Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Trusted Chimney Repair for Mountain View Homeowners
Our Chimney Repair – Mountain View service deals with the parts of your venting system that fail quietly, long before smoke backs up into the living room. We’re talking about cracked flue tiles, rusted-out caps, failed flashing that lets water run behind your brick, and crowns that have spalled away over decades of Bay Area rain. Nolan Breck leads a team that doesn’t just flag these problems and leave you holding a report. We diagnose, quote, and fix, all under one roof. If you’re seeing water stains on the ceiling near your fireplace, hearing birds in the flue, or noticing mortar crumbs at the base of your hearth, call (866) 596-8327. A repair done before winter is always cheaper than the one you need after a chimney fire or a collapsed liner.
Chimney Cap Installation
Chimney Cap Installation means fitting a rain cover, spark arrestor, and animal guard over the top of your flue, and it’s the single most cost-effective repair you can make on a chimney in Mountain View. The seasonal creekside winds carry maple seeds, crow feathers, and plenty of moisture straight into uncapped flues. We size and install caps from Copperfield, which means aluminum and stainless options built to hold up to constant sun exposure rather than flaking apart in three years. Most cap installations run $180 to $420, hardware and labor included.
Why an Uncapped Flue Costs You Money
Every rainstorm that soaks the inside of a clay tile liner accelerates spalling and mortar deterioration. That’s a repair that runs into the thousands, compared to a cap that costs a fraction of it. Birds and squirrels nesting in the flue also block airflow, which sends carbon monoxide back into the house instead of up and out.
Spark Arrestors Are Code in Most Cases
The mesh screen on a cap does double duty. It stops hot embers from landing on your roof or a neighbor’s, and it keeps vermin out. We install caps sized to your exact flue diameter, so you don’t end up with the one-size-fits-all hardware-store version that rusts out in a few seasons.
Styles & brands we work with
- Sweep & inspection
- Caps & crowns
- Flue relining
- Masonry repair
- Gas fireplace service
Chimney Cap Replacement
Chimney Cap Replacement is what happens when the old cap has rusted through, bent, or blown off entirely, and in Mountain View we see that on a regular basis given the persistent dampness near the bay. A cap that’s still present but corroded does not protect the flue. It just sits there looking functional while water seeps down the sides. We replace worn caps with the same Copperfield hardware we use on new installations, and the job is usually done in under an hour. Replacement costs run $150 to $400 depending on whether the old mounting brackets can be reused or need to be rebuilt.
When to Replace Instead of Patch
A rusted cap can be patched with sealant, but that’s a one-season stopgap. Once the screen mesh is torn or the metal has thinned to the point you can flex it by hand, the cap has failed structurally. We’ll tell you straight when repair makes sense and when you’re throwing money at hardware that’s already spent.
Replacing a Lost Cap
If your cap blew off in a storm, the flue has been exposed to direct rain, which means the liner and smoke shelf need a camera check before we bolt on the new cap. It’s a five-minute inspection that tells us whether moisture already did damage underneath. We include that camera scan with every cap replacement at no charge.
Chimney Liner Installation
Chimney Liner Installation means running a new stainless steel liner through the full length of the flue when the original clay tiles have cracked, spalled, or are absent entirely. A damaged liner is not a cleaning problem. It’s a structural and fire-safety problem, because fumes and sparks can reach combustible framing through even a hairline gap. In Mountain View, older ranch houses built in the fifties and sixties came with clay tile liners that were never designed for decades of wood-burning heat cycles. We install DuraFlex liner systems here, because they’re flexible enough to snake through irregular or offset flues without knocking out brickwork. Full liner installations typically run $3,400 to $6,800 depending on flue length and appliance type.
DuraFlex for Irregular Flue Shapes
Many older Mason View chimneys have offsets or narrow clay tiles that a rigid liner simply can’t navigate. DuraFlex is built for exactly that. We can line a flue that other contractors would have to rebuild from scratch, which saves thousands in masonry work while still meeting code.
