Chimney Cap Installation

Why a Rain Cap Matters

A chimney should let smoke out while blocking water, pests, and debris. Moreover, without a rain cap, rain can soak brick and mortar and animals can nest in the flue. Therefore, a rain cap is a small part that prevents big problems.

In fact, installing one now can save you from costly repairs later. As a result, your home stays safe, dry, and protected all year long.

What a Chimney Cap Prevents

• Water damage – A cap keeps rain out of the flue. As a result, your chimney stays drier and lasts longer. Moreover, this lowers repair costs.
• Debris buildup – It blocks leaves, twigs, and nests. In addition, this reduces clogs and keeps airflow strong.
• Smoke backup – A clear flue lets smoke exit. Therefore, you reduce smoke in your home and cut fire risk. In fact, fewer blockages mean better safety.

Our Chimney Cap Installation Process

Step 1: Exact Measurement

We measure your flue for a true fit. Moreover, we check the crown and nearby brick so the cap sits level and secure. As a result, your cap stays in place even in strong weather.

Step 2: Quality Materials

We offer stainless steel, copper, and decorative caps. In fact, these options resist rust and weather. Moreover, they add both strength and style to your home.

Step 3: Safe, Secure Install

Our team fastens the cap to hold against wind and snow. Therefore, your chimney is protected in every season. Finally, you gain peace of mind knowing your flue is safe.

Why Choose Chimney Monkey?

Homeowners across the North Shore trust our team for simple, reliable service. Moreover, we explain your options in plain terms and show clear pricing.

In fact, we treat your home with care from start to finish. Therefore, when you pick Chimney Monkey, you get a cap that fits right and works right. As a result, your chimney stays protected for years to come.

A rain cap is your first line of defense against leaks, blockages, and pests. Finally, do not wait for a problem to grow—schedule your cap install today with Chimney Monkey.

Proudly Serving Chicago’s North Shore

With years of experience and thousands of satisfied customers, our team continues to deliver exceptional chimney care across the North Shore. We’re dedicated to protecting your home year-round while expanding our reach to new towns every season. Our growing team ensures prompt, reliable service—wherever you are.

Core Service Areas

Specifically, we proudly serve Evanston, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Deerfield, Riverwoods, Bannockburn, Northfield, Northbrook.

Extended Service Areas

We also cover Arlington Heights, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Des Plaines, Glenview, Hawthorn Woods, & Fort Sheridan.

No matter where you live across the North Shore, Chimney Monkey is ready to help—with fast response times and service tailored to your home.

📞 Call Chimney Monkey at (847) 994-4388 and let us take care of your chimney needs!

What a Chimney Cap Actually Does

A chimney cap is a small piece of metal doing four jobs at once, and it is the cheapest insurance on the entire chimney. It keeps rain out of the flue, which matters more than most homeowners realise because water inside a chimney destroys mortar joints, rusts the damper, and can saturate a liner from the inside. It keeps animals out, which in this area means squirrels, raccoons, chimney swifts, and starlings that will nest in an open flue given a single season. It stops downdrafts from pushing smoke and odour back into the room. And the spark arrestor screen keeps burning embers from landing on your roof.

An uncapped flue is the single most common defect we find on inspections, and it is almost always the cheapest thing on the report to fix.

Chimney Caps and Chase Covers Are Not the Same Thing

People use these terms interchangeably and they are entirely different components. A chimney cap sits on top of the flue itself, covering the opening. A chase cover is the large metal pan that covers the entire top of a framed chimney chase, the kind you find on homes with prefabricated or factory-built fireplaces. The chase cover is essentially a lid over the whole box, and the cap sits on the flue pipe that comes through it.

Chase covers fail in a predictable way. Most were built from galvanized steel, they sit flat instead of sloped, water pools in the middle, and after fifteen or twenty years they rust through. You will see rust streaks running down the siding long before there is a visible hole. Once it perforates, water goes straight into the chase and into the framing. Replacement chase covers should be stainless steel with a proper slope and a cross break so water sheds instead of standing.

