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Chimney Stack Rebuild in Seattle, WA
The exposed stack above your roof takes all the weather and fails first. We rebuild just that section, roof to cap, and leave the sound chimney below alone.
- Free 2nd-opinion quotes
- Price match + 10–25% discount
- Same-day service often available
Request a Free Chimney Stack Rebuild Quote
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The stack is the part of the chimney you can see from the street: everything above the roof deck, standing in the rain and wind on all four sides with nothing sheltering it. The chimney below the roof lives inside the attic and walls, stays dry, and usually lasts the life of the house. The stack does not. It is where crowns crack, joints wash out, brick spalls and the top courses eventually loosen. A stack rebuild replaces that exposed section, and only that section, with new brick on top of the sound chimney below.
This is the most common rebuild we do in the Seattle area, and it gets its own page because the scope is so specific. The tear-down stops at the roofline, the new brick has to bond to and match the old, the flue liner has to be carried up through the new courses and tied into what is below, and the roof has to be opened at the flashing and closed again watertight. Our broader chimney rebuild page covers everything from top-course work to a rebuild from the footing; this page is about the roof-to-cap job.
We rebuild stacks across Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and all of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Free quote, free second opinion, and we price match plus 10-25% off.
Symptoms
Signs you need chimney stack rebuild
- Damage that stops at the roofline: the stack looks rough while the chimney in the attic or basement is fine
- Loose or missing bricks at the top of the stack, or bricks found on the roof
- Spalling and washed-out joints on every face of the stack, not just one
- A crown broken into pieces and top courses that wobble with it
- The stack leans or twists slightly relative to the roof while the base below is plumb
- A roofer has refused to re-flash the chimney because the brick above the roof will not hold
Common causes
- Exposure: the stack is wetted by rain on all sides and freezes first when the temperature drops
- A crown that failed years ago, sending water down through the top courses each wet season
- No cap, so rain has run down the flue and soaked the stack from inside as well as outside
- Mortar joints at the top eroded by wind-driven rain until the brick above them is unsupported
- Moss on the shaded face holding water against the brick through the winter
How It Works
Our chimney stack rebuild process
The question a stack rebuild inspection has to answer is where the sound masonry starts. We examine the stack from the roof and the chimney from inside the attic, probing joints and checking brick course by course down to the roof deck and a little below it. We run a camera down the flue to see whether the tiles in the stack are broken and how far down the damage goes, and we look at the flashing and roof deck around the base. If everything below the roofline is sound, a stack rebuild is the right call; if damage continues into the attic, we tell you and quote the deeper rebuild instead.
Free quote and tear-down line
We confirm the chimney below the roof is sound, set the exact course where the rebuild starts, and put scope, photos and price in writing.
Protect the roof and seal the flue
Roofing, gutters and plants are covered, and the flue is blocked so dust and mortar stay out of the firebox and any appliance below.
Take the stack down to the roof
Brick is removed by hand from the cap down, past the roofline to a level where every brick is solid and well bonded.
Tie in the liner
New clay tile or a stainless section is carried up through the new stack and joined to the existing flue, so the rebuilt section vents through a continuous lined passage.
Rebuild in matched brick
New brick is laid to the original bond, size and color with fully filled joints, to the original height or a corrected one if the old stack was too short to draft well.
Crown, cap, flashing and walkthrough
A sloped crown with overhang and drip edge, a cap, new step and counter flashing, then a walkthrough with photos. If you are not happy, we are not done.
Options
Repair and service options
Within a stack rebuild there are a few choices that shape the job:
- Standard roof-to-cap rebuild: tear down to just below the roofline, rebuild in matched brick with a new liner section, crown, cap and flashing.
- Rebuild to a new height: if the old stack was too short relative to the ridge to draft well, we rebuild it taller, in line with what NFPA 211 recommends.
- Liner upgrade during the rebuild: with the stack open, a stainless liner for the full flue goes in far more easily than later. See liner replacement.
- Brick matching versus finish: matched brick for a visible stack, or standard brick under stucco or stone where the original was already covered.
- Cricket and re-flash: a cricket behind a wide stack on a steep roof, and full step and counter flashing, done while the roof is already open.
