Chimney crown repair costs about $150 to $500 to seal small cracks, $750 to $1,000 to repair a crown, and $1,000 to $3,000 to rebuild one. Those are national averages from This Old House. Around Ellicott City, a job that also needs the brick fixed typically runs $800 to $6,000.
The short version
- Sealing small cracks is the cheapest fix. A crown that is crumbling needs a rebuild.
- A crown repair averages $750 to $1,000, and a rebuild averages $1,000 to $3,000.
- When the brick and mortar under the crown are bad too, the job typically runs $800 to $6,000.
- A mason does crown work. A roofer does the flashing around the chimney.
- Waiting tends to cost more, because water keeps getting into the brick.
How much does it cost to repair a chimney crown?
The crown is the concrete slab on top of your chimney. This Old House lists a crown repair at $750 to $1,000 (opens in a new tab) and a rebuild at $1,000 to $3,000. Sealing small cracks with a waterproof sealer is listed at $150 to $500.
Here is how the jobs line up:
| Job | What it typically runs |
|---|---|
| Seal small cracks | $150 to $500 |
| Repair the crown | $750 to $1,000 |
| Rebuild the crown | $1,000 to $3,000 |
| Repoint the brick under it | $500 to $2,500 |
| Repointing, a new crown or a rebuild, when the masonry cannot hold new flashing (Ellicott City) | $800 to $6,000 |
The first four rows are This Old House averages. The last row is the range we see for our area. None of these is a price list. Your chimney sets the real number.
What decides which fix you need?
How far the damage has gone. A hairline crack on a crown that still slopes the right way is a sealing job. A crown that is flaking, missing chunks or holding puddles is a rebuild, because sealer on a crumbling slab does not last.
Slope matters more than people expect. This Old House says the center of a crown should slope down to the edges (opens in a new tab), so rain runs off instead of sitting. A flat crown can look fine and still be the reason the brick under it is wet.
If you want the full picture of what the crown is and why it cracks, we wrote that up in what a chimney crown is.
Why does the brick under the crown change the price?
Because water that gets through a cracked crown does not stay in the crown. This Old House says cracks in the crown can allow water to seep (opens in a new tab) into the chimney and damage the masonry below it. Once the mortar is soft, the crown has nothing solid to sit on.
The National Park Service says masonry is subject to deterioration, especially at the mortar joints (opens in a new tab). That is why a crown quote can turn into a crown plus repointing quote. Repointing means scraping out the bad mortar and packing in new.
The annoying part is that you cannot see this from the ground. White powder on the brick or flaking faces are the usual clues.
Who fixes a chimney crown, a roofer or a mason?
A mason. The crown is concrete work, and when the masonry is the problem it typically goes to a masonry sub. A roofer handles the metal flashing where the chimney meets the shingles.
The two jobs touch each other. New flashing is set into the mortar, so crumbling brick has to be fixed first. That can hold up a roof job. Our free roof inspection covers the roof surface, flashing, valleys, gutters and attic, but judging the crown is a separate evaluation.
What does labor add?
A lot of it. This Old House says chimney repair professionals typically charge $50 to $150 per hour (opens in a new tab), and that labor is a large share of the total. A longer job on a tall chimney, or a roof that is steep or hard to reach, costs more.
Season matters too. The National Park Service says wall temperatures between 40 and 95 degrees F (opens in a new tab) keep mortar from freezing or drying too fast. In Ellicott City, that means a crack found in winter may have to wait for spring.
Should you pay for the crown and the flashing together?
Often, yes, if both are in poor shape. A leak near a chimney can be the crown, the flashing or both, and fixing one while the other fails means paying twice. A chimney reflash typically runs $800 to $2,200 on the roof side. A chimney rebuild plus reflash typically runs $3,500 to $8,000.
Our view is that caulk is a scheduled leak. Any fix that depends on sealant has a life of about 5 to 10 years. We cover the roof side in what chimney flashing repair costs.
Common questions
Can I just seal the crown myself?
A small hairline crack on a crown that slopes properly can be sealed with a waterproof sealer. Doing it means working on a roof, so we would leave it to a pro. Sealer will not save a crumbling crown.
Is a cracked crown an emergency?
No. A crack alone is not. A crack with a stain on the ceiling nearby, or brick flaking underneath, is worth getting looked at before the next freeze.
Does a repair come with a warranty?
Roof repairs typically carry a warranty on the repaired area of 30 days to 1 year, with none on roofs older than 15 to 20 years. Masonry work is the mason’s own job, so ask them what they cover.
Can crown work wait until spring?
Often it has to. Masonry work cannot be done below 40°F, so a winter job tends to slip. If water is getting in now, ask a mason whether a stopgap makes sense until the weather turns.
What to do next
Look at the top of your chimney from the ground with binoculars, and note any cracks, chunks or stains inside near it. If a stain is there, have the roof side checked. Our chimney flashing repair page covers what we do, and for other numbers see what a roof repair costs.
