Chimney repair
The top of your chimney is cracking or leaning
Stand in the yard and look at the top of the chimney. Cracked cement on the crown, open joints above the roofline, a stain running down one side or a lean you can see from the street all call for a mason's eyes. Send us a photo and tell us which sign you see.
Tell us what you see on the wall
We help you get the repair priced by separate local masonry contractors, and tell you what to ask them first.
Three things to say before you hear a price
Say them on the phone or at the wall. The answers show how a mason works.
What shape is the crown in, and what is the fix?
You can photograph the crown from the ground.
How is the flashing at the roof joined and sealed?
Flashing is where roof water meets the brick.
Will the flue liner be looked at before the work?
NFPA 211 says to inspect chimneys at least once a year.
$100 off your first job
Book your first repair through us and take $100 off.
The $100 comes out of our fee; the mason's price stays the same.
Each customer gets one credit per property.
Book the first repair by December 31, 2026, to use it.
Say you hold the credit as you book; we confirm it before work starts.
The Soft Joint promise
- Asking us is free, and asking never ties you to anything.
- We never charge you for the introduction.
- Your $100 credit is honored exactly as our Terms say.
- If an introduction goes wrong, we help you sort it out.
The masonry work is between you and the mason you hire.
Masonry Contractors Syracuse, (315) 640-3590
What you see when this is the next call
The crown is cracked or crumbling
The cement slab on top is meant to shed water. Cracks let rain into the stack, so ask about a sloped cap with a drip edge.
Joints above the roofline are open
This part of the chimney gets a lot of rain and freezing. Ask which mortar type fills the joints and how deep they are cut.
The top leans or bricks have shifted
A leaning top needs a mason's eyes. Keep people and stored items clear of the area below, do not lean a ladder against it, and have a mason or engineer look at it soon.
A stain runs down one side
A damp stripe from the top down shows water getting into the stack. Ask where it enters before anyone patches the stain.
Water shows where the chimney meets the roof
Flashing at the roof line sends water away. A stain on the ceiling nearby makes it a question to ask early.
Where water gets into the top of the stack
- Crown or cap
Sloped to shed water, with an overhang that drips clear of the brick.
- Joints above the roof
Raked out and refilled with a softer mix, cut deep enough to hold.
- Flashing
Metal worked into the brick and over the roof so water runs off.
- The shaft
Check for loose courses and stains running down the stack.
Straight answers about chimney repair
Should I call someone for a hairline crack in the cap?
Water can get in through even a fine crack. Take a dated photo now, and ask a mason to look at it before the next freeze.
What does the cap on a chimney do?
It sheds rain and snow off the top of the brick and keeps water out of the stack. Ask whether yours slopes to shed water and has a drip edge.
Is a leaning chimney a rush?
Keep people and stored items clear of it, and have a mason or engineer look at it soon. Do not climb up to check. Send us a photo from the ground.
Can the joints be repaired without taking the chimney down?
Sometimes, when the brick itself is sound. Ask which mortar goes in the joints and how the mason keeps new work from getting wet while it sets.
Why is chimney work priced so differently?
Height, roof access and how much of the top comes down all move the number. Ask each mason to list what is in the price and how they reach the work.
Does this page cover liners and sweeping?
No. Those are different trades. This page covers the masonry of the stack: the cap, the joints, the brick and the flashing.
Is it really this sign?
The marked tile, Loose chimney top, is the sign this page covers.
What your house's age changes
Older city brick
Older chimneys can be soft brick, and early 1900s mortar may already be portland. Ask the mason what mortar goes into the joints above the roof, and why.
Village cores
Village centers have chimneys of many ages on one street. Ask whether yours is the original stack or a later rebuild.
Post-war houses
Newer houses may have a chimney beside a block foundation, and the Census does not record wall types. Ask the mason to name yours, then ask about the crown and the flashing.
Basis: NPS Technical Preservation Services, Preservation Brief 2 U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year, B25034 and B25035, Onondaga County
What the work includes
Crown or cap repair
The top is rebuilt or replaced so it slopes to shed water and overhangs the sides.
Joints above the roof
Loose mortar is raked out and refilled with a mix chosen for your brick.
