Crown repair or rebuild
A crown with hairline cracks can often be sealed, which suits a chimney that's otherwise in good shape. Once it's crumbling or pulling away from the brick, we'd rather break it off and build a new one than keep patching it.
Chimney repair in Escondido CA - a chimney that keeps rain out of your house
Water stain by the fireplace or crumbling brick up top? We find where the water gets in and fix that first.
What does chimney repair fix, and does mine need it?
Chimney repair in Escondido fixes the crown, flashing and seals that keep water away from your chimney, so rain stays out of the brick and out of your house. Smaller fixes like resealing flashing usually go quickly, while rebuilding the top or relining takes longer and may have to wait on an inspection or a permit.
Most people call us after a brown stain shows up on the ceiling or wall beside the fireplace, or after they spot crumbling mortar, a cracked cap or loose brick up on the roof. The cost comes down to how much of the chimney is involved, since resealing flashing is a far smaller job than rebuilding the crown or the brick above the roof line, and to how tall the chimney is and how hard the roof is to work on. The schedule turns on the weather, on whether an inspection has to come first and on whether the city wants a permit. I'll look at it with you and put the estimate in writing, so you know what you're paying for before we start.
Why Escondido homeowners call Craftsman Escondido Concrete and Masonry for chimney repair
I look at every chimney myself
I come out to see every job in person and look over the crown, flashing and brick with you before anything gets written down. While the work is underway, I'm on site running our crew, so the person who priced your job is the one watching it get done.
Running our own jobs since 2020
I spent years as another mason's right hand, running jobs and learning to read old brick and match its mortar, before starting out on my own in 2020. Six years on, I'm still on the tools most days, chimneys included.
Licensed and insured, and worth asking about
We're licensed and insured. California's contractor license board defines a masonry contractor class that covers brick, stone and fire brick work, plus the waterproofing, cleaning and caulking that go with it, so it's fair to ask any chimney contractor whether their license fits the job.
Satisfaction guaranteed, and a straight answer
Our promise is satisfaction guaranteed, and I'd rather tell you a chimney only needs new flashing than sell you a rebuild it doesn't need. If yours has a leak or a crack you're unsure about, call (760) 546-4075 or use the form and I'll come take a look.
Get a written estimate for your chimney repair
Expect a reply within one business day, and there's no pressure to book. Once you send the form, we'll set a time for me to come out, look at your chimney with you and put a free estimate in writing. It helps to jot down any leaks, a recent chimney fire or quake, and any plans to sell or reline.
- Phone
- (760) 546-4075
- Location
- Escondido, CA 92025
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Chimney repair permits and conditions in Escondido
The city's Building Division handles permits to build, alter, repair or demolish any structure, and whether your chimney repair needs one depends on the scope of the work, so the city makes that call. If it does, we handle the application and meet the inspector when the time comes. The city takes plans electronically only, and each review round runs about 30 calendar days once a complete set is in, so a permit can set your schedule more than the work itself. Before a permit is issued, whoever applies signs a statement that they're licensed under the state's contractor law, or exempt and why. If your home might be historic, we'll ask you to check with the city before we schedule anything.
Around Escondido, a lot of the chimneys I see are brick on older ranch and stucco houses, where years of hot sun and dry wind crack the crown and dry out the sealant at the flashing, and the first sign is often a stain after the first good rain. Cal Fire's current map places parts of the city in moderate, high and very high wildfire hazard severity zones, so it's worth knowing which zone your house sits in. We're based in Escondido and do the same chimney work across the cities around it, from Temecula and Murrieta down to Chula Vista, plus plenty of places beyond our city pages.
Chimney repair questions we hear in Escondido
How much does chimney repair cost around San Diego?
Chimney repair in the San Diego area usually costs about $650 to $9,000 per project. That's a regional figure, not our price, and where your job lands depends on how much of the chimney needs work. I'll give you your own number in a free written estimate after I've seen it.
When should I get a chimney inspection in Escondido?
National chimney safety guidance recommends a deeper Level 2 inspection after a chimney fire, an earthquake, bad weather or a malfunction that likely damaged the chimney, and also when you're selling the house or planning to reline. It includes a video scan of the inside, and the inspector goes on the roof and into any attic, basement or crawl space they can reach, so plan to clear the way. After a quake or a fire, get that inspection before you choose repairs.
What causes water to leak in around my chimney?
Most leaks come in where the roof meets the chimney, because that joint needs two layers of flashing, base flashing under the roofing and counter flashing set into the brick over it, and one of them is often missing or loose. The crown on top is the other common spot, and it's easy to overlook, since cracks there let water into the gap between the brick and the flue liner. If you have a leak near the chimney, ask whether both layers of flashing are in place.
How do I compare chimney relining quotes?
Ask each contractor how they sized the liner and what it's made of. A listed liner has to be the right material for how you use the fireplace, sized properly for the flue and installed the way its maker's instructions say. Two quotes that look alike on paper can differ on exactly those points.
Where do I apply for a chimney repair permit in Escondido?
You apply with the city's Building Division at 201 North Broadway. If we're doing the work and your job needs a permit, we handle the application for you, so there's nothing for you to file.
How do I plan a chimney repair after a leak or a quake?
Start by calling (760) 546-4075 or sending the form with what you've noticed, then I'll come out and look at the crown, flashing and brick with you. If there's been a quake or a chimney fire, the inspection comes first, and if the job needs a permit we get that sorted before our crew starts.