Does my chimney need a full rebuild?

Not always. A rebuild above the roofline is the usual answer. A full rebuild with a new footing and flashing is for chimneys where the structure itself has gone. The technician decides after inspecting and photographing the damage.

Why would a rebuild wait for warm weather in Arlington Heights?

Mortar needs temperatures above freezing to cure properly. Arlington Heights has cold, snowy winters with frequent freeze-thaw cycles, so rebuilds are warm-month work. A temporary cover can protect the stack until then.

Do I need a permit to rebuild a chimney in Illinois?

Permits in Illinois are issued locally. One is commonly required to rebuild or substantially alter a chimney above the roofline, or to reline it. Rules vary, so confirm with the building department that covers your address before work begins.

What should I ask the technician about licensing?

Illinois does not separately license chimney sweeping, inspection or masonry repair at the state level. Many municipalities and counties require local registration or insurance before permits are pulled. Ask the technician what applies at your address, and check with your local building department or the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

I live in Palatine, Mount Prospect or Buffalo Grove. Can you help?

One Call Chimney arranges chimney work in all fifty states, so you can call from nearby towns too. Call (866) 576-7943 and describe the chimney. The estimate is free and the price is agreed before work starts.

Rebuild in Arlington Heights, IL

Many homes in Arlington Heights date from the post-WWII boom through the 1970s, and plenty of them still have the masonry chimney they were built with. If yours is leaning, shedding brick or crumbling at the top, the brick and mortar have most likely worn out. That usually starts above the roofline, where the stack takes the most weather.

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Illinois winters are long, and the freeze-thaw cycles are hard on exposed masonry. Water soaks into brick and mortar joints, freezes, and pushes the surface apart. Wind-driven rain and snow add water at the crown, flashing and cap. Chicago-area clay soils and big seasonal temperature swings add more wear. Over decades, that is how a sound chimney becomes one that needs rebuilding.

While you wait — please don't

Stop using the fireplace. A stack that is leaning or shedding brick should not carry fire or hot gases until a technician has looked at it.
Get outside if you suspect carbon monoxide. Headache, dizziness, nausea or an alarm going off means leave the house and call 911.
Keep clear of the base of the chimney. Loose brick and mortar can fall from the stack without warning.
Do not climb up to patch it yourself. A fall from the roof is a bigger risk than the crumbling brick, and a patch can hide the damage the technician needs to see.

What the technician does

You call, and the job is arrangedCall (866) 576-7943. One Call Chimney is a referral and scheduling service. It arranges the work with an independent sweep or mason. We are not the contractor and do not do the work.
Inspection with photographsThe technician looks at the whole stack and photographs what is failing. You see what they see.
The scope is decidedOften the answer is a rebuild above the roofline. Where the structure has gone further, it is a full rebuild with a proper footing and flashing.
Crown cap and linerA new crown cap and liner are part of the work, so the rebuilt chimney is finished top to bottom.
Brick and mortar matchedThe mason matches brick and mortar as closely as the house allows.
Price first, then your approvalThe estimate is free. The technician gives you the price after the inspection and before any work starts, and you approve it first.

Why this happens in Arlington Heights, IL

Arlington Heights is a Chicago northwest suburb, and many of its mid-century homes are single-family houses with masonry or prefabricated fireplaces and chimneys. Older homes closer to downtown have had even more winters to wear on the brick. In Illinois, many homes also vent a gas furnace or water heater through an older masonry chimney. That makes a failing stack more than a fireplace problem.

Masonry needs temperatures above freezing to cure. In a cold region like this one, rebuilds are warm-month work. If the damage shows up in winter, a temporary cover can protect the stack until the weather allows the rebuild. Demand also picks up in spring and summer after storm damage, so it helps to get the inspection done early.

Questions people ask

Does my chimney need a full rebuild?: Not always. A rebuild above the roofline is the usual answer. A full rebuild with a new footing and flashing is for chimneys where the structure itself has gone. The technician decides after inspecting and photographing the damage.
Why would a rebuild wait for warm weather in Arlington Heights?: Mortar needs temperatures above freezing to cure properly. Arlington Heights has cold, snowy winters with frequent freeze-thaw cycles, so rebuilds are warm-month work. A temporary cover can protect the stack until then.
Do I need a permit to rebuild a chimney in Illinois?: Permits in Illinois are issued locally. One is commonly required to rebuild or substantially alter a chimney above the roofline, or to reline it. Rules vary, so confirm with the building department that covers your address before work begins.
What should I ask the technician about licensing?: Illinois does not separately license chimney sweeping, inspection or masonry repair at the state level. Many municipalities and counties require local registration or insurance before permits are pulled. Ask the technician what applies at your address, and check with your local building department or the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
I live in Palatine, Mount Prospect or Buffalo Grove. Can you help?: One Call Chimney arranges chimney work in all fifty states, so you can call from nearby towns too. Call (866) 576-7943 and describe the chimney. The estimate is free and the price is agreed before work starts.

One call

One call to (866) 576-7943 sets up a free estimate on your Arlington Heights chimney. The technician inspects it and gives you the price before any work starts, and nothing goes ahead until you approve.

Call now · (866) 576-7943