Chimney repair in Manchester NH - a chimney that keeps rain out of your house
Water stains by the chimney or mortar washing out of the joints? We find where the water gets in and fix that.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does chimney repair involve, and what drives the price?
Chimney repair in Manchester, NH means fixing the parts that let water in, usually the crown on top, the flashing where the chimney meets the roof, or the mortar joints between the bricks, so rain stops reaching your ceilings and the brick stops breaking down.
Most people call after they spot a stain on the ceiling near the chimney or bits of mortar on the roof, and they want to know how big the problem really is. The price turns on which of those three parts is failing, whether the crown can be patched or has to be rebuilt, and how much of the chimney needs new mortar. The schedule turns on how much there is to do and on getting dry, mild days for mortar and coating work. You get your own figure in writing once I've seen the chimney, and sometimes it's a smaller job than you feared.
How can you tell your chimney needs repair?
Stain near the chimney
A brown stain or damp patch on the ceiling or wall next to the chimney means water is getting past the crown, the flashing or the joints. The longer it runs, the more it soaks framing and drywall, which turns a masonry fix into an inside repair too.
Cracked or crumbling crown
The crown is the concrete cap on top that sheds rain away from the brick, and cracks or missing chunks let water straight down into the chimney. Caught early it can often be patched, but left alone it breaks up until only a rebuild will do.
Mortar grit on the roof
Sand in the gutters or on the shingles below the chimney, or joints that look scooped out, means the mortar is washing away. It wears deeper every year, and once the joints open up, water gets into the bricks and starts loosening them.
Flaking or streaked brick
Brick faces popping off, or white powder streaking down the chimney, means water is moving through the masonry. Damaged bricks don't heal, so the sooner the water is stopped, the fewer bricks need replacing.
How we handle chimney repair
Before I quote anything, I check the crown, the flashing and the mortar joints, because most chimney leaks we chase come down to one of those three, and fixing the wrong one just moves the leak somewhere else. Then I'll tell you plainly whether your crown can be patched or needs to be rebuilt. On the job we work from the top down, so the crown is sound before we reset the flashing at the roof line and repoint the joints that have worn back, cutting out the old mortar and packing in new.
A chimney's problems often show up on the house too. If the joints on your walls are wearing the same way, tuckpointing renews them, and bricks with cracked or flaking faces call for brick repair, which we can usually take care of on the same trip.
Crown patch and seal
This suits a crown that has small cracks but is still in one piece, and we clean it, fill the cracks and coat it so it sheds water again. It costs less than a rebuild and keeps a sound crown working.
Crown rebuild
When the crown is broken up or missing chunks, we take it off and form and pour a new one that sits past the edge of the brick so water drips clear. It's a bigger job, but a patch on a crown in that shape won't hold.
Flashing repair
If the leak shows up after rain at the roof line, we reset or replace the metal where the chimney passes through the roof so water can't run in behind it. It's often the cheapest of the three fixes and the one most often missed.
Repointing the chimney
For joints that are crumbling or worn back, we grind out the old mortar and pack in new mortar suited to your brick. It keeps water out of the wall and holds the bricks tight.
Get a written plan for your chimney repair
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. The on-site estimate is free with no obligation, and I'll put what I'd fix, and why, in writing.
(603) 314-0526- Based in
- Manchester, NH 03104
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about chimney repair in Manchester?
Here's how a chimney job runs from your first call to the final walk-around, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send a message
Call (603) 314-0526 or use the form, and tell us what you're seeing, whether that's a stain, a drip or loose mortar. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I find what's causing it
I look the chimney over, hunt down where the water is really getting in and write up what I'd fix and why, with the price. If a smaller fix will do, I'll tell you so.
You say go, we start
Once you approve the work, we sort out the permit side with the city and then do the repair. Mortar and coating work needs suitable weather, so a rainy stretch can move the start date.
Walk the finished chimney together
When we're done, we walk the job with you and show you what was fixed. We clean up what came down off the roof before we leave.
Why Manchester homeowners call us about their chimneys
I quote it and I build it
I'm the one who comes out, looks at your chimney and writes the estimate, and I'm on the crew that does the repair. Nothing gets lost between what I told you and what gets done.
