Chimney Rebuilds, From the Roofline Up or From the Ground

Most chimneys that need rebuilding in the metro failed from the top down. The part above the roof gets no heat from the house, catches wind from every side and sits in snow for much of the winter, and on roughly 75 days a year at MSP (our count from NOAA's 1991–2020 normals) the water in it freezes overnight and thaws by afternoon. After enough winters the mortar turns to sand, bricks loosen, and the top courses lean or open up. Repointing can't hold a stack together once that happens.

A partial rebuild removes the chimney down to where the brick is still tight, usually at or just below the roofline, and relays it with new brick, mortar, flue tile or liner and a new crown. A full rebuild goes further, down to the firebox or the foundation, when the damage runs through the whole stack. We tell you which you need at the free inspection, with photos of the joints that decide it.

Signs you need this

• Bricks you can wiggle or lift out by hand
• The top of the chimney leaning or out of line with the house
• Wide cracks running through several courses
• Brick faces gone on whole sides of the stack
• Mortar and brick chips collecting in the gutter or on the roof

How we do it

1. Inspect and photograph, freeWe check the stack from the roof and inside the flue, mark where the masonry turns solid and write the price for a partial or full rebuild.
2. Check the paperworkWe check what your city requires and whether the house sits in a Minneapolis or St. Paul historic district before quoting a start date.
3. Take it down to sound brickLoose brick comes off by hand, the roof is protected and debris goes down in buckets or a chute, not over your shingles.
4. Lay it back up to codeNew masonry goes up with the liner, a sloped crown with a drip edge and a bond break, and the height the current Minnesota Residential Code calls for.
5. Flash and finishNew step and counter flashing ties the rebuilt stack to the roof, and a cap goes on top of the flue.

What the current Minnesota Residential Code asks of a rebuilt chimney

Minnesota adopts the 2018 International Residential Code as its Residential Code (Minn. R. 1309.0010), and chapter 10 on chimneys and fireplaces is mandatory wherever the state code is adopted. We build every rebuild to it. The points that change the look and cost of the work:

• Height: at least 3 feet above where the chimney passes through the roof and 2 feet above anything within 10 feet (R1003.9)
• Crown: a concrete, metal or stone cap sloped to shed water, with a drip edge and a caulked bond break around the flue liner (R1003.9.1)
• Walls: solid masonry at least 4 inches thick (R1003.10)
• Lining: masonry chimneys shall be lined, with a lining suited to the appliance (R1003.11)
• Cricket: required when the side parallel to the ridge is wider than 30 inches (R1003.20)

Rebuilding in Minneapolis and St. Paul historic districts

St. Paul's permit handout says that in a Historic Preservation Area a permit is needed for exterior work such as tuckpointing regardless of what it costs, and its Heritage Preservation staff review the work. Minneapolis sends exterior changes on designated properties through city preservation review. Matching brick size, color, mortar joint and the original chimney shape usually decides how smooth that goes.

We help you prepare photos and a written scope for the review, and we do not start until the city has signed off. On a house outside any district, we still check what your city requires before work begins.

What a rebuild costs in 2026

National cost guides put a partial rebuild at $1,000 to $5,000+ and a full chimney replacement at $4,000 to $15,000. Where yours lands depends on how many courses come off, roof pitch, brick matching, how many flues the stack carries and whether a new liner goes in at the same time. A leaning chimney that can be straightened without a full rebuild typically runs $2,000 to $4,000. The written number comes from the free inspection.