A Level 2 is not a government test
Share the report's findings
Use the form to tell us what was listed and we will reply with the fix.
What the word means here
Failed means a condition is listed that falls below NFPA 211 or local building code. It needs a repair before the fireplace is used. It does not mean the house is condemned or the chimney comes down. Think of it as a punch list written by someone who climbed up and looked.
The usual suspects
Much of the list starts at the top of the stack, where weather works on masonry, and we describe each one the way we would on a driveway.
- Cap missing or loose
- Crown cracked or crumbling
- Cricket missing behind the chimney
- Flashing lifted at the roof line
- Mortar open between bricks
- Liner cracked inside the flue
Smallest repair first
We show the photo, explain how the chimney is built, and then propose the least that fixes it. A crack does not always mean a rebuild. Sometimes a sealed crown and a new cap do the job. A rebuild of the stack above the roofline is what we do when nothing smaller will hold, and we say so plainly.
If a sale is involved
A buyer may request repairs, a credit or another look. The agents handle that, and we stay out of contract and legal advice.
Repairs with a price
Five repairs carry a range here: cap, leak repair, cricket alone, cricket with full flashing and gas insert. The rest come after a look.
- Cap installation
- $160 to $635
- Gas insert in your fireplace
- $2,650 to $5,300
- Cricket plus all new flashing
- $635 to $1,600
- Cricket only
- $425 to $955
- Leak repair
- $530 to $3,150
Brickwork, mortar, crowns, liners, chase covers, dampers, bare flashing, smoke chambers and fireboxes are quoted after the inspection, since we need to see them first.
About failing
Is the chimney going to fall down?
The report lists conditions to repair. It does not predict a collapse, and we explain each one with the photo in front of you.
Does every failed item need masonry work?
No. Some need a cap, some a leak repair, some a damper. We name the match.
Why are some prices missing?
They depend on the brick, the mortar and the flue, which we only see at the inspection.
Let us read it with you
Describe what the report says and we will go through it the way we would on your driveway: photos first, then the smallest repair that works.
Call (820) 345-0335