Resurfacing Before Full Replacement
In some cases where the clay tiles are cracked but the flue is still structurally sound, we can use a HeatShield cerfractory resurfacing system instead of tearing out the old liner and dropping in steel. It’s a non-invasive repair that restores a smooth, insulated surface to the flue interior. We’ll always camera the flue and show you the footage before recommending one route over the other.
Chimney Flashing Repair
Chimney Flashing Repair addresses the metal seams where your chimney meets the roofline, and it’s the most common source of mystery leaks in Mountain View homes. Flashing fails for two reasons: old galvanized steel rusts through, or the sealant between flashing sheets dries and cracks after enough seasons of expansion and contraction. We cut out the failed flashing, replace it with copper or aluminum stock matched to the roof, and re-seal the junction with polyurethane rather than roofing cement that hardens and fails again. Flashing repair runs $250 to $900 depending on how many sides of the chimney need rework.
Why Leaks Show Up Inside the House
Water that gets past failed flashing travels down the outside of the flue inside the chase, which means the stain you see on the ceiling may be ten feet away from the actual gap. That’s why we inspect the full flashing perimeter on every repair, not just the side that looks wet. A partial fix just moves the leak.
Flashing vs. Crown Confusion
Homeowners often blame the flashing when the real issue is the chimney crown, which is the masonry slab on top of the chimney. They fail together in many cases. We’ll diagnose both in one trip and repair what needs repairing, so you don’t chase the same leak across two contractor visits.
Chimney Crown Repair
Chimney Crown Repair means rebuilding or resurfacing the concrete or mortar cap that sits on top of your chimney’s masonry, sealing off the entire structure from water intrusion. In Mountain View, crowns crack because of the extreme temperature swings between summer afternoons and foggy nights, plus the freeze-and-thaw cycles that open up small fissures into big gaps. A cracked crown lets water into the brickwork, and that water does its worst damage invisibly inside the chimney structure. We repair crowns by chipping out the damaged material, building new crown forms with an overhang that sheds water away from the brick, and finishing with a flexible sealant. Crown repair runs $600 to $1,800 depending on how much of the existing crown can be salvaged.
The Overhang That Most Crowns Are Missing
Water should drip off the crown edge rather than running straight down the chimney face. Most original crowns in Mountain View were poured flush with the brick, which is a design flaw that guarantees erosion. We build the new crown with a proper drip edge, so it functions the way a modern crown should.
When a Crown Needs Full Replacement
A crown that has spalled away to gravel is past the point of patching. We’ll tell you if the surface can be resurfaced with a cementitious bond coat or if the entire cap needs to be formed and poured new. Either way, the goal is the same: stop water at the top so the masonry stays dry below.
Chimney Repair Companies
Chimney Repair Companies in the Bay Area fall into two broad categories: sweep-only operations that clean the flue and subcontract out the actual repairs, and full-service contractors that can do both. We built Chimney Sweep Mountain View to be the second kind, because homeowners in Mountain View shouldn’t have to manage two vendors and two schedules to fix one chimney, and because we also provide our Chimney Repair in Los Altos with the same full-service approach. Nolan Breck’s team handles sweeping, dryer vent cleaning, and chimney repair as one service line. Repair quotes are based on camera footage we show you, not on a checklist a tech fills out from the ground. Typical repair service calls range from $175 for minor mortar work to several thousand for full liner or masonry rebuilds.
What to Look for in a Repair Contractor
The important part is not just whether someone will repair the chimney, but whether they’ll use materials that are rated for the application. Industry-grade components like Copperfield caps and Gelco sealants mean the repair lasts. A company that quotes generic “chimney cement” and a coat of paint is not doing the same job.
One Company for the Whole Job
We regularly get called out to Mountain View homes where a cleaning company flagged a problem, then referred the repair to someone else. That handoff loses information. When the person who camera-inspects the flue is the same person who’ll reline it, the diagnosis and the fix stay connected. It’s faster and it’s more accurate.
