Chimney and Fireplace Service in Anoka, Minnesota
Anoka is an old sawmill town where the Rum River meets the Mississippi, and its brick chimneys are older than most in the north metro. The inspection is free.
The City of Anoka's own history says the first dam on the Rum River went in in 1853 and the first sawmill in 1854, and a ferry to Champlin ran from 1856 until a bridge replaced it in 1884. That same year a downtown fire destroyed 86 buildings. The city incorporated in 1878, held its first Halloween celebration in 1920, and had 17,921 residents in 2020. A handful of very old homes survive, including the Shaw-Hammons House (1852) and the Woodbury House (1857), both on the National Register.
Anoka's housing is noticeably older than its neighbors'. Census ACS (2024 five-year) counts about 11 percent of its 7,620 homes from before 1940 and about 15 percent from 1940 to 1959, with a median year built of 1973, against 1996 next door in Blaine. Gas heats about 73 percent of occupied homes. So alongside gas fireplaces we see real masonry chimneys that still vent furnaces and water heaters, and mortar that has been through many decades of river-valley winters.
Old brick, hard winters
The NOAA station at Andover, a few miles north, is the coldest in our research: about 172 nights a year at or below freezing and about 39 nights at or below zero in the 1991–2020 normals, and about 106 days a year with an inch or more of snow on the ground. By our arithmetic that means roughly 90 freeze-thaw days a year. Older soft brick and lime mortar take that hard, and spalled faces and open joints near the top of the stack are common.
Typical ranges: tuckpointing $500 to $2,500, spalled brick repair $1,000 to $3,500, crown crack repair $200 to $700 and up, a new crown $1,000 to $3,000.
- Brick faces popping off near the roofline
- Mortar you can scrape out with a key
- A crown with cracks or no drip edge
- Water stains on the ceiling beside the chimney
The furnace and water heater flue
In older Anoka houses, the brick chimney often still carries the gas furnace or water heater. Minnesota's fuel gas code (Minn. R. 1346.5501) calls for an approved metal liner in masonry chimneys used to vent gas appliances. If the furnace has been replaced with a side-venting model, the water heater may be left alone in a large cold flue, where its exhaust condenses. An aluminum gas liner typically runs $625 to $2,250, and stainless $900 to $3,800.
Permits in the area
Nearby Brooklyn Park lists chimney and chimney liner work as needing a mechanical permit. Anoka's National Register houses are a reminder that some addresses carry extra review. We check what the city requires for your address before quoting, and where a historic review applies we help you prepare photos and a scope of work.
Where we work in Anoka
Downtown Anoka · Ferry Street · Along the Rum River · Mississippi riverfront · East side · Near Windego Park · Greenhaven area
FAQ
Anoka chimney questions
Does my old Anoka chimney need a liner for the furnace?
If the chimney is masonry and vents a gas furnace or water heater, Minnesota's fuel gas code calls for an approved metal liner. We look inside the flue at the free inspection and tell you whether it meets that rule.
Should I tuckpoint or rebuild the top of my chimney?
If the bricks are sound and only the mortar is gone, tuckpointing at $500 to $2,500 is usually enough. If the top courses are loose or the brick faces are spalling, a partial rebuild may make more sense. We photograph the stack and give you both options in writing.
How much does a chimney cleaning cost in Anoka?
We price it at the free inspection, once we have seen the fireplace and the flue. The price is written down before any work.
What days do you work in Anoka?
Sunday through Friday, in 3-hour windows: 8 to 11, 11 to 2 or 2 to 5. We call to confirm and are closed Saturday.
Book online
Book in Anoka. The inspection is free.
Free inspection in a 3-hour arrival window: 8 to 11, 11 to 2, or 2 to 5, Sunday through Friday. We phone to confirm before we come.