Chimney rebuilding, renovation and restoration

Some chimneys need more than a repair. When patching stops being honest, the stack comes down to a sound course and goes back up.

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A rebuilt chimney crown with a new stainless steel cap installed

When a rebuild is the right answer

Years of moisture, settling, or previous improper work cause damage that mortar alone will not solve. The test is simple: if a repair would sit on top of a structure that is already failing, it is not a repair, it is a delay.

Partial rebuilding — down to a sound course and back up
Complete rebuilding, when the stack is past saving
Brick replacement and mortar restoration
Chimney crown rebuilding
Fireplace and exterior masonry restoration
Historic-style restoration on older houses
Removal and replacement of deteriorated sections

We preserve what is worth preserving

The goal is to keep as much of the existing chimney as is practical and rebuild only what has to be rebuilt. On a pre-war Seattle or Tacoma house that matters twice over: the brick and the proportions are part of the building, and a rebuild that ignores them reads as a repair forever.

Before major work starts you get the condition of the chimney, the recommended scope, the materials and how the project will run — in writing. A rebuild is the most expensive thing on this website, and nobody should approve one from a verbal estimate.

Questions about rebuilds

How do I know if I need a rebuild instead of a repair?

An inspection decides it, not a guess from the ground. The usual signals are brick that has lost its faces across a large area, mortar that is gone rather than receding, a crown that has broken up, and movement or leaning in the stack itself.

Can you match the existing brick?

Usually close, sometimes exactly. On older houses the original brick is often out of production, so we match by size, colour range and texture, and we show you the option before it goes up.

Do I need a permit?

It depends on the jurisdiction and the scope. We will tell you what the job needs before it starts rather than after.

How long does it take?

A partial rebuild is usually a matter of days, weather permitting. A full rebuild is longer. Roof access and the season both matter, and we schedule around what is actually workable.

Start with an inspection, not a quote.

Nobody should approve a rebuild without knowing exactly what is being rebuilt and why.