Loose or broken brick
Damaged units are swapped, and the courses around them are rebuilt level.
Flashing at the roof
The metal where the stack meets the roof is checked and reset so water runs off.
Taking down and rebuilding the top
When the upper courses are too loose to save, the mason may rebuild them.
What looks alike but is another job
Liners, sweeping and fireplace inspections
Those are separate trades, and this site does not rate or inspect flues.
Stone veneer and outdoor fireplaces
Other companies do that work. This site does not cover it.
A crack over a window
That can point to the lintel. See lintel repair.
- The crown
The slab across the top, with a crack in its corner.
- The flue liner
The pipe that shows above the crown.
- The stack
Brick and mortar joints below the crown.
- The flashing
Metal where the chimney meets the roof.
- The water
Rain and melting snow landing on the top of the stack.
First call to finished wall
Send what you see
Share a photo from the yard and say where the roof meets the chimney.
Hear each mason's plan
Ask whether they would repair the top or rebuild it, and what that means for your brick.
Compare how they reach it
Roof access, ladders and scaffolding change the quote, so ask how each mason gets up there.
Book and keep the paper
Book your mason, and keep the written mortar type and flashing detail.
The paper trail for this repair
The repair or the rebuild
The contract should say which part of the chimney comes down and which stays.
The mortar type
Ask for the type in writing for every joint above the roof.
The cap and the flashing
Have the cap shape and the flashing work described, not just priced.
Why the top fails before the rest
A chimney stands in the open with nothing to shelter it. Rain hits every face, snow sits on the cap, and the sun and wind dry it out unevenly. At the Syracuse airport, about 84 days a year bring a freezing night followed by a thaw, so the top works through many refreeze swings.
Water that gets into a joint expands as it freezes and pushes the brick apart. Ask the mason where the water is getting in, and show them any stain or crack you have seen from the ground.
Basis: Chimney Safety Institute of America, Homeowner Resources (quoting NFPA 211) NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Syracuse Hancock International Airport (USW00014771)
Repair the top or take it down
A mason can repair a cracked crown and open joints without disturbing the stack. When the upper courses are loose, the better answer may be to take them down and rebuild them.
Ask each mason which they would do, how many courses are involved and why. If one quotes a rebuild and another a repair, ask each to explain the difference in your terms. The guide below covers that choice in more detail.
Flashing is where the roof meets the brick
Flashing is the metal that lets water run off the roof without finding a way into the house beside the stack. If it is loose or rusted, new brickwork can still end up wet.
Ask whether the quote includes the flashing and whether a mason or a roofer would do it. The answer shows you whether the person quoting thinks about the whole chimney or only the brick.
Height changes the way the job is done
Federal rules require fall protection for anyone working on a scaffold more than 10 feet up. A mason working on a two-story chimney needs a plan for that, and the plan shows up in your quote.
Ask how the mason gets to the top and how long the scaffolding stays. A clear answer tells you they have thought about the access. Ask whether scaffolding or a lift is a separate line in the quote.
What you can check from the ground
Look at the chimney from two sides, with binoculars if you have them. Note any lean, shifted bricks, stains running down the stack and weeds growing in the joints. Look at the ceiling and the wall near the chimney inside for a damp stain.
Do not climb up to check. Photograph what you see and send it with your request, and tell the masons which side of the house the chimney is on. They can plan the access before they quote.
Why two quotes can differ
- Height drives the price, because roof access and scaffolding are part of every chimney job.
- Handwork drives the cost, since brick is cut out and set by hand.
- The size of the stack matters: if yours is wide, with two flues, it takes more material and more time.
- How much of the top comes down changes the quote, so ask each mason how many courses they would take down.
- Roof pitch and the weather on the day change how long the crew can work up there.
Find this repair in your town
Guides that go with it
Any sign
Historic brick: district review and the state credit
Review boards, the state tax credit and brick repair.
Any sign
Why repointing costs what it costs
Labor, height and scope: why quotes differ.
Loose chimney top
Repair your chimney or rebuild it
Repair or rebuild: the questions that decide it.
Any sign
What your masonry contract has to say
What a New York home improvement contract must say.
Ask about the crown and flashing first.