Chimney repair in Cupertino CA - fixed at the cause, not just patched over
Cracked crown, loose bricks or crumbling mortar up top? We find what's behind it and repair the chimney so it's sound again.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does chimney repair in Cupertino involve?
Chimney repair in Cupertino keeps your chimney, fireplace and vents sound, with cleaning, maintenance and repairs done as they're needed. The goal is a chimney that's clear of buildup and keeps a safe distance from the wood around it.
Most calls start with something you notice from the yard or the hearth, like mortar sand on the roof, a crack in the concrete cap on top or a brick that's worked loose. Sometimes the joints have just worn out, and sometimes water or a quake has gotten further in and the whole chimney needs masonry restoration. The price depends on how much of the chimney needs work, how tall it is and how easy the roof is to reach. The schedule depends on what we find once it's open and whether the city needs to review the work first. I'll walk it with you and give you a written estimate that spells out what we'll do and why.
When is chimney repair the right call?
Mortar washing out of joints
Sand on the roof or gaps between bricks up top usually means the joints are failing.
Cracked or chipped crown
The concrete cap on top sheds rain, so a crack there lets water into the brick below.
Loose or leaning top
Bricks that rock under your hand need attention soon, because the top is the part that falls.
After a fire or quake
A chimney fire or a hard shake can crack flue tiles and joints you can't see from below.
How we do chimney repair
I start by looking over the whole chimney, from the crown at the top down to the firebox, and then we go through what I found and the options for each part. If you've had a chimney fire or a quake, or you plan to sell, tell me when you call so I can look deeper. Once the work starts, our crew sets up roof access, cuts out the failing mortar and brick and rebuilds what needs it with material that matches. We repair the crown so water runs off instead of soaking in, and we finish by cleaning up the roof, the yard and the hearth.
Chimney work often turns up the same wear lower on the house. Worn joints on a wall or porch get tuckpointing, where we grind out the old mortar and pack in new, and cracked or broken bricks elsewhere get brick repair. If you'd rather start over with a new fireplace, we can talk about fireplace installation too.
Crown, brick and mortar up top
This suits a chimney where the trouble is at the roofline, like a cracked crown, washed-out joints or loose bricks near the top. Weather hits that part hardest, so that's where most repairs start.
Firebox and fire brick inside
This suits a fireplace with cracked or loose brick or open joints in the firebox, the box where the fire burns. We use fire brick and heat-rated mortar there, because ordinary brick and mortar don't hold up to that heat.
What happens when you call about chimney repair in Cupertino?
Call and describe what you see
When you call, I set up a time to come look at the chimney myself and ask what you've noticed. If I'll be checking deeper, clear a path to the attic and crawl space so I can follow the chimney through the house.
Walk it and get it written
I walk the chimney with you, then write an estimate that says what we'll do and why, so you know what you're paying for before anything starts. If the city needs to sign off, we take care of that and plan the start around its review.
Repair it and walk it again
I'm on the job with our crew while the work gets done. At the end, we walk the chimney together so you can see what was done.
Chimney repair or an earthquake retrofit?
On older brick, weigh both at the same time.
A lot of older brick chimneys were built without steel reinforcing, and FEMA warns that an unreinforced chimney can come down in a quake, either onto people outside or into the house onto people inside. A retrofit strengthens the chimney and lowers that risk, so I'd weigh it alongside any repair rather than after.
FEMA's plans range from capping the chimney at the roof or ceiling to rebuilding it above the shoulder, where it narrows, and reusing the brick firebox. Others use a factory-built insert or metal flue. If your firebox is sound, I lean toward keeping it so you keep your fireplace, and I'll tell you when a plan needs an engineer.
Examples of masonry work
Look through these examples of brick, stone and chimney masonry to get a feel for the finishes and details you might want on your house.
Get a written estimate for your chimney repair
Tell us what you've noticed and anything that's happened to the chimney lately, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out myself for a free estimate on site, with no obligation.
Why Cupertino homeowners call D&R Cupertino Concrete and Masonry for chimney repair
I look at every job myself
I come out to walk your chimney and write the estimate, and the work is done by me and our crew of masons. The person who sized up the job is the one on your roof doing it.
Fixing the cause since 2013
I started this business in 2013 after years of framing houses, so I look at how the chimney ties into the whole house. If water or a weak backing is behind the damage, you'll hear it from me before we lay a brick.
Licensed, and you can check
We're licensed and fully insured. In California, masonry work, including the fire brick that lines a firebox, has its own license from the Contractors State License Board, and you can look up any contractor there before you hire.
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job
That's the promise we make on chimney work and on everything else we build. Call (669) 215-2127 or use our estimate form to set up a visit.
Chimney questions homeowners ask
How often should a chimney be inspected?
At least once a year, according to the national fire safety standard that the Chimney Safety Institute of America follows for chimneys, fireplaces and vents. For routine years, the institute's guidance calls for a basic Level 1 inspection, usually done along with a cleaning. You can plan any repairs around what it turns up.
What should I do with my chimney after an earthquake or a chimney fire?
Book a deeper Level 2 inspection, which national chimney safety guidance recommends after a chimney or house fire, a quake, a bad storm or a malfunction likely to have caused damage. If it shows the chimney is unreinforced brick, that's a good time to weigh the retrofit options above.
How much does chimney repair cost in Cupertino?
Chimney repair in the San Jose area usually costs about $750 to $10,500 per project, and a Cupertino home can use that as a rough guide. Where yours falls depends on how much of the chimney needs work, how tall it is and how easy the roof is to reach. I'll go over yours on site and put what we'll do and why in writing.
How do I get my chimney ready before selling my house in Cupertino?
Start with a Level 2 inspection, which national chimney safety guidance recommends when a home is being sold and before a chimney is lined or relined. That way any repair plan rests on a full look instead of a guess. Call (669) 215-2127 once you have a listing date in mind so there's time for repairs.
Can I use my fireplace during a Spare the Air alert?
No. The Bay Area Air District makes it illegal to use any wood-burning device, including a fireplace, woodstove or pellet stove, while a Spare the Air Alert is in effect. Alerts go out when fine particle pollution is forecast to go above the district's limit, so plan your fires around them.
What causes a chimney to crack and lose mortar?
Water is usually behind it. It gets in through a cracked crown or worn joints at the top and works into the brick every rainy season. Ground shaking can open cracks too, and on an old chimney it's often both, so I'd rather find where the water's getting in than patch the crack and watch it come back.
Want a look at your chimney?
I'll come out, walk the chimney with you and give you a written estimate of what we'll do and why.
Other masonry work we do
What to know about chimney repair in Cupertino
Cupertino's Building Division issues permits for new construction, so plans meet local, state and federal standards and the work gets inspected. That doesn't settle whether a chimney repair like yours needs a permit, so ask the division, or ask us and we'll check with the city. When a job does need a permit, we handle the application and plan our start around the review. The city has also warned about a permit fee scam, a fake payment request going around the Bay Area, so if a fee request reaches you on a job we're handling, check with us before you pay.
Many of the chimneys we see around here are brick on older houses that have ridden out a few quakes, so I look closely at the top and at the joints along the roofline. It's the same work on jobs in Saratoga and Sunnyvale, where we see a lot of the same houses.