Chimney repair in Novato CA - sound brick that keeps the rain out of your house
Crumbling mortar, loose brick or a stain on the ceiling by the fireplace? We find where the water gets in and fix that.
What does fixing a crumbling or leaking chimney involve?
Chimney repair in Novato covers everything from repointing worn mortar joints to rebuilding a damaged chimney with new or salvaged brick, along with the flashing, the metal seal where the chimney meets your roof, so rain stays out of the house.
Most calls start with crumbling mortar, a brick that's let go up on the roof or a brown stain on the ceiling near the fireplace. If it's only the joints, that's tuckpointing, new mortar packed into the old joints, and it's the smaller job, but cracked or leaning brick usually means a partial rebuild. Price turns on how much brick has to come down, whether the liner or flashing needs work too and how hard your roof is to reach, while the schedule turns on dry weather and whether the city wants a permit. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your chimney.
Why Novato homeowners call us for chimney repair
Most people call us because something's crumbling, cracking or leaning and they want a straight answer about it. Here's what you can count on from us.
The owner comes out
I look at every job myself, and my crew of masons does the work alongside me.
In business since 2017
I started as a helper mixing mortar and hauling block, then opened this business in 2017.
Fully licensed and insured
Ask to see both when I come out, because anyone working on your roof should be able to show you.
Old brick is our main work
Mortar on old brick and chimneys is most of what we're known for, along with walls and paving.
A straight answer
You hear what's wrong and what it'll take to fix it, without a pitch for work you don't need.
Chimney repair options worth talking through
What your chimney needs depends on how far the damage goes and where water is getting in, and most jobs are one of these, sometimes both.
Let's look at your chimney
Call or use the form to set up an estimate, and mention any ceiling stain and whether you burn gas or wood.
How Optimum Novato Concrete and Masonry handles chimney repair
I start on the roof, not the mortar. I look at the flashing, then come inside and check the ceiling around the chimney for stains. If water is getting in, new mortar on the outside won't be the whole answer, and I'll tell you that up front.
Once the work starts, I care most about the parts nobody looks at afterward. That's the mortar mix, picked to suit old brick, and flashing worked into the joints so it actually keeps water out. Caulk smeared over a gap is not flashing, whatever the last guy thought. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Chimney repair questions from Novato homeowners
How do I know if my chimney needs a rebuild or just new mortar?
If the problem stops at soft or missing mortar, repointing usually handles it, but cracked or leaning brick calls for a partial rebuild. National repair guides describe taking the chimney down to sound brick, typically to the roofline, and laying it back up, so plan for a bigger job than mortar work. I'll tell you which one yours is when I come out.
What causes water stains on the ceiling near a chimney?
Usually water working its way in through the chimney itself, often where it meets the roof. White powder on the bricks inside the fireplace or a rusted damper point to the same steady moisture, and they mean the job is more than mortar work. We find where the water enters before we fix anything.
Is it safe to use a gas fireplace with a cracked chimney liner in Novato?
No. With a cracked clay liner, exhaust from a gas fireplace can leak through the cracks into your living space, so it's a safety problem and not a cosmetic one. Leave the fireplace off until the liner is fixed or replaced.
How often should a chimney be inspected?
At least once a year, by the inspection standard one national guide summarizes, and that goes for fireplaces and vents too. A deeper Level 2 inspection, which adds the attic, basement and whatever part of the chimney's inside can be reached, applies when a house is sold or after something likely to have damaged it. If you're booking a repair, ask whether the visit includes that yearly check.
How much does chimney repair cost around Novato and San Francisco?
Installed chimney repair in the San Francisco metro area usually runs about $700 to $2,800 per job. That's the going range for the area, not our quote, and your written estimate gives you the figure for your chimney.
What kind of contractor should repair a chimney in California?
A masonry contractor, which California's contractor license board describes as one who installs brick and other baked clay products, natural and manufactured stone, and fire brick. That's what most chimneys are built from, and it's the trade we work in.
What happens when you call about chimney repair in Novato?
We plan chimney work around your house and your fireplace, so you know what's happening on the roof and inside before anyone sets up a ladder.
Call or send the form
Call (628) 209-1088 or use the form and tell us what's going on, from a stained ceiling to a brick that landed in the gutter.
I come out myself
I look at the chimney, the roof around it and the room below, then tell you what I'd do and what I wouldn't bother with.
Your written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out the work I described, so you can read it over and decide in your own time.
The work and walk-through
My crew and I do the work, then I walk the finished job with you. If we're relining, one liner maker advises covering furniture and rugs for the soot.
Chimney repair in Novato and the cities nearby
We work from Novato across the cities below and beyond. In Novato, whether your chimney job needs a permit is up to the city's Building Division, and if it does, we pull it and deal with the city for you.
Get a chimney estimate in Novato
Call (628) 209-1088 any day, 8 AM to 9 PM, or send the form, and let's look before the next rain finds your ceiling.