it to the invoice afterward.
Chimney Caps
A stainless steel masonry cap or utility cap is about $320 to $450 installed. A prefabricated fireplace cap is around $700 to $950, and the number depends on the model, because prefab chimneys take a manufacturer-specific chase top and cap assembly rather than a universal part.
Above those figures: multi-flue covers spanning two or more tiles, oversized flues, custom copper, and any chimney where the crown underneath has to be repaired before new stainless can be anchored to it. Chase cover replacement in stainless is quoted from measurements because the pan is fabricated to your chase. See chimney cap installation.
Crown Repair: Resurface or Replace
This is the biggest fork in the road on this page, so it is worth understanding.
Resurfacing is $500 to $650. That applies to a crown that is structurally sound with hairline cracking. We clean the surface and apply a flexible elastomeric coating that bridges the cracks and stays flexible through temperature swings. It is a real repair with a real service life.
Replacement runs $850 to $2,600, and where you land in that range depends mostly on the size of the crown and how hard it is to get to. Replacement is what a crown needs when it is thin, flat, has no overhang, is broken into pieces, or is missing sections. We remove the old crown, rebuild the top brick course if needed, and form and pour a new reinforced concrete crown with a proper overhang, drip edge, slope, and an expansion joint at the flue tile.
We will tell you honestly which one your chimney needs. Coating a crown that should be replaced just moves the same expense two years out. More on chimney crown repair.
Tuckpointing
Tuckpointing is measured by area, but the most useful way to estimate it before anyone visits is $7 to $10 per brick. Count the bricks in the section with failed joints and you will be in the right neighborhood.
The reason we cannot be tighter than that is genuine: how deep the joints have to be ground out, whether the mortar has to be matched to soft pre-war brick with a lime-based mix, the height of the chimney, roof pitch, and whether scaffolding or a lift is required all move the number. Partial tuckpointing of a deteriorated top section is a much smaller job than everything above the roofline. See chimney tuckpointing.
Chimney Rebuilds
Rebuilding above the roofline works out to $10 to $14 per brick as a rough planning figure, and most complete rebuild projects land between $2,000 and $6,000. The higher end is where you get with a tall multi-flue chimney, a steep or slate roof, three stories of access, or new flue tile rather than a stainless liner.
A full rebuild down to the foundation is a different project and gets priced on its own. It becomes necessary when deterioration runs below the roofline, the footing has settled, or the chimney has separated from the house. Most of what we do is the partial rebuild, because the masonry below the roofline is sheltered and usually still sound. More on chimney rebuilding.
What We Cannot Price Without Seeing It
Some jobs have too many variables to publish a number for, and quoting one would be dishonest rather than helpful.
Chimney relining depends on flue length, required diameter, stainless alloy, insulation, how many offsets the chimney has, and whether damaged tile has to be removed to make room. Firebox rebuilding depends on how much firebrick has failed. Chase cover replacement is fabricated to your chase dimensions. Flashing repair depends on the roof. Fireplace installation depends on the appliance, the vent run, gas line access, framing, and finish materials. In every one of those cases the estimate is free and the proposal is itemized.
What Actually Drives Chimney Repair Costs
Across every line above, the same handful of factors decide the number. Access is the biggest and the most underestimated: a single-story ranch with a walkable roof versus a three-story house needing a lift is a difference measured in thousands, for identical masonry work. Height and size of the chimney. Number of flues — more flues means more crown area, more caps, more liner. How far the deterioration has gone, since the same defect costs more the longer it sits. Material matching, which matters on older homes where soft brick needs a soft lime mortar. And season, because masonry has to cure above freezing and winter work means temporary measures first.
Why Waiting Costs More
Chimney deterioration compounds, and this is the one piece of advice on this page worth acting on. A $500–$650 crown resurfacing done on time prevents the water intrusion that leads to per-brick tuckpointing. Tuckpointing done on time prevents the spalling that leads to per-brick rebuilding. A $350–$450 cap prevents the flue damage that leads to a relining.
The sequence is always the same: water gets in at the top, freezes, opens joints, spalls brick, and works downward. Every step up that ladder multiplies the cost of the previous one. An annual $205 inspection exists precisely to catch it at the cheap end.
Payment, Warranty, and Getting Comparable Quotes
Estimates are free and itemized, so you can see exactly what each component costs and decide what to do now and what can wait. Stainless caps and liners we install carry a lifetime material warranty for the original homeowner. Check current specials before booking.
If you are collecting competing bids, make sure they cover the same scope. The most common reason one chimney quote is half another is that it prices a mortar wash where the other prices a poured crown, or omits the liner, or plans to smear roofing cement over the flashing instead of installing step and counter flashing. Ask each company what they are actually doing, not just what it costs.
While we are on your roof, gutter cleaning runs $300 to $700 depending on accessibility, tree cover, and linear footage, and it is often worth combining with chimney work in one visit.
Service Area
These prices apply throughout Chicago and the north, northwest, and western suburbs, including Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Northbrook, Glenview, Winnetka, Wilmette, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Evanston, Skokie, Barrington, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Oak Park, Elmhurst, Oak Brook, and Naperville. Our shop is at 741 Hastings Dr, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089.
Chimney Cost FAQs
How much does chimney repair cost?
Most chimney repairs in the Chicago area run from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand. Crown resurfacing is $500 to $650, crown replacement is $850 to $2,600, tuckpointing is $7 to $10 per brick, and most rebuild projects fall between $2,000 and $6,000. An inspection is $205 and produces a firm quote.
How much does a chimney inspection cost?
A Level 1 inspection is $205, and a utility inspection of a furnace or water heater flue is also $205. A Level 2 inspection with a video scan of the flue is $295, with a discount for each additional flue.
How much does chimney cleaning cost?
A full chimney sweep is $335 and includes a Level 1 inspection. Heavily glazed creosote, multiple flues, and difficult roof access increase it, and we tell you before doing the extra work rather than after.
How much does chimney crown repair cost?
Resurfacing a sound crown with hairline cracking is $500 to $650. Replacing a crown that is thin, flat, or broken runs $850 to $2,600 depending on the size of the crown and access.
How much does it cost to rebuild a chimney?
Rebuilding above the roofline is $10 to $14 per brick, and most rebuild projects total between $2,000 and $6,000. A full rebuild to the foundation is priced separately.
How much does tuckpointing a chimney cost?
$7 to $10 per brick as a planning figure. The real number depends on joint depth, mortar matching, chimney height, roof pitch, and whether scaffolding or a lift is needed.
How much does a chimney cap cost?
A stainless steel masonry or utility cap is about $320 to $450 installed. A prefabricated fireplace cap is around $700 to $950 depending on the model. Multi-flue covers and custom copper cost more.
Is a chimney inspection worth the cost?
It is the cheapest item on this page and it is what keeps the others from getting expensive. Catching a cracked crown at $500 to $650 avoids the tuckpointing and rebuilding that follow from years of water intrusion.
Do you charge for estimates?
No. Estimates are free and itemized. The $205 inspection fee is for a documented inspection with a written, photographed report, which is a different thing from an estimate.