Chimney and fireplace work in Minnetonka
Minnetonka stayed largely rural until the 1960s, so most homes here are ramblers, split-levels and newer two-stories with brick or factory-built chimneys. We inspect for free and put the price in writing.
Minnetonka Mills, founded around a sawmill on Minnehaha Creek in 1852, was the first permanent settlement west of Minneapolis in Hennepin County. The township shrank as neighbors incorporated around it, and Minnetonka itself incorporated in 1956, with horse pasture and farms still common into the 1960s. The Burwell House, built in 1874, and the 1906 town hall are both on the National Register.
The 2024 American Community Survey shows how late the building came: just 2.5 percent of the city's 24,760 housing units predate 1940, 19.1 percent are from 1940 to 1959, 15.7 percent from 2000 or later, and the median home was built in 1981. Gas heats 79.1 percent of homes. That gives Minnetonka both 1960s masonry chimneys and 1980s and 90s factory-built units in framed chases.
The snowiest station in the west metro
The National Weather Service office in Chanhassen, just southwest of the city, records about 54.7 inches of snow a year in NOAA's 1991–2020 normals, more than the 51.2 at the MSP airport, along with about 156 nights at or below freezing and about 27 at or below zero. Heavy snow sitting on a chase cover or against the back of a wide chimney is where many winter leaks start.
On framed chases, a replacement chase cover with a slope typically runs $300 to $700. On brick chimneys wider than 30 inches along the ridge, the current Minnesota Residential Code calls for a cricket to split the snow and water; flashing repair runs $300 to $1,800.
Gas fireplaces, inserts and older brick
Many Minnetonka homes have a gas fireplace or a gas insert in an old wood-burning opening. Minnesota searchers look up gas fireplace inserts about 1,000 times a month. An insert typically costs $2,000 to $5,000 installed. In a 1960s rambler, check the appliance flue too: Minnesota's fuel gas rules call for a metal liner in masonry chimneys venting gas, and a stainless liner typically runs $900 to $3,800.
Where we work in Minnetonka
Minnetonka Mills
FAQ
Minnetonka chimney questions
Why does water come into my fireplace every spring?
On a factory-built fireplace it is usually a rusted or flat chase cover; on brick it is usually the crown or the flashing. We find the source at the free inspection.
Is a gas insert worth it in an old fireplace?
If you want heat instead of ambiance, usually. An open masonry fireplace sends much of its heat up the flue; a sealed insert does not. A gas insert typically runs $2,000 to $5,000 installed.
How often should my gas fireplace be serviced?
Once a year. NFPA 211 calls for yearly inspection of chimneys, fireplaces and vents, and a service visit checks the pilot, burner, glass seal and vent.
Are you available on Saturdays?
No. We work Sunday through Friday in three-hour windows and call to confirm.
Book online
Book in Minnetonka. 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.