Chimney repair is expensive!

[Tjm]

Time to buck up.... I’ve got two chimneys that need work. One is a dual flue on the end of the house with major spalling and a failed mud crown. Other has a class a chimney extension that i’d like to see go away. It is interior to the house and needs 4-5 ft added to it. No crazy pitches. Quotes seem to be all over the place. The guy I’m most comfortable with said $4400 for the repair job and almost $8k for the extension. That’s for red brick and a limestone top. He says never ever do a mud crown. Stone or cement only. Same cost. I can’t get my head around the extension being double the cost of the repair. I had another guy quote $2200 on the extension but think that was with a mud crown. He said the can get the double flue repaired in a long day and the extension would probably take two because of scaffolding on the roof. $12k for two chimney projects. Oof. Thoughts?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Why do you need the class A extended? How tall is the Class A chimney from stove top? What is the transition from liner to class A?

 

[xman23]

Some big numbers there. Weren't all chimneys a mud top? Mud. cement aren't the same thing? I don't see much wrong in the picture. If that chimney structurally sound it looks like it needs re pointing. I would look at those custom metal caps.

 

[Tjm]

Why do you need the class A extended? How tall is the Class A chimney from stove top? What is the transition from liner to class A?

Purpose is to extend the chimney to meet height requirement for the nearby roof peak. Roofline changed years ago and the masonry is about 20-24” below the peek within 10 ft. That got rid of a flat roof section that was prone to leaking. The class a is just sleeved into the liner as it comes out of the top plate and screwed on.

 

[Tjm]

Some big numbers there. Weren't all chimneys a mud top? Mud. cement aren't the same thing? I don't see much wrong in the picture. If that chimney structurally sound it looks like it needs re pointing. I would look at those custom metal caps.

One person said they’d do a mud top and come back and seal it a few weeks later. Other said they’re very prone to leaking and won’t do them. Only limestone or cement with an overhang like this: says he’ll guarantee it for life.