Chimney Masonry Repair
Chimney Masonry Repair covers the structural brick, block, and mortar work on the chimney itself: repointing crumbling joints, replacing spalled bricks, rebuilding fireboxes, and tuckpointing. In Mountain View, masonry fails from the top down in almost every case. Water gets in through a cracked crown or failed flashing, saturates the brick, and then the freeze-thaw cycle pops the faces off. We repair masonry with a breathable lime-based mortar that matches the original rather than a hard Portland-mix patch that traps moisture and accelerates damage. Masonry repointing runs $800 to $3,000 depending on how much of the chimney face needs work.
Why Mortar Choice Matters
Older Mountain View chimneys were built with soft lime mortar, which flexes as the chimney heats and cools. If you tuckpoint that with a hard modern mortar, the brick becomes the weak point and starts cracking instead. We match the mortar to the era of the home, so the chimney moves the way it was designed to.
Firebox Rebuilds for Safety
A firebox with cracked firebrick or missing refractory panels is not just ugly. It’s a direct path for heat and flames into the house framing. We rebuild fireboxes with firebrick and refractory mortar rated for the temperatures a working fireplace produces, not with patio bricks and regular mortar.
Brands We Service
We carry and install hardware from the product lines that hold up in Bay Area conditions: Gelco caps and dampers, Olympia Chimney chase covers and flashing components, Famco venting parts, and Copperfield caps and accessories. These aren’t lines you’ll find on the shelf at a big-box store. They’re the materials that professional chimney contractors order through supply houses, which means they’re built for decades of service, not a five-year flip.
Our team has installed and repaired hundreds of units across these brands, and we keep the common replacement parts stocked, which means a cap or damper replacement often happens in one visit. Whether you have any of these brands or a chimney built with original 1960s parts that went out of production years ago, we can get it back to working condition.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterSigns You Need a Pro Right Now
- Water staining on ceilings or walls near the chimney – This almost always means flashing, crown, or liner damage, and the water has already made it inside the house envelope. Every storm that hits while the leak is active spreads the damage further into the framing.
- Mortar crumbs or brick pieces on the roof or at the hearth base – Spalling brick is the result of moisture that has already frozen and expanded inside the masonry. It means the chimney is actively shedding material, and that erosion accelerates.
- Smoke backing up into the room while the fireplace is in use – A clogged, cracked, or undersized flue prevents proper draw, and that can mean carbon monoxide in the living space. This is a stop-using-the-fireplace-until-it’s-inspected situation.
- Birds, squirrels, or rustling sounds coming from the flue – Animals nesting in the chimney block airflow and pack flammable material around the flue liner. Once the nest material ignites, you’re dealing with a chimney fire that the flue was not designed to contain.
- A cap that’s rusted, bent, or missing entirely – Unprotected flues take on water during every rain event in Mountain View. The damage that water does to the liner and masonry is cumulative and much more expensive than replacing a cap.
Our Process, Step by Step
Here’s how a chimney repair with Chimney Sweep Mountain View works, from first call to final inspection:
- 1
The call and the questions – When you call (866) 596-8327, we’ll ask about what you’re seeing: water leaks, animal sounds, smoke problems, or damage you’ve spotted from the ground. That determines whether we send a technician for a full inspection or a repair-focused visit.
- 2
Camera inspection of the full flue – Every repair starts with a video scan of the flue interior, from the crown down to the firebox or appliance connection. We don’t quote a liner repair without seeing the actual tile condition on camera, and we show you the footage on-site.
- 3
Written scope with flat pricing – The quote you get is the price you pay. No hourly billing with unclear open ends, no upcharges after the work starts. We itemize what’s damaged, what needs replacement, and what can safely wait.
- 4
The repair work itself – Our team handles the whole job, from masonry work to liner installation to cap and flashing replacement. No subcontractors, no handoffs, no second appointment to finish what we started.
- 5
Final camera verification – Before we call the job done, we run the camera through the repaired sections again and walk you through the results. You see the completed repair inside the flue, not just a bill and a handshake.
How Much Does Chimney Repair Cost in Mountain View?
