Chimney services across Massachusetts

Chimney and Fireplace Services across Massachusetts

Massachusetts has the oldest housing in the six states we cover, and its chimneys show it. Soft brick, lime mortar, colonial center stacks, and a freeze-thaw cycle that takes the face off anything water has got into.

Call (844) 785-4066 Browse services

Sweeping, inspection and camera survey
Crown, masonry and flashing repair
Relining for gas, oil and wood appliances

What we cover

Every heating and cooling job, across the state

Seventeen services, each with its own page explaining what the work involves, what moves the price, and what to ask before you agree to anything.

Chimney Inspection Annually, before buying or selling, after a chimney fire, or whenever the appliance or fuel changes. Chimney Sweeping Once a year on anything burned regularly, and before first use each season. Chimney Relining After a fuel or appliance change, when the existing liner has failed, or when a camera survey finds cracked tile. Chimney Masonry Repair Flaking brick faces, open mortar joints, or anything loose above the roofline. Chimney Crown Repair Visible cracks in the slab at the top, or water appearing inside with no other obvious cause. Chimney Cap Installation Any uncapped flue, or a cap that is rusted, damaged or missing after a storm. Chimney Flashing Repair Water appearing in the ceiling near the chimney, especially in wind-driven rain. Chimney Waterproofing Sound but porous brick that is absorbing water, after any repointing is complete. Chimney Damper Repair A damper that will not close, will not open, or has rusted in place.

All 17 services

Boston Worcester Springfield Cambridge Quincy New Bedford Lowell Fall River Lynn Brockton Somerville Newton Lawrence Framingham Brookline Malden Boston Worcester Springfield Cambridge Quincy New Bedford Lowell Fall River Lynn Brockton Somerville Newton Lawrence Framingham Brookline Malden

Massachusetts chimneys are older than the rules

Seven regions, one very old housing stock

Most of what goes wrong with a chimney in this state is water, and most of that starts at the top. A crown is a mortar or concrete slab that sheds rain away from the flue; when it cracks — and on a hundred-year- old stack it usually has — water runs straight into the structure, freezes, and pushes the brick apart from inside. By the time it shows on the outside as flaking faces or a rust stain, it has been happening for years.

The second thing is the flue itself. A great many Massachusetts chimneys were built for coal, converted to oil, then converted again to gas, and at no point was the flue resized. An oversized flue does not draw properly and lets combustion moisture condense against masonry that was never meant to stay wet. Relining is the answer and it is a bigger job than a repair, which is why it is worth knowing before someone quotes for it.

Sweeping, inspection and camera survey
Crown, masonry and flashing repair
Relining for gas, oil and wood appliances
Historic and coastal work

How it works

Three steps, no obligation at any of them.

1

Call and tell us what is wrong

Describe the problem and give us your ZIP code. We match you with a chimney company covering your area — there is nothing to fill in and nothing to pay us.
2

A local contractor gets in touch

A local chimney company contacts you to discuss the problem and arrange a visit. What they charge to attend or diagnose is theirs to set, so agree it with them up front.
3

You decide

Book the work, wait a season, or get a second quote. There is no obligation to go ahead with the contractor we introduce you to, and nothing to pay us either way.

What is worth knowing before you call anyone

Four things worth knowing first

There is no state chimney license in Massachusetts The credential that means something is CSIA certification, issued by the Chimney Safety Institute of America, which publishes a free directory. On top of that ask for current liability insurance, and for structural masonry work a Construction Supervisor License. A company that cannot produce all three is not one to hand a chimney to.

Soft brick and lime mortar need matching materials Anything built before about 1900 was laid in lime mortar, which is deliberately softer than the brick so the mortar fails first and can be replaced. Repointing it with modern hard Portland mortar reverses that — the brick becomes the sacrificial part and starts spalling. On old Massachusetts masonry this is the single most damaging mistake made.

A Level 2 inspection is what a sale requires Not the Level 1 visual most people are offered, and not what a general home inspector does. Level 2 includes a camera survey of the entire flue and covers the attic, crawl space and basement. On a property transfer it is the standard, and on a pre-war house it is the only way to know what the flue is actually like inside.

Historic districts govern what is visible On the Cape, the islands and across the older towns, a commission may have a view on a new cap, a rebuilt crown or a change in mortar color. Approval comes before work, not after. Ask early who is responsible for obtaining it — the answer should not be you finding out afterwards.

Where we cover

Check your town

Do we cover your area?

Enter your ZIP code — we serve 282 ZIP codes across Massachusetts.

Largest markets

Questions

Frequently asked

How often should a chimney be swept?

Once a year for anything you burn regularly, and an annual inspection regardless of use. NFPA 211 sets the annual inspection standard nationally. Sweeping frequency depends on what and how much you burn — a wood stove used as primary heat through a Berkshire winter needs more attention than a Boston fireplace lit at Christmas.

What is the difference between a Level 1 and Level 2 inspection?

A Level 1 is visual: the readily accessible parts of the chimney, inside and out. A Level 2 adds a camera survey of the full flue and the accessible attic, crawl space and basement, and it is required when a property is sold, when the fuel or appliance changes, or after a chimney fire or an earthquake. If you are buying a house in Massachusetts, the inspection you want is a Level 2.

My chimney is leaking. Where is the water coming in?

Four candidates, in rough order of likelihood: a cracked crown, a missing or failed cap, flashing where the stack meets the roof, or the brick itself absorbing water because it is old and porous. A camera and a hose test will separate them. Sealing the outside without finding the actual entry point is the most common wasted repair.

What does spalling brick mean?

That water soaked into the brick and then froze, pushing the face off. It is not cosmetic — every flaked face exposes softer material behind it and the damage accelerates. On a Massachusetts chimney it shows first on the north and west sides where the sun never dries them. Waterproofing sound brick is worth doing; waterproofing already- spalled brick traps water behind it and makes things worse.

Do I need a liner if I am switching to a gas boiler?

Almost always, yes. A modern gas appliance produces far less flue gas than the oil or coal appliance it replaced, so the existing flue is too large for it. Gas condenses in an oversized flue and the condensate is acidic. A correctly sized stainless liner is part of the conversion, not an upsell.

Is a chimney cap actually necessary?

It is the cheapest useful thing you can put on a chimney. It keeps rain out of the flue, stops birds and squirrels nesting in it, and the mesh sides catch embers. On the coast it needs to be stainless rather than galvanized, because galvanized will not last.

What does it cost?

It depends entirely on what the chimney needs, and nobody can tell you over the phone without looking. The contractor you are introduced to sets their own prices and agrees them with you directly. Ask what the inspection costs before they come out, and ask for the report in writing.

Tell us what it is doing

We will put you in touch with a licensed contractor covering your town. Free to use, and there is nothing to pay us.