Sizing: Standard Flue Dimensions and Why 13×13 Comes Up So Often

Clay flue tiles come in standard nominal sizes, and 13×13 is one of the most common in Chicago-area masonry chimneys, along with 8×8, 8×12, 12×12, and 13×18. The complication is that nominal size and actual outside dimension are not the same number, and a cap has to fit the outside of the tile, not the nominal label. Older tiles also vary from their stated size, and a chimney that has been repointed or had the crown rebuilt may have mortar encroaching on the tile.

This is why we measure rather than guess. A cap ordered off a nominal number and shipped to the house frequently does not fit, and a cap that does not fit either blows off in a storm or gets forced on in a way that cracks the tile. We measure the actual flue on site and size the cap to it.

Materials: Stainless, Copper, and Galvanized

Galvanized steel is the cheapest option and the one we generally advise against. It rusts, usually within a decade in this climate, and then you pay twice. Stainless steel is what we install in most cases: it holds up to Chicago freeze-thaw cycles and roof runoff, it does not stain the masonry, and a good stainless cap will outlast the homeowner. Copper is the premium choice and is worth it on homes where the chimney is visible and the architecture justifies it, which on the North Shore is a lot of them. Copper weathers to a patina rather than corroding.

Multi-Flue Caps and Custom Work

Many older homes here have two, three, or four flues coming through one crown — a fireplace, a furnace, a water heater, sometimes a second fireplace. You can cap each one individually, or install a single multi-flue cap that covers the whole crown. A multi-flue cap usually looks better, protects the crown itself from rain, and is often the more sensible option when the crown is already deteriorating. It has to be fabricated to the actual crown dimensions, so it is a measure-first job.

Signs You Need a Cap or a Replacement

Look for an open flue with nothing on top of it, a cap that is visibly rusted, dented, or sitting crooked, missing or torn spark arrestor mesh, rust streaks running down the chimney or the siding below the chase, water stains on the ceiling or wall near the chimney, a damp or musty smell from the fireplace after rain, or the sound of animals in the flue. Any of these is worth a look before winter.

Cost and Scheduling

Cap and chase cover pricing depends on the size of the flue or chase, the material you choose, whether the piece is stock or has to be fabricated, and roof access. Because a cap has to fit the actual opening, we measure before quoting rather than giving a number over the phone that changes when we arrive.

The efficient way to handle it is to have the cap looked at during a chimney sweep or inspection, since we are already on the roof with access to the crown. Call 847-994-4388 to schedule, and mention that you want the cap assessed.

Chimney Cap FAQs

What size chimney cap do I need?

It depends on the actual outside dimensions of your flue tile, not the nominal size. Common Chicago-area flues include 8×8, 8×12, 12×12, 13×13, and 13×18, but real-world measurements vary and mortar from repointing can change the fit. We measure on site and size the cap to what is actually there.

What is the difference between a chimney cap and a chase cover?

A cap covers the flue opening itself. A chase cover is the large metal pan covering the entire top of a framed chimney chase on homes with prefabricated fireplaces. Many homes need both, and they fail for different reasons.

How long does a chimney cap last?

A quality stainless steel cap should last decades. Galvanized steel typically rusts through within about ten years in this climate, which is why we usually recommend against it.

Do I really need a chimney cap?

Yes. An open flue lets in rain, animals, and debris, and lets embers out onto the roof. Water intrusion is the leading cause of chimney deterioration in this region, and a cap is the least expensive way to prevent it.

Can you install a cap during a chimney sweep?

Often, yes, if it is a stock size we carry. Custom and multi-flue caps have to be measured and fabricated, so those take a second visit. Either way we can assess it during a sweep or inspection.

Why is there rust running down my chimney?

That is usually a failing galvanized chase cover. Water pools on the flat pan, rust forms, and runoff carries the stain down the siding. It generally means the cover is near the end of its life and should be replaced with a sloped stainless one before it perforates.

What a chimney cap costs

A standard stainless steel cap with spark arrestor typically runs $320 to $500 installed, depending on flue size. Multi-flue caps run $800 to $1,000, caps for factory-built fireplaces $650 to $950, and decorative caps and toppers $1,000 to $1,700 depending on material. The exact price is confirmed in writing before any work begins. Current ranges for every service are on our service cost guide.