Chimney repair in Wilmington NC - a chimney that keeps water out of your house
Stains on the ceiling by the chimney or mortar crumbling from the joints? We find where the water gets in and fix that first.
- Services
- 16
- Service areas
- 12
Book a chimney repair estimate at your house
I walk the chimney, roof line and downspouts with you, then write up what I find.
Request an estimateWhy is my chimney leaking, and what will it take to fix it?
Chimney repair in Wilmington means stopping the water that's getting into your chimney and then fixing the damage it left behind. That usually means replacing worn mortar in the joints, which masons call repointing, and resealing the flashing where the chimney passes through the roof.
Most calls start with something you can see, like a brown stain on the ceiling beside the chimney, sandy grit on the roof or joints soft enough to scratch out with a key. The price turns on where the water's coming in, how much mortar has to come out, whether the flashing or the cap and crown need work too and how easy the chimney is to reach. The schedule mostly turns on how much of the chimney needs work and whether a permit or a historic district review comes into it, and I'll put your own figure in writing once I've walked it with you.
How we handle chimney repair, starting with the water
Before anyone touches a joint, I find where the water's coming from, starting with the downspouts near the chimney and the flashing where it meets the roof, because water spilling from a bad downspout can wash mortar right out of the joints. Fixing the joints without stopping the leak just means doing the job twice. At the roof line the seal should be two layers, base flashing that sits on the roof and counter flashing set into the brick and lapped over it, and if that's where your leak starts, the written estimate names both so you can see the roof joint is part of the job. Once the water's handled, our crew rakes out the worn mortar and packs in fresh mortar mixed to suit the brick that's there. Then we clean up, and I walk you around the chimney to show you what we did and why.
A chimney with tired joints usually isn't the only brick on the house that's wearing out. If the walls need the same attention, tuckpointing replaces their worn mortar too, and bricks that have cracked or started flaking at the face are a job for brick repair. I can look at both when I come out for the chimney.
Chimney repair permits and historic rules in Wilmington
Building permits for Wilmington addresses come from the New Hanover County Department of Permits & Inspections. The city's permit list names alterations and remodeling but doesn't name chimney repair, so whether your job needs one isn't settled until you ask the county. We tell you which office handles your address and help you get the paperwork together before work starts. You can apply online through COAST, the county's permitting portal, or in person at 230 Government Center Drive, Suite 170.
Historic districts add one more step. If your house is in one of the city's local historic districts or historic overlays, exterior work needs a certificate of appropriateness, which is a city approval, though the historic preservation planner may approve smaller jobs at the staff level. Outside the districts, a lot of what we see on chimneys here is older brick with soft, washed-out joints and flashing that's been patched more than once. We're based in Wilmington and work across the cities around it, and we run into the same thing on jobs in Leland and Myrtle Grove.
Why call us for chimney repair
I'm the one on your job
I come out to look at the chimney myself, and I'm on site with our crew of masons while the work gets done. The person who explained the plan to you is the one making sure it's followed.
Trained on Wilmington's older brick
I learned this trade on Wilmington jobs as another mason's right hand, then started this business in 2021, and careful mortar work on older brick is what we're best known for. On a chimney, that means new joints that match what's there instead of a gray patch you can spot from the street.
Covered for work on your roof
We're fully licensed and insured. That matters on a chimney, where our crew works up on your roof and right at the joint where water gets into your house.
- Phone
- (910) 218-9550
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
- Location
- Wilmington, NC 28403
On a chimney, what counts most is where the water goes. Call or send us a note through the contact page with your address, whether you're in a historic district and a few photos of the chimney and any ceiling stains, and I'll come take a look.
Get a written chimney repair estimate at your house
We get back to you within one business day to set a time, and the estimate is free, done at your property and obligation-free. I walk the chimney with you, show you where the water's getting in and put the estimate in writing. Photos of the chimney and any ceiling stains help me come ready.
- Phone
- (910) 218-9550
- Location
- Wilmington, NC 28403
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
- Credentials
- Fully licensed and insured.
Frequently asked questions
How much does chimney cap and crown repair cost?
Across the US, an installed chimney cap and crown repair usually costs about $600 to $2,300 per job, so treat that as a national planning number and not a Wilmington quote. Where yours lands depends on the shape the crown is in, whether the flashing or mortar needs work too and how hard the chimney is to reach. I'll put your figure in writing after I've seen it.
How often does a chimney need repointing?
One masonry pricing guide says most chimneys need repointing every 25 to 50 years, depending on the mortar type, the weather the chimney faces and how well it was built. That makes it a long-interval job you can plan for. If your joints are crumbling well ahead of that, water getting in somewhere is usually part of the story.
What causes water stains on the ceiling near my chimney?
Stains on the ceiling by the chimney usually mean water has been getting in for a while. One pricing guide groups them with white efflorescence, a chalky bloom, on the firebox and a rusted damper as signs of chronic moisture that simple tuckpointing won't fix. When I see those, we look at the whole chimney, the flashing and the drainage before pricing any mortar work.
What changes for chimney repair in a Wilmington historic district?
The city's historic standards call for repairing or rebuilding a deteriorated original chimney that's seen from a street, rather than removing it or shortening it, with repairs that blend in color, makeup and texture. Covering the brick in cement, called parging, isn't allowed in place of repointing. A metal cap is acceptable if it's unobtrusive and keeps the chimney's design as it is.
How do I know if an old chimney is safe to use again?
Have it inspected before you use it again. The city's historic design standards say chimneys that have sat unused for some time should be inspected first, because many turn out unsafe from deterioration or because they need a flue liner, the inner lining that carries smoke up and out.
What license does a chimney repair contractor need in North Carolina?
The state's Residential Contractor classification is the one that covers construction work on homes, including masonry construction and roofing specialty work. A chimney job touches both the brick and the roof, so it's fair to ask whoever you hire about their license before work starts.
Other masonry work that often goes with a chimney
Tuckpointing
If the mortar between the bricks on your walls looks sandy, recessed or patched in mismatched colors, new joints help the wall shed rain and look like one piece again.
Brick repair
Bricks that have cracked, shifted or started flaking at the face can let water behind them, and replacing them early keeps a small problem from spreading through the wall.