Learned on older buildings
I learned this trade doing upkeep for a property management company, patching brick, chimneys and foundations on a lot of older buildings, and we started this business in 2023. That's where I got in the habit of finding out why something failed before fixing it.
Licensed and fully insured, every job
We're licensed and fully insured, so you aren't carrying the risk while our crew is up on your roof. Ask about it at the estimate and I'll walk you through it.
Based right here in Manchester
We're based in Manchester and work in many of the cities around it, including some just over the line in Massachusetts. Getting someone out to look at your chimney doesn't mean waiting on a crew from far off.
A chimney fix only lasts when it's aimed at where the water actually gets in. Tell us about your chimney or call (603) 314-0526.
Chimney, brick and permit work in Manchester
Manchester's Building Division handles plan review and permit approval for building work, and it sends inspectors out to check work in the field. Whether a given chimney repair needs a permit isn't something I guess at, so we check with the Building Division before work starts and take care of the paperwork when your job needs one.
A lot of the chimneys we climb around here sit on older houses, and the trouble is usually worn joints, a crown someone sealed over with tar, or flashing that was never set right, more often than the brick itself. We see the same mix on jobs in Bedford and Goffstown, and we work it out the same way, from the top of the crown down.
Chimney repair questions from Manchester homeowners
How much does chimney crown repair cost in Manchester, NH?
Across the US, a chimney cap, crown repair and waterproofing job, installed, usually costs about $550 to $2,300. That's the market's range, not our quote, and where your job lands depends on whether the crown can be patched or must be rebuilt and whether the flashing or joints need work too. I'll give you your own figure in writing after I've seen the chimney.
When does a chimney crown need to be replaced instead of repaired?
Industry guidance on chimney crowns says a crown needs replacing when it's broken into pieces, has large chunks missing, or can no longer hold a coating product. If yours shows any of those, plan on a rebuild rather than a coating, because that sets the size of the job. Many coating products also have to go on at 45°F or warmer, so coating work waits for a day at least that warm.
Can I seal cracks in my chimney crown with tar or silicone?
No, the same industry guidance says crown crack repairs made with tar or silicone sealants will fail. When you get quotes, ask each contractor what product they plan to put on the cracks.
How do I know my chimney needs repointing?
Industry guidance says repointing is needed when mortar has eroded more than ¼ inch, is crumbling, has hairline cracks or gaps, or when bricks are cracked along with the joints, and it leaves the final call to a masonry expert's look. Mortar lasts roughly 25 to 50 years while brick lasts 100 years or more, so an older chimney can need new joints long before its bricks are done. The new mortar has to be weaker than the brick, because mortar that's stronger makes the brick faces spall, or break off.
What causes a chimney to leak into the house?
Most chimney leaks come from the crown, the flashing where the chimney passes through the roof, or worn mortar joints, and industry guidance names flashing as often bad and a common source of leaks. Brick industry guidance from 2005 calls for both base flashing on the roof and counter flashing set into the brick over it, so if you have a leak, ask whether both are in place.
Where do I get a building permit in Manchester, NH?
Permits come from the city's Building Division, and you can find the applications on the city's permit applications page. If you'd rather have a paper application mailed to you, contact the Planning & Community Development Department at 603-624-6450 or PCD@ManchesterNH.gov. When a chimney job of ours needs one, we handle it.
Related masonry work for your chimney and walls
If the mortar on your house walls is wearing the same way as the chimney's, tuckpointing renews those joints so water stops working into the brick.
Bricks that are cracked, loose or shedding their faces need to be cut out and replaced, on a chimney or anywhere else on your house's walls.
Service areas for chimney repair around Manchester
Capstone Manchester Concrete and Masonry is based in Manchester, New Hampshire, and does chimney repair in the 12 cities listed below, including Nashua and Concord, plus others nearby. Pick yours for local details, or call and ask if you don't see it.
Manchester, NH
Send us photos of your chimney
A few pictures of the crown, the flashing and the joints, plus a note on where the leak shows up inside, tell me what to look at first when I come out.