- Multi-flue stacks: stacks serving a fireplace plus a furnace or second fireplace are rebuilt with each flue separated and lined.
If the damage is only in the top few courses and the crown, a crown rebuild with the top courses reset may be all you need, and we will say so.
Pricing
What affects the price
- Height of the stack above the roof and the number of courses that come down
- Number of flues in the stack and whether each is relined
- Brick matching for older chimneys versus standard brick under a finish
- Liner work: extending existing tile versus a new stainless liner for the full flue
- Roof pitch, access and whether staging is needed
- Flashing and cricket work at the roofline
Every chimney is different, so you get a written quote after we look at the system. Ask about our price match and free second-opinion quote.
Safety & Seattle Conditions
Safety considerations
A failing stack is the chimney problem most likely to drop brick, because the loose courses are at the top with nothing above them holding them in. Keep people, pets and vehicles away from that side of the house until we have looked, and do not use the fireplace: a stack with open joints and broken tiles can leak flue gases into the attic. Please leave the roof to us; we inspect for free and send photos from up there. NFPA 211 recommends an annual inspection, which is how a stack is caught at the repointing stage rather than the rebuild stage.
If a furnace or water heater vents through the stack, do not operate or adjust any gas equipment yourself. If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas utility or 911 from outside.
Seattle & Puget Sound conditions
The stack fails first here because it is the only part of the chimney that is wet and cold at the same time. Sea-Tac's NOAA 1991-2020 normals show 40.34 inches of precipitation a year, with November the wettest month at 6.31 inches and the October-March wet season carrying about 73% of the total. Winter normal lows sit just above freezing, 37.1F in December and 37.7F in January, and Seattle sees about 60 days a year at or below 32F, so the saturated brick above the roof freezes and thaws again and again while the chimney in the attic stays dry.
The Brick Industry Association's technical notes describe what that does: moisture in saturated brick pores expands when it freezes, and repeated freeze-thaw causes cracking, spalling and disintegration. Regional roofing guidance adds that Western Washington moss spreads fastest October through April on shaded surfaces that dry slowly, which is why the north face of a stack is so often the worst one.
Our Work
Chimney Stack Rebuild in action
Get a free chimney stack rebuild quote
Roof to cap, matched brick, lined and flashed. Free quote, free second opinion, price match plus 10-25% off. Call 206-453-2045.
☎ 206-453-2045 Request a QuoteQuestions
Chimney Stack Rebuild FAQ
How do you know the chimney below the roof is sound?
We look. The free quote includes checking the chimney in the attic for cracked brick, open joints and signs of water, and running a camera down the flue to see where liner damage stops. If the masonry and liner are solid from the roof deck down, a stack rebuild is the right scope. If damage continues below, we say so and quote the deeper rebuild.
Will the new stack match the rest of the chimney?
The new brick sits directly on the old brick, so matching matters. We match size, color and texture, from salvage where the original is no longer made, and lay to the same bond. New brick looks cleaner than weathered brick for a season or two and then blends in. Where the stack was stuccoed or sided, the finish carries the match.
Does the flue liner have to be replaced in a stack rebuild?
The liner has to continue up through the new stack, so at minimum we set new tile or a stainless section in the rebuilt courses and join it to the flue below. If the camera shows the old tiles are cracked lower down, the stack rebuild is the best moment to run a full stainless liner, because the top of the flue is open. We quote both so you can choose.
Can the stack be rebuilt taller?
Yes, and sometimes it should be. A stack that is too short relative to the roof ridge or nearby trees drafts poorly and sends smoke back into the room. When we rebuild we check the height against what NFPA 211 recommends and, if the old stack was short, quote the extra courses. It may need a permit depending on your city; we will tell you.
How long does a stack rebuild take?
A typical single-flue stack is taken down and rebuilt over a couple of dry days, with the mortar left to cure before the cap and final flashing go on. Taller or multi-flue stacks take longer. Because masonry needs dry weather to cure properly, we schedule into a weather window and put the timeline in the written quote.
How much does a chimney stack rebuild cost?
It depends on stack height, number of flues, liner work and brick matching, so it is quoted from the inspection rather than over the phone. The inspection and written quote are free. If you already have a rebuild quote from another company, we give a free second opinion, match their price and take a further 10-25% off.
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