Crumbling joints, a cracked crown or a stain on the ceiling by the chimney? We find where water gets in and fix that spot.
Chimney repair in Summerville means finding where water gets into the chimney and stopping it. That usually means repointing worn mortar joints, repairing the crown and replacing the flashing where the chimney meets the roof, so the brick stays sound and the leak stops.
Most calls start with something you can see. It might be mortar crumbling out of the joints, a cracked crown, which is the cap on top of the chimney, or a water stain on the ceiling beside it. The price depends on how much mortar has to come out, whether the flashing gets replaced and whether a drainage problem has to be fixed first.
The schedule usually depends on what we find once the old joints are open and on any permit or approval your address needs. Your written estimate lists the materials, the steps and anything not included, so you can compare it side by side with other quotes. South Carolina requires a state specialty registration for repair work in a specialized trade once a job runs over $500, so ask each mason you're comparing what they hold.
New mortar is only as good as the plan behind it. These are the three things I'd want any homeowner to understand before they compare chimney repair quotes.
A leaking downspout can wash mortar right out of brick, so the downspout and any other drainage problem get repaired before the joints are redone. If water keeps hitting the chimney's base, fresh mortar won't last long. That drainage work belongs in the plan and the budget alongside the masonry.
Straight portland cement and sand mortar is extremely hard and doesn't let water move through it. It also shrinks as it sets and moves a lot as temperatures change. Those traits decide which mix suits a chimney, so ask every mason you talk to which mortar they plan to use and why.
The base of the chimney, the place where it meets the roof and the crown are where trouble usually starts. When anyone looks over your chimney, ask them what they found at each of those three spots, and expect a plain answer for each one.
Here's how a chimney repair goes with us, from the first call to the final walk-around, and who handles each part along the way.
Call (843) 376-1285 or use the contact form. Tell us your address and whether the house is in the Historic District. Photos of the crown and the mortar joints help if you can take them.
I come out, look the chimney over, measure it and ask what you need it to do. You get a written estimate that spells out the materials and the steps.
Before we start, I check with the office that covers your address about permits. Our crew does the work, and I check it as it goes so problems get caught before the next step.
When the work is done, we walk it with you so you can see the joints, the crown and any new flashing. We leave the site clean before we go.
On every chimney I look over the crown, the base and the spot where the chimney meets the roof, and I tell you what I found at each one. That way you know what's sound and what isn't before you decide anything. Where the joints have worn away, we cut the old mortar out and repoint with mortar chosen to suit your brick.
When we reflash, the estimate names the metal we plan to use, so you can hold it up against other quotes. If some bricks are cracked or broken, they need brick repair before new joints around them are worth doing. If the worn mortar runs past the chimney and across your walls, we can quote tuckpointing for the rest of the house too.
This works when the damage sits in one area, such as the joints just above the roof line. It costs less, but new mortar can look different from old mortar for a while.
This makes sense when joints are failing on several sides. You get an even look and one mortar throughout, and I'd pick it over chasing patches every few years.
Send the form and expect a reply within 1 business day. The estimate is free and done on site, with no pressure to book. I'll come out, measure the chimney and give you a written estimate with the materials, the steps and anything not included.
(843) 376-1285Who handles the permit depends on whether your address sits inside city limits or in the county. Inside the city, permits and inspections go through the Town of Summerville Building Department. In the county, Dorchester County Building Services issues residential permits, including for renovations. Which chimney work needs a permit isn't settled for every job, so we check with the office that covers your address and handle the permit and inspections when the job needs them.
In Summerville's Historic District, the Board of Architectural Review has to approve changes to a building before a permit application goes in, so plan for that step first. For a city permit, you and we both sign a contract or scope of work, and it has to be uploaded before the permit can be issued. We help you line up the board's approval, or your HOA's, before the permit.
Many of our calls come from owners of older brick homes, where the chimney is often the first place worn mortar shows. We do the same chimney work in Ladson and Goose Creek, with the same check on which office covers the address.
I learned brick, block and stone with a big commercial outfit, where every course got measured and checked before anyone started the next one. I started this business in Summerville in 2013, and for 13 years I've worked the same way on homes. I come out and measure your chimney myself. Our own crew does the work, and I check it as it goes.
We're fully licensed and insured. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job. I'd rather spend an extra hour checking a flashing joint than have you find a leak down the road. To get started, call (843) 376-1285 or send us the contact form.
If the mortar on your house walls is wearing like the chimney's, doing the walls at the same time keeps the joints matching across the whole house.
Cracked, broken or flaking bricks on a chimney or wall have to be cut out and replaced before fresh mortar around them will do much good.
We're based in Summerville and work across the cities around it in Dorchester, Berkeley and Charleston counties. If your city isn't listed below, we're still glad to hear from you.
Chimney repair in the Charleston metro area usually costs about $450 to $6,500 per project. That's the usual range in the area, not our price. Where your job lands depends on how much mortar comes out, the flashing and any drainage work, and your written estimate puts your own figure on it.
Repointing, also called pointing, removes the deteriorated mortar from the brick joints and replaces it with new mortar. You end up with fresh joints where the old ones had worn away. Most of the work is cutting out the old mortar cleanly before new mortar goes in.
Brick industry guidance advises against galvanized steel flashing and rules out aluminum in brick, because alkalis in fresh mortar attack aluminum. That leaves the choice of metal as a real difference between quotes. Ask every contractor you're comparing which metal they plan to use.
If the work reaches inside, move or cover the furniture and rugs near the fireplace. One liner maker advises this for chimney cleaning and liner installation because chimneys are usually very sooty and dusty. For outside work, clear a path to the side of the house where the chimney stands.
Most of the wait usually comes before the masonry starts. Any Historic District or HOA approval comes before the permit, and a leaking downspout gets fixed before new joints go in. After that, the time depends on what we find once the old mortar is cut out.
Loose mortar keeps washing out each time water runs over it, so call (843) 376-1285 or use the contact form while the repair is still small.
