Chimney repair in Cedar Rapids IA - a sound chimney from the crown down
Loose brick, crumbling mortar or a cracked crown at the top? We repair the masonry so your chimney is solid and sound again.
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Does my chimney need repair, and what does the job involve?
Chimney repair in Cedar Rapids, IA, means fixing missing, loose or cracked brick and mortar joints so your chimney stays structurally sound. It's worth doing on a schedule, because cracks left in place can let smoke into the house or expose parts of the chimney to heat that may start a fire.
Most calls start with something you can see from the yard, like a few bricks out of line, mortar washing out of the joints or a crown at the top that has cracked. The price turns on how much brick and mortar has to come out, how tall the chimney is and how hard the roof is to work on, and the schedule turns on how much rebuilding the chimney needs and when our crew can start. We're based in Cedar Rapids and work in many of the cities around it, and after I've looked at your chimney, my written estimate tells you what I'd repair and why.
How we handle chimney repair
I look at the whole chimney before I quote, because loose brick or cracked mortar near the top is easy to miss from the yard. Once we've agreed on the work, our crew resets or replaces missing and loose brick, cuts out and refills cracked mortar joints and repairs the crown where it needs it. If a new liner is planned, we finish the masonry repairs first so the liner goes into a sound chimney.
Chimney work often leads to the rest of the house. When the joints on your walls have softened or cracked, tuckpointing cuts the old mortar out to an even depth and fills the joint with new mortar, and it may be needed then because moisture can get in through worn mortar. If bricks elsewhere are cracked or broken, brick repair replaces them so the wall is whole again.
Chimney repair in Cedar Rapids and what gets checked first
Iowa's contractor registration office, the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing, advises contacting the city or county government on every project to learn the local requirements. So before chimney work starts in Cedar Rapids, we check with the city, and I tell you what we found and who will handle it. That way the rules for your job are known before the first brick comes out, and the registration question is answered in the questions further down.
Many of the chimneys we look at here sit on older brick houses, where the repair has to suit the wall around it so new mortar doesn't stand out against the old brick. We do the same careful work on jobs in Marion and Hiawatha, and in other cities nearby.
- Call (319) 536-8125
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
- Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
What happens when you call R&S Cedar Rapids Concrete & Masonry in Cedar Rapids?
Call or send us a message
Thank you for reaching out. We get back to you, hear what you've noticed and set a time for me to come out.
I look over the whole chimney
I check it from the crown at the top down to where it meets the roof, and ask about anything you've seen inside. Then I write up what I'd repair and why, so you know before any work begins what needs doing now and what can wait.
We set the start date
After the city check described above, we set a day for the crew to start. If you're also planning a new liner, we line up the masonry repairs ahead of it.
We repair it and tidy up
The crew and I do the work, cover it at the end of each day and leave your yard tidy. When we're done, I walk you through what we repaired.
Why homeowners in Cedar Rapids call us about their chimney
The owner writes your estimate
I come out to look at each job and write the estimate myself, and the same small crew I work alongside does the repair. The person who studied your chimney is the one up there fixing it.
Licensed and insured for this work
We're licensed and insured. Iowa treats chimney repair as construction work, so it's fair to ask any contractor about both before they set a ladder against your house.
In business since 2023
I framed houses as a carpenter for years, then learned masonry beside an experienced mason until I could run jobs on my own. That taught me to get the hidden parts right, like the crown and flashing, so the work holds up after we've gone.
Told plainly what can wait
If a few cracks can wait, I'll tell you so rather than sell you a bigger job. You get an honest picture of your chimney and can plan the work on your own timing.
When you're ready, ask for an estimate and I'll come take a look at your chimney.
Request an estimateGet a written plan for your chimney repair
Thank you for sending your details. We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out, and the on-site estimate is free with no obligation. I look over the whole chimney, ask what you've noticed and write up what I'd do and why.
- Licensed and insured.
- Phone
- (319) 536-8125
- Location
- Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
Questions about chimney repair in Cedar Rapids
How often should my chimney be inspected?
At least once a year, with repairs done if the inspection finds a need. That's the national fire safety standard the Chimney Safety Institute of America follows, and it applies if you heat with gas too, because bird nests or other debris can block the flue.
Which chimney inspection level do I need?
If you're planning a new liner, selling the house or recovering from a chimney fire or a storm, the industry's inspection procedure points to a Level 2. A Level 2 adds a video scan of the inside of the flue that a Level 1 leaves out, so a clean Level 1 report doesn't prove there are no cracks higher up.
What does chimney repair cost in Cedar Rapids?
Across the US, a typical chimney cap and crown repair, installed, usually costs about $550 to $2,400 per job. That's a national figure for that one repair, not our price, and your cost depends on how much brick and mortar needs work, how tall the chimney is and how hard the roof is to reach. I'll give you a written figure for your chimney after I've looked it over.
Does a chimney contractor need to register in Iowa?
Yes, if they earn at least $2,000 a year from construction, because Iowa's rules count repairs as construction, so chimney repair is included. A homeowner working only on their own property doesn't have to register.
How do I get my house ready for chimney work?
Move or cover the furniture and rugs near the fireplace, since the inside of a chimney is usually very sooty and dusty, which is what one liner maker advises whenever a chimney is cleaned. If you've booked a Level 2 inspection, also clear a path to the attic, basement, crawl space and roof, because that inspection covers those areas too.
What is the best way to plan chimney repair before a new liner?
Plan and budget for the masonry repairs first, because one liner maker's instructions require an inspection confirming the chimney is structurally sound before a new liner goes in. Missing, loose or cracked brick and mortar joints get fixed ahead of the liner, so it helps to ask for both on the same estimate.
Other masonry work around your house
Tuckpointing
If the mortar on your house walls has turned soft, sandy or cracked, fresh joints help keep moisture out of the brick and steady the wall.
Brick repair
When single bricks on a wall, step or chimney base have cracked or come loose, we swap them for brick that matches the wall around them.
Book a look at your chimney
Call (319) 536-8125 or use the contact form, and if you have your fuel type and any recent inspection report handy, I can see what's already been found before I come out.
Request an estimateCall (319) 536-8125