Chimney and Fireplace Service in Burnsville, Minnesota
Burnsville had 583 residents in 1950 and boomed once I-35W arrived in 1960, so its fireplaces span 1960s brick to 2000s gas. Our inspection is free.
Burnsville was a quiet township along the Minnesota River until the freeway came. Wikipedia records 583 people in 1950 and 2,716 in 1960, the year Interstate 35W reached it. The city incorporated in 1964 after turning back an annexation attempt by Bloomington, and Burnsville Center opened in 1977. By 2020 the population was 64,317, with homes spread around Crystal Lake, Black Dog Lake and the slopes below Buck Hill.
Census ACS (2024 five-year) puts the median Burnsville home at 1982. Fewer than 7 percent were built before 1960 and about 13 percent after 2000, so most of the stock is from the 1960s through the '90s. Gas heats about 75 percent of homes, and only about 45 percent are single-family detached houses, the rest being townhomes and apartments. That mix means we see both brick chimneys on early split-levels and metal chases on later ones.
Brick or chase, check the top
On the earlier brick chimneys, the weak spot is the crown. Under the current Minnesota Residential Code the top of a masonry chimney is a sloped concrete, metal or stone cap with a drip edge and a caulked bond break around the flue liner. A thin mortar wash with none of those cracks within a few winters. Crown crack repair typically runs $200 to $700 and up, and a new crown $1,000 to $3,000.
On chase-style chimneys, the weak spot is the sheet-metal cover. A replacement typically costs $300 to $700, and repairs to the factory-built chimney inside run $250 to $1,200.
South metro weather
The NOAA station at Farmington, south of Burnsville in Dakota County, averages about 150 nights a year at or below freezing and about 23 nights at or below zero in its 1991–2020 normals. Our count from those normals gives roughly 77 days a year that freeze at night and thaw in the day. The MN DNR records that the January 30, 2019 cold snap took the Twin Cities airport to 28 below, the coldest reading there since 1996.
Flashing on hillside roofs
Burnsville's rolling ground around Buck Hill and the river bluffs puts some chimneys on steep or broken rooflines. Where a chimney is wider than 30 inches along the ridge, the code calls for a cricket behind it so snow and water do not pile up. Missing crickets and old step flashing account for many of the ceiling stains we trace. Flashing repair typically runs $300 to $1,800.
Where we work in Burnsville
Crystal Lake · Black Dog Lake area · Heart of the City · Buck Hill area · County Road 42 corridor · Keller Lake · Along the Minnesota River bluffs
FAQ
Burnsville chimney questions
Is my water stain from the chimney or from an ice dam?
The University of Minnesota Extension explains that ice dams form when uneven roof temperatures melt snow that refreezes at the cold eave, and it names fireplace and wood stove use among the ways heat reaches the attic. A stain at the eave points to an ice dam. A stain next to the chimney that shows up in any thaw points to the crown, cap or flashing. We check both at the free inspection.
How much does a chimney cleaning cost in Burnsville?
We price it at the free inspection after seeing the flue and firebox, and write the price down before any work starts.
Do I need a cricket behind my chimney?
Under the current Minnesota Residential Code, a cricket is called for when the side of the chimney parallel to the ridge is wider than 30 inches. Older chimneys often lack one. We measure it during the inspection and price it there.
What days do you work in Burnsville?
Sunday through Friday, in 3-hour windows: 8 to 11, 11 to 2 or 2 to 5. We are closed Saturday and call ahead to confirm.
Book online
Book in Burnsville. 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.