Chimney Rebuilds, From the Top Courses to the Roofline

The part of a brick chimney above the roof takes the most weather and gets the least attention. Water soaks into the mortar, freezes on the 20 to 30 nights a year that drop below freezing around the Sound, and slowly loosens the top. Add the shaking of past earthquakes and many old stacks end up cracked through, leaning or held together mostly by habit.

A rebuild takes the damaged brick down to sound masonry and builds it back. In Seattle, how that is done depends on the city's chimney rule, which was written after the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. We explain what applies to your chimney before you agree to anything. Sometimes only the top few courses need to come down. Sometimes the damage runs to the roofline, and replacing the brick with a lighter metal flue makes more sense. You see the photos and the prices for each route side by side.

Signs you need this

• The chimney leans away from the house or toward the roof
• Bricks at the top are loose enough to move by hand
• Cracks run through several courses of brick, not just the mortar
• Brick or mortar pieces land on the roof or in the gutters
• Earlier patching keeps failing in the same spot

How we do it

1. Inspect and measureWe check how far down the damage goes and how high the chimney stands above the roof.
2. Explain the optionsYou get each option in writing: top courses, full rebuild above the roof, or replacing the stack with a metal flue.
3. Take down and rebuildWe remove brick to sound masonry and rebuild it, with reinforcement or bracing when the rule calls for it.
4. Crown and flashingA new crown and flashing finish the job, so the rebuilt top stays dry.

What does Seattle's chimney rule say about rebuilds?

Seattle's Director's Rule 5-2004 requires that chimney repairs use reinforced masonry or a listed factory-built metal chimney, with some exceptions. Work limited to the top 2 feet may be rebuilt as it was. A chimney more than 3 feet above the roof must be supported at two or more points, and one more than 12 feet above the roof needs an engineer's design. Work below the top of the smoke chamber means a full rebuild to current code with a permit.

The rule dates from 2004, so confirm current requirements with Seattle's Department of Construction and Inspections. Outside Seattle, we check what your city requires before work is scheduled.

What does a chimney rebuild cost?

Rebuilding the top few courses is typically $1,000 to $3,500. A full rebuild above the roofline is typically $5,000 to $15,000 or more, depending on height, width, the number of flues and whether reinforcement or bracing is needed.

A full rebuild from the roof down to the foundation is priced at the inspection, because the scope varies too much for a range to mean anything.

Is replacing the stack with a metal chimney a good idea?

Often, yes. Both Seattle's rule and FEMA's guidance on earthquake hazards name a listed metal chimney in a framed enclosure as an option. It is lighter, it does not shed brick in an earthquake, and the chase can be finished to match the house.

Some owners want the brick look kept, especially on a Craftsman or Tudor. In that case a reinforced brick rebuild keeps the appearance. We price both so you can compare.