Philadelphia and Delaware County

Chimney masonry in Philadelphia and Delaware County

Chimney masonry covers repointing, rebuilding, crowns, caps and the flashing where the chimney meets the roof.

What the work involves

A chimney takes weather on five sides and is the first masonry on a house to fail. Work runs from sealing a hairline crack in the concrete crown, through repointing the stack, to taking the chimney down to the roofline and rebuilding it in matching brick. Access drives the price as much as the masonry does: a stack three feet above a low rowhome roof and the same stack on a three-story twin are different jobs. If the chimney still vents a heater or a water heater, the flue and the liner matter as much as the brick.

Signs you need it

Mortar crumbling out between the chimney bricks
A cracked or crumbling concrete top, which is the crown
The stack leaning, or the top courses loose
Water staining a ceiling or wall near the chimney after heavy rain
Brick or mortar debris in the fireplace or on the roof
A rusted or missing cap

What chimney masonry costs

Philadelphia-area published figures. Fewer sources agree on this one. Read it as directional.

Repointing a small section of a chimney: $200–$600
Repointing the full chimney face: $800–$2,500
Sealing a cracked crown: $150–$400
Replacing the crown: $800–$1,500
Rebuilding the chimney above the roofline: $1,500–$5,000
A full chimney rebuild: $5,000–$15,000

These come from one Philadelphia chimney company’s published pricing. A regional guide covering the Washington area quotes $2,000–$6,000 for chimney repointing, which is above the Philadelphia low end. Treat the bottom of these ranges as optimistic for a full-face job.

Sources: Franklin Chimney, chimney repair cost in Philadelphia; Rose Restoration, masonry cost guide. Published cost guides, not audited data. Mortarook does not set prices.

What a mason needs before a price is real

Any number given over the phone without seeing the wall is a guess. These are the things that change the price, and the questions Mortarook asks you so that the masons who see your project can quote it properly.

Photographs from the ground and, if anyone has them safely, from the roof
How far the chimney stands above the roof
Whether it still vents a fireplace, a heater, or nothing
Whether water is coming in, and where it shows
Whether the roof around it is sound

Why this is a mason’s job

Chimney work is sold hard by companies that do inspections as a sales call, and "your chimney needs rebuilding" is one of the most common overquotes in home services. It is also genuinely the most dangerous masonry on the house when it is left. Photographs and a second opinion are worth more here than anywhere else.

How Mortarook works

You describe the job once: the service, your ZIP code, a few words about what you are seeing, and photographs if you have them. Mortarook writes your description back in trade language so you can check it, then matches you with a maximum of three local masonry contractors whose registered services, service area and project size fit.

Every contractor listed as a Verified Pro has had their Pennsylvania home improvement contractor registration checked against the Attorney General’s public registry, and has a certificate of insurance on file with us. Your phone number and street address are seen only by the pros who accept your project. We do not sell your information and there is never a fourth contractor.

Where chimney masonry comes up most

These are the towns and neighborhoods in our service area whose housing stock generates this work most often.

Other masonry work

Brick repointing Brick repair Stone pointing Stone repair Lintel replacement Foundation masonry Stucco and exterior masonry Masonry waterproofing Other masonry restoration

Get up to three masons to look at your chimney masonry

Answer the questions once and up to three verified local masonry contractors see your project. Expect a call or an email within two business days.

Find My Contractors

Free for homeowners. No account and no password. Your phone number and address reach only the pros who accept your project, and never more than three. Contractors pay nothing to join and nothing to read your project.

Mortarook is free for homeowners. Masons pay no membership and nothing per project. When a contractor wins work through Mortarook they pay a success fee of 5% of the final project value, capped at $750, once. We never touch the money between you and your mason.