Chimney Repair Cost: Crown, Brickwork, Caps and Flashing

Bits of mortar are landing on the roof, or a sweep has pointed out a cracked chimney top. You need a price, but first you need to know whether the quote fixes the crown, the brickwork or the passage inside.

So chimney crown work costs $500 to $650 for resurfacing and $850 to $2,600 for replacement at Chimney Monkey in Chicago. Its above-roofline masonry rebuild projects usually fall between $2,000 and $6,000.

Those are different repairs from one company’s published price list. I will explain the scope behind them and show how homeowners’ larger repair bills compare.

Which Part of the Chimney Needs Work?

The crown is the sloping top around the flue. The cap covers the flue opening. Mortar holds the masonry together, and flashing seals the joint where the chimney meets the roof.

A leak can involve more than one of those parts. Have the contractor show the damaged area in photos and name the repair, rather than giving you a single line for “fix chimney.”

This guide covers fireplace and wood-stove chimney repairs. If the inside passage needs relining, the chimney liner guide covers that separate cost.

Can the Crown Be Resurfaced?

Chimney Monkey’s $500 to $650 resurfacing range applies to a structurally sound crown with hairline cracks. The work involves cleaning and applying a flexible coating.

Its $850 to $2,600 crown replacement range covers removing the old crown and forming a new reinforced concrete one. Size and access affect the price.

The same company identifies broken sections, a thin or flat crown and a missing overhang as reasons to consider replacement. Ask why the proposed method fits the damage your contractor found.

I would not compare a coating quote with a poured replacement by price alone. They buy different work, and coating an unsound crown does not rebuild it.

Repointing or Rebuilding the Brickwork

Repairing failed mortar joints keeps the sound masonry in place. Rebuilding takes down and reconstructs the affected section. A quote should identify the area or height covered by either job.

Chimney Monkey gives $7 to $10 per brick as a rough planning figure for tuckpointing. Mortar depth, matching the material and getting access to the chimney change the scope.

For rebuilding above the roofline, its planning figure is $10 to $14 per brick, with most complete projects in that category at $2,000 to $6,000. Those figures do not price a rebuild down to the foundation.

A tall chimney, several flues, a steep roof or scaffolding can change the work around the masonry. Ask whether staging, removing debris and making good the roof are included.

Kansas City-area Full Service Chimney gives a rough estimate of $550 to $2,500 for repointing or tuckpointing in its January 12, 2024 article.

That company requires an inspection before quoting a job.

What About a New Cap or Flashing?

A stainless steel masonry cap is about $320 to $450 installed at Chimney Monkey. Its prefabricated-fireplace cap range is about $700 to $950, with the model affecting the required assembly.

Those products are not interchangeable. Give the installer the fireplace details and have the cap sized for the actual chimney rather than choosing solely by a low parts price.

Chimney Monkey prices flashing work after seeing the roof. If water appears around the chimney indoors, ask whether the quote includes that roof joint or only the masonry above it.

Our roof leak repair guide covers the wider roofing job. A cap replacement does not automatically include removing and rebuilding the flashing.

What Homeowners Paid for Larger Repairs

These dated US accounts include different combinations of masonry work. They help explain a bigger total, while the original scope matters as much as the amount.

• On September 25, 2019, trail guy Mike in North Carolina described paying $3,000 for a new stone-chimney crown and tuckpointing all the way down.
• On January 31, 2023, Massachusetts member vernorz described paying $4,800 for work on two chimneys a couple of years earlier, during a roof replacement.
• In a November 11, 2021 DC Urban Moms post at 10:14, an owner described a $7,300 above-roof brickwork rebuild including a cap, new flashing and a weatherproof seal.

The Massachusetts job added height to one chimney and rebuilt the top of another. The poster specifically noted that the roofing work might have affected the price.

The DC-area job involved a tall, broad chimney after water damage. Its price includes more than the crown alone, so it would be a poor comparison for a small resurfacing quote.

Pay for an Inspection That Explains the Repair

Chimney Monkey’s Level 1 inspection is $200 to $300. Its Level 2 is around $300 and adds an internal video scan and checks of accessible attic, crawl-space and basement areas.

Its sweep costs $300 to $350 with a Level 1 inspection included. If you book that package, do not add a separate Level 1 charge to the same example.

If a chimney fire has occurred, the Chimney Safety Institute of America advises waiting to use the chimney until it has been swept and evaluated by a qualified chimney professional.

For a large repair, I would take the inspection photos and the same work description to another contractor.

Questions About Chimney Repair Prices

Where These Prices Come From

• Chimney Monkey, Chicago area, actual repair price list, checked October 27, 2026.
• Full Service Chimney, Kansas City area, repointing and tuckpointing costs, checked October 27, 2026.
• Chimney Safety Institute of America, after a chimney fire, checked October 27, 2026.
• Hearth.com and DC Urban Moms, three homeowner reports with dates and post links above, checked October 27, 2026.

I hope you can now match the repair price to the part of the chimney being fixed. If you need help understanding an estimate, email me at costcheckr@gmail.com.