Chimney waterproofing in Broken Arrow
Published pricing · Call (918) 362-4398
Waterproofing a brick chimney in Broken Arrow costs $900 to $3,500 for the crown, flashing and sealing together, and a rebuild of the chimney above the roofline runs $3,500 to $8,000 when the brick has spalled past saving. The chimney is the most exposed masonry on the house. It stands above the roof in the wind, takes rain on all four sides, and its top, the crown, is a slab of mortar that cracks in the first ten years on almost every house built here. Water runs down through the crack, inside the brick column, and shows up as a stain on the ceiling next to the fireplace or as brick faces flaking off above the roof. The order of the fix matters: rebuild or patch the crown so it sheds water, cut the flashing into the mortar joints instead of caulking it on, then seal the brick with a breathable repellent.
What you are probably seeing
- A brown stain on the ceiling or wall beside the fireplace that grows after a storm
- Brick above the roofline flaking or crumbling, with pieces in the gutter
- Crown mortar with visible cracks, or a crown that is just the last course of brick with no overhang
- Flashing that is a bead of roofing tar or caulk instead of metal let into a joint
- White efflorescence on the chimney brick facing the prevailing southwest wind
- Damp smoke smell in the house for a day after rain
The crown does most of the work
The crown is the cap of mortar or concrete at the top of the chimney around the flue. On a lot of Broken Arrow houses it was troweled from the same mortar as the joints, flush with the brick, with no overhang and no drip edge. That kind of crown cracks in a few winters because it is thin, it is bonded to a flue that expands with heat, and it has nothing to shed water away from the brick below. We rebuild crowns in a concrete mix with a two-inch overhang, a drip edge, and a bond break around the flue so the flue can move without cracking the crown. A crown patched with caulk lasts a season. A rebuilt crown lasts decades.
Flashing that is cut in, not caulked on
Where the chimney meets the roof there should be two layers of metal: step flashing under the shingles, and counterflashing that is let into a mortar joint on the chimney and folded down over the step flashing. On far too many houses the counterflashing is a bead of tar or a strip of metal glued to the face of the brick. It leaks within a few years. We grind a joint, bend and set new counterflashing into it, and seal the reglet with a proper sealant. If the roof is due for replacement we coordinate so the step flashing goes in with the new shingles.
When the chimney has to come down
If more than a third of the brick above the roof has spalled, or the column has started to lean or separate at the roofline, patching it is throwing money away. We take the chimney down to sound brick, usually a course or two below the roof, and rebuild it with matched brick, a new crown, new flashing, and a proper cap. That is the $3,500 to $8,000 job, and it is a two to three day job in decent weather. The firebox and the flue liner get inspected at the same time, and if the liner is cracked we will tell you before the rebuild so a sweep can address it while the top is open.
How the work goes, step by step
- 1
Roof-level inspection
We get on the roof, photograph the crown, flashing and brick, and hose test to find which one is leaking.
- 2
Crown
Rebuilt in concrete with an overhang, drip edge and flue bond break. Patched only if the existing crown is thick and sound.
- 3
Flashing
Counterflashing cut into a mortar joint over new or existing step flashing, never caulked to the face.
- 4
Brick
Spalled brick replaced, joints repointed, or the top rebuilt if the column is past saving.
- 5
Seal and cap
Breathable repellent on all four faces, a stainless cap on the flue, and photos of the finished top for your records.
What it costs
Off the same table as everything else. The full cost guide has all twelve rows and the permit notes.
| Job type | Typical range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Leak source inspection with hose test and moisture meter | $125 to $175per visit, credited back if you hire us | Two-story walls that need a ladder on every elevation, and chimneys we have to get on the roof to test |
| Chimney crown repair, flashing and sealing | $900 to $3,500per chimney | Crown condition, roof pitch, whether the counterflashing was ever let into the mortar or just caulked on |
| Rebuild the chimney above the roofline | $3,500 to $8,000per chimney | Height above the roof, brick match, flue liner condition, whether the firebox side needs work too |
Get a price for this job
Address first, then what you see. We reply with a range off the table and set a time for the hose test.
Questions about chimney waterproofing
- How much does chimney waterproofing cost?
- Between $900 and $3,500 for crown repair, flashing and sealing. A full rebuild above the roofline is $3,500 to $8,000 depending on height and brick match. The inspection is $125 to $175 and credited back.
- Why is there a stain on the ceiling by my fireplace?
- Almost always a cracked crown or failed flashing letting water run down inside the chimney. A roofer will often blame the shingles. We hose test the chimney by itself so we know which it is before anyone spends money.
- Can you just seal the chimney brick?
- Sealing the brick without fixing the crown and flashing traps water inside the column, which makes the spalling worse. We seal last, after the water has been stopped at the top and the roofline.
- Do I need a permit to rebuild a chimney in Broken Arrow?
- Rebuilding above the roofline with the same footprint usually does not require one, but we confirm with the city on every rebuild and pull the permit if it does. Crown, flashing and sealing work never needs a permit.
- How long does the work take?
- Crown, flashing and sealing is a one-day job. A rebuild above the roofline is two to three days, plus a week for the crown to cure before sealing.