{
  "title": "Chimney Leaking — Sweep, Mason, or Roofer? (It's Usually the Flashing)",
  "description": "Water around the chimney has four possible sources and three possible trades. How to tell flashing from crown from masonry, what each fix costs, and why the Level 2 inspection is the diagnosis.",
  "category": "home",
  "vertical": null,
  "tldr": "Water appearing around a chimney is flashing until proven otherwise — the metal seam where chimney meets roof fails long before the masonry does, and it's a $200–$800 roofer fix. Water inside the firebox or a white-stained, crumbling stack is the mason's: crown repair $750–$1,000, repointing $500–$2,500. Can't tell? A chimney company's Level 2 inspection ($150–$1,000, camera included) is the diagnosis; the sweep's $100–$500 cleaning is maintenance, not leak repair.",
  "who_to_call": [
    {
      "who": "Roofer",
      "when": "Stains on the ceiling NEAR the chimney, leaks during rain, attic drips at the chimney's roof penetration — flashing territory, the most common cause",
      "not_for": "Water inside the firebox itself or crumbling brick — that's not the roof's seam"
    },
    {
      "who": "Chimney company / certified sweep (CSIA)",
      "when": "Diagnosis is unclear, buying or selling the house, after a chimney fire or storm — a Level 2 inspection with camera is the definitive answer",
      "not_for": "You already know it's the flashing — sweeps subcontract or refer that anyway"
    },
    {
      "who": "Mason",
      "when": "Cracked crown, missing mortar joints, spalling (flaking) brick, white staining — the masonry itself is absorbing or admitting water",
      "not_for": null
    },
    {
      "who": "911, then a Level 2 inspection before next use",
      "when": "You suspect a chimney fire happened (loud roaring, dense smoke, cracked flue tiles found later) — even out, the flue may be compromised",
      "not_for": null
    }
  ],
  "costs": [
    {
      "item": "Chimney inspection, Level 1 (annual, visual)",
      "range": "$85–$950",
      "source": "Fixr",
      "source_url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/chimney-inspection"
    },
    {
      "item": "Chimney inspection, Level 2 (camera; sale, change, or event)",
      "range": "$150–$1,000",
      "source": "Fixr",
      "source_url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/chimney-inspection"
    },
    {
      "item": "Chimney sweep / cleaning",
      "range": "$100–$500",
      "source": "Fixr",
      "source_url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/chimney-cleaning"
    },
    {
      "item": "Chimney flashing repair / replacement",
      "range": "$200–$300 repair, $300–$800 replace",
      "source": "Fixr",
      "source_url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/chimney-repair"
    },
    {
      "item": "Chimney crown repair",
      "range": "$750–$1,000",
      "source": "Fixr",
      "source_url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/chimney-repair"
    },
    {
      "item": "Repointing / tuckpointing (mortar joints)",
      "range": "$500–$2,500",
      "source": "Fixr",
      "source_url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/chimney-repair"
    }
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "The title says four trades — a Reddit thread literally listed chimney sweep, mason, roofer, and general contractor. Who's first?",
      "a": "First is whoever can DIAGNOSE, and that's a chimney company doing a Level 2 inspection — camera up the flue, eyes on crown, flashing, and masonry in one visit. Starting with a repair trade means each one checks their own layer, finds or doesn't find their own problem, and refers you onward: the exact merry-go-round that thread described. Diagnose once, then hire the right single trade."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why do you keep saying flashing when my chimney is clearly old brick?",
      "a": "Because the metal seam fails decades before decent brick does, and water from failed flashing shows up in the same ceiling spots as masonry leaks. Old brick makes masonry MORE plausible, not certain. The tell for flashing: leaks track rain events tightly and stain the ceiling or attic framing near the chimney. Masonry problems show on the chimney itself — white staining, flaking faces, missing mortar."
    },
    {
      "q": "What's the white staining on the brick?",
      "a": "Efflorescence — minerals left behind as water migrates through the masonry and evaporates. It's not itself harmful, but it's proof the brick is absorbing water. Persistent efflorescence plus crumbling mortar joints is the repointing conversation ($500–$2,500); a cracked crown letting water straight down into the structure is $750–$1,000."
    },
    {
      "q": "Do I really need a chimney inspection every year if I barely use the fireplace?",
      "a": "The NFPA 211 standard, as quoted by the Chimney Safety Institute of America: chimneys, fireplaces, and vents 'shall be inspected at least once a year for soundness, freedom from deposits, and correct clearances' — even lightly used flues, because animals, weather, and settling don't care about your burn schedule. The annual Level 1 is visual and cheap insurance; Level 2 (camera) is for sales, changes, and after any fire, storm hit, or seismic event."
    },
    {
      "q": "How do I find a legitimate chimney pro and not a coupon-blast outfit?",
      "a": "CSIA certification is the industry's real credential — searchable by zip at the CSIA website. The $59-sweep coupon model funds itself on what the tech 'finds' upstairs; a CSIA-certified sweep quoting the honest $100–$500 range with a written report is the version of this trade you want. Our five-minute vetting checklist applies here too."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "Fixr: Chimney inspection cost (levels)",
      "url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/chimney-inspection",
      "accessed": "2026-08-11"
    },
    {
      "label": "Fixr: Chimney repair cost (flashing, crown, repointing)",
      "url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/chimney-repair",
      "accessed": "2026-08-11"
    },
    {
      "label": "Fixr: Chimney cleaning cost",
      "url": "https://www.fixr.com/costs/chimney-cleaning",
      "accessed": "2026-08-11"
    },
    {
      "label": "CSIA: Homeowner resources (NFPA 211 annual inspection)",
      "url": "https://www.csia.org/homeowner-resources",
      "accessed": "2026-08-11"
    },
    {
      "label": "CSIA: Find a certified sweep",
      "url": "https://web.csia.org/search",
      "accessed": "2026-08-11"
    }
  ],
  "updated": "2026-08-11",
  "url": "https://whodoicallfor.com/home/chimney-leak/",
  "json_url": "https://whodoicallfor.com/home/chimney-leak.json",
  "recommended_call": null
}