Chimney repair in Lincoln CA - solid masonry again, before any new liner goes in
Loose joints, cracked or flaking brick, or a chimney starting to lean? We find how far the damage goes and fix the cause.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Does my chimney need a repair or a rebuild?
Chimney repair in Lincoln fixes missing, loose or cracked brick and mortar joints so your chimney stays structurally sound. Bigger jobs reline the flue, the channel the smoke goes up, or rebuild the chimney down to sound brick.
Most people call because they see something: mortar falling out of the joints, brick faces flaking off, a crack running up the side or a chimney that doesn't look straight anymore. The price and the schedule mostly turn on how far that damage runs, whether the flue needs a new liner, how hard the chimney is to reach on your roof and whether permits and inspections are part of it. Worn joints on sound brick is a much smaller job than a chimney that has to come down to the roofline. When I come out, I tell you what yours needs, what can wait and what it will cost.
How we handle chimney repair
The first job is finding out how far the damage runs, because a few loose joints and a chimney that's coming apart are two very different fixes. I go over the joints, the brick faces, the top of the chimney and where it meets the roof, then tell you which one you have. If it's the mortar, we cut out the bad joints and pack them with fresh mortar. If bricks are cracked or flaking, we replace them, and if it's gone past that, we take the chimney down to sound brick and lay it back up. We get the masonry solid before any liner work, because the liner maker's instructions say missing, loose or cracked masonry and mortar joints have to be repaired before a liner goes in. Then we clean up and you see the finished work.
Chimneys usually aren't the only brick on a house that's showing its age. If your walls have the same worn joints, we can do the tuckpointing there while we're set up, and brick repair takes care of cracked or broken brick in walls, steps and planters.
Joint and brick repair
This suits a chimney where the brick is mostly sound and the mortar is what's failing. We cut out and refill the bad joints and replace the few bricks that are broken.
Partial rebuild
This suits a chimney that's coming apart, not just wearing at the joints. We take it down to sound brick and lay it back up, so the fix goes deeper than the surface.
Masonry repair, then a new liner
This suits a chimney whose flue needs relining. We get the brick and joints solid first, so the liner goes into a chimney that's ready for it.
If brick is coming loose, cracks are growing or the chimney has started to lean, call (916) 587-8582 now rather than waiting, because loose brick up high only gets looser.
What happens when you call us about your chimney?
Here's how a chimney job runs with us, from your first call to the walk-through at the end. I'm the one who comes out to look, and I'm on site while our crew does the work.
Call or send the form
Give us a call or fill out the form, and we set a time for me to come out to your house.
I look it over in person
I check the joints, the brick and the top of the chimney, then tell you whether it's a joint repair, a rebuild or a liner job, and what can wait. The estimate lays out the work and the price, so you know what you're paying for before anything starts.
We line up the inspections
In Lincoln, any job with a permit gets at least one inspection, and the person doing the work requests them. We schedule each one and tell you when the inspector is coming.
We do the work and walk it
I run the job on site with our crew, and we clean up as we go. When it's done, we walk the finished chimney together so you can see what was fixed.
Get a free estimate for your chimney repair
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, look the chimney over and give you a free estimate, with no pressure to book.
(916) 587-8582Chimney repair permits and conditions in Lincoln
The City of Lincoln requires a building permit whenever a structure is erected, constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, improved, removed, converted or demolished, so ask how that applies to your chimney before work starts. When a job calls for a permit, we pull it with the city and tell you where it stands first. If a rebuild means placing grout or concrete in the masonry, the city inspects before that happens, so that step waits for the inspector. The city also warns that fire and liability insurance may not pay for damage in some cases where permits weren't obtained and the work doesn't meet the rules, which is one more reason not to skip it.
The city's design rules list no frost line and no snow load but put Lincoln in a high earthquake design category, so shaking, not freeze damage, is what masonry here has to stand up to. That's why we look hard at the part of the chimney above the roof and don't patch over brick that's lost its bond. We're based in Lincoln and work across the cities around it, and we see the same aging brick chimneys on jobs in Roseville and Rocklin.
Chimney repair questions from Lincoln homeowners
When does a chimney need a rebuild instead of a repair?
One pricing guide says a partial rebuild is needed once the damage goes past worn mortar joints into spalling, where the brick face flakes off, or into cracking or leaning. That means taking the chimney down to sound brick, typically to the roofline, so how far the damage runs sets the size of the job. I'll show you what I find and tell you which side of that line you're on.
Which chimney liner is best for an older brick chimney?
One pricing guide calls a stainless steel flexible liner the most common choice for an existing chimney, because it threads down through the chimney without tearing anything out. The same guide says clay tile is only practical during a rebuild, and a cast-in-place liner, which forms one seamless insulated flue, suits chimneys that are irregular or damaged.
Do I need a permit for chimney repair in Lincoln, CA?
Ask the city before work starts, because Lincoln's building permit rule covers repairs and removals as well as new work. I'll tell you at the estimate what your job involves so you know what to ask, and the permit side is ours to handle when there is one.
How much does chimney repair cost near Lincoln, CA?
Chimney repair in the Sacramento area usually costs about $600 to $8,000 per project. Repointing worn joints on sound brick sits toward the low end, and a partial rebuild or masonry work ahead of a new liner pushes toward the top. Your own number comes from the estimate, once I've looked at the chimney in person.
How do I check a chimney contractor's license in Lincoln?
Look the contractor up with the Contractors State License Board, by phone or on its website, which is where the city points homeowners. The city also says the contractor needs a current City of Lincoln business license and workers' comp and has to be bonded, and so do any subcontractors. We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to check.
What causes chimney mortar joints to fail?
Mostly years of weather and water working on old mortar until the joints wear down and loosen. Once they open up, water gets behind the brick and the damage speeds up, and a cracked top or a leak where the chimney meets the roof makes it worse. That's why I want to know why it failed before we fix it, so nobody's back out there later.
Other brick work we do around the house
If the brick walls of your house show the same sandy, recessed joints as the chimney, tuckpointing renews that mortar before water starts working behind the brick.
Cracked, chipped or loose bricks in a wall, step or planter can be cut out and replaced with new brick without taking down the whole section around them.
Describe your chimney and get an estimate
Call (916) 587-8582, email estimates@lincolnmasonryandconcrete.com or use our form, and tell us what the damage looks like and what fuel the chimney burns so I know what to look for when I come out.