South Philadelphia, ZIP codes 19145, 19146, 19147, 19148
Chimney masonry in South Philadelphia, PA
Chimney masonry covers repointing, rebuilding, crowns, caps and the flashing where the chimney meets the roof.
What South Philadelphia houses are built of
Miles of two-story rowhomes, largely 1890s to 1930s, in brick with steel lintels and, on a great many blocks, formstone or stucco applied over the original brick in the middle of the last century.
Front-elevation repointing, rusted lintels over front windows and doors, marble and brick step repair, and stucco or formstone coatings that have started letting water in behind them.
What chimney masonry involves here
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.
These are published regional figures, not a quote for your house in South Philadelphia. Access, height, how much of the original mortar is gone and what a previous repair left behind move the price more than the town does.
What a mason needs before a price is real
- 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
Getting three masons to South Philadelphia
Describe the job once: the service, your South Philadelphia ZIP code, a few words, and photographs if you have them. Mortarook writes your description back in trade language for you to check, then matches you with a maximum of three local masonry contractors whose registered services and service area cover your ZIP 19145, 19146, 19147, 19148.
Every 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. Your phone number and address are seen only by the pros who accept your project. There is never a fourth contractor, and we do not sell your information.
Mortarook is new in South Philadelphia. If fewer than three verified masons cover your ZIP code for this work, we tell you that plainly with a date rather than leaving you waiting.
Other masonry work common in South Philadelphia
Get up to three South Philadelphia masons to look at it
Answer the questions once. Up to three verified local masonry contractors see your project, and you can expect a call or an email within two business days.
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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.
Mortarook covers Philadelphia, Delaware County and the immediately adjacent suburbs. See every service on the masonry services index or every town on the service area page. 10 services, 14 towns and neighborhoods.