If you’re wondering how much Chimney Repair costs, a typical job in Mountain View runs anywhere from $175 for minor mortar seal-up at the crown to $6,800 for a full DuraFlex liner system. Here’s a realistic breakdown of the common scenarios we see in the area:
- Cap installation or replacement: $150 to $420
- Flashing repair: $250 to $900
- Crown repair or rebuild: $600 to $1,800
- Masonry repointing per chimney face: $800 to $3,000 total
- Full liner installation: $3,400 to $6,800
- HeatShield liner resurfacing: quoted on inspection, typically less than full liner replacement
What affects the price most is access. A two-story chimney with a steep roofline in the Castro City area costs more in labor and safety setup than a single-story with easy ladder access. The second driver is the condition of the existing materials, because a crown that can be resurfaced costs less than one that must be formed from scratch. You avoid overpaying by getting a camera-based quote with line items you can understand, and by not paying for a liner replacement when a resurfacing treatment does the job. Our estimates are free, and we’ll tell you if a repair can wait while other items are more urgent.
Our Service Area Near Mountain View
We serve Mountain View and the surrounding Peninsula and South Bay cities, including Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, plus Palo Alto, Cupertino, Redwood City, North San Jose, Los Altos, Menlo Park, and Campbell. If you’re within a reasonable drive of Mountain View, we’ll be there, and if you’re not sure, call and ask. We schedule repair work as it comes in, so the soonest slot depends on the season, but we’ll get you on the calendar and show up when we say we will.
Serving Mountain View, CA – Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Mountain View area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage – if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chimney Repair in Mountain View
Chimney repair is any work that restores the structural, venting, or weatherproofing function of your chimney system, including liner replacement, masonry repointing, crown rebuilding, flashing replacement, and cap work. It’s different from sweeping, which removes soot and creosote but does not address physical damage. We handle both, so a cleaning visit in Mountain View or Chimney Repair in Sunnyvale can turn into a repair diagnosis without a second contractor.
Most cap and flashing jobs are finished in 1 to 3 hours on-site. A full liner installation or crown rebuild typically takes a full day, and masonry work may require a return visit if multiple chimney faces need repointing. We give a time window up front, and we don’t leave a job half-done and ask you to wait weeks for a second crew.
Small repairs like cap replacement or minor flashing work run $150 to $420, while a full liner installation runs $3,400 to $6,800. The average repair call we see in Mountain View falls between $400 and $2,500, depending on what the camera inspection finds. Call (866) 596-8327 for an exact quote, and we’ll walk you through the costs line by line.
Yes. We work with performance product lines including Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield, and we also repair chimneys built with whatever original parts came with the home. If your flue is an unusual size or has an offset configuration, the DuraFlex liner approach gives us a way to fix it that rigid liners can’t match.
We prioritize calls in Mountain View where a chimney is actively leaking into the house or where a flue is blocked and the fireplace poses a carbon monoxide risk. Call (866) 596-8327 and describe what’s happening. If the situation is urgent, we’ll move your repair up the schedule and get a tech there as fast as the calendar allows.
Our installation work carries the manufacturer’s warranty from lines like DuraFlex and Copperfield, and our masonry and flashing work is backed by our own workmanship guarantee. The specific terms depend on the repair, so ask Nolan Breck or any of our techs and we’ll tell you plainly what’s covered and for how long.
Clear the area around your fireplace of furniture and décor so we have room to work and lay down a drop cloth. If you have pets, keep them in another room while we’re in and out of the house. And if you can, take a few photos of the chimney from the ground or a safe window, so we have a reference before the ladder goes up.
Schedule Your Chimney Repair Service in Mountain View Today
If you suspect chimney damage, don’t wait for another rain season to do the expensive thing on your schedule. Call (866) 596-8327 for a free, no-obligation estimate from Nolan Breck and the team at Chimney Sweep Mountain View. We’ll camera the flue, show you the footage, and give you a flat quote so you know exactly what you’re paying before any work begins.
Written by Nolan Breck, Owner at Chimney Sweep Mountain View, serving Mountain View and the surrounding Peninsula communities.