Chimney repair in Riverside CA - a chimney that keeps rain out of your house
Water stain on the ceiling by the fireplace, or mortar crumbling up top? We find where the water gets in and fix that part.
Get your leaking chimney looked at
Our phone is on until 10 PM on weekdays and 9 PM on weekends, so you can call (951) 462-2880 the same evening you spot the stain.
Does a leaking chimney in Riverside need a repair or a rebuild?
Chimney repair in Riverside means fixing the parts that keep water out of your chimney and your house, mostly the flashing where the chimney meets the roof and the mortar between the bricks.
Most people call us because water is showing up somewhere it shouldn't, and the real question is whether the chimney needs a patch or a lot more. The price moves with how much of it has failed and how hard your roof is to work from, because sealing the top and repointing a few joints is a far smaller job than rebuilding everything above the roofline. The schedule depends on whether the job needs a permit and inspections, and on the weather, since nobody wants fresh mortar out in the rain. When the trouble is mostly worn joints, the fix is often tuckpointing, and your written estimate spells out what we'll build and how.
Why Riverside homeowners call Keystone Riverside Concrete and Masonry for chimney repair
The owner writes your estimate
I come out myself, look over the whole chimney and write the estimate. The person who priced your job is the one who saw what's up there and can tell you why.
Trained on commercial jobs first
We've been in business since 2017, and before that I laid brick and block for a big commercial outfit. That taught me the flashing and mortar behind the face matter more than the face.
Licensed, insured, permits handled first
We're licensed and fully insured. Riverside notes that insurers may not cover work done without permits and inspections, so we treat the permit as part of the job, not an extra.
On a chimney, the water has to be stopped where it gets in, not where it shows up. Send us the details or call (951) 462-2880, and I'll come take a look.
How we handle chimney repair
A leak can start at the crown, the concrete cap on top, or at the flashing as easily as at the brick, so we look at all of it before we quote a fix. On work day our crew covers the room inside first, because chimneys are dirty and your rug didn't sign up for that. Then we fix what failed, which can mean cutting worn mortar out to an even depth and packing new mortar in, or resetting the base and counter flashing, the metal that laps under the roofing and the piece set into the brick that laps over it. We clean up inside and out before we leave.
When the mortar is tired all over the chimney, tuckpointing the whole stack cuts down the moisture soaking into the brick through old joints. Bricks that are cracked or shedding their faces come out and get swapped for sound ones as part of brick repair. Each of the options below keeps a different amount of your old masonry, so how much to rebuild is your call. I'd rather tell you a repair will do than sell you a rebuild.
Flashing, crown and joint repair
This suits a chimney that's straight and solid but lets water in. We fix the parts that failed and leave the good brick alone, which is usually the least costly route.
Capping the chimney
If you've stopped using the fireplace, the chimney can be capped at the roof or at the ceiling. It suits owners who'd rather have less chimney to look after than keep a fireplace going.
Rebuilding above the shoulder
When the upper chimney is too far gone, it can be replaced above the shoulder, the point where it narrows over the fireplace. The old firebox stays, so the whole thing doesn't come down.
New insert and metal flue
The largest option replaces both the firebox and the chimney with a factory-built insert and a metal flue. It keeps the least of the old masonry and suits a chimney that's failing top to bottom.
How can you tell your chimney needs repair?
Stain on the ceiling
A brown ring on the ceiling or wall next to the chimney usually means water is getting past the flashing or the crown. Every rain it goes on, the drywall and framing soak up more.
Mortar sand on the roof
Gritty sand on the roof or in the gutter below the chimney is mortar washing out of the joints. The longer those joints stay open, the more water gets into the brick behind them.
Cracks in the crown
Cracks in the cement cap on top let water run straight down inside the chimney. Caught early, that's a small fix. Left alone, it feeds the leak and the brick underneath.
Loose or flaking bricks
Bricks with faces popping off, or ones you can wiggle, mean water has been working on them for a while. Waiting lets the damage spread to the bricks around them and makes the repair bigger.
What happens after you call about your chimney?
Call, and I come look
Call (951) 462-2880 or send the form, and I'll come out to look at the chimney and measure it. You get a written estimate saying what we'll build and how.
We pull permits, then build
If the job needs a permit, we pull it and schedule the inspections before we start. Then a lead mason runs our crew on the chimney.
I check the finished work
When the crew is done, I check the work myself before we call it finished. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Chimney repair questions we hear
Here's what Riverside homeowners ask us most about leaking and worn chimneys. If yours isn't answered here, call or send the form and ask about your own chimney.
How much does chimney repair cost in Riverside?
Chimney repair in Riverside usually costs about $550 to $7,800 per project. That's the going rate around here, not our price, and where your chimney lands depends on how much of it needs work, from resealing the top to rebuilding it. Your written estimate gives you the number for your own job.
Do I need a permit for chimney repair in Riverside?
Chimney work in Riverside falls under the city's general rule, which says anyone planning to build, alter or repair a building or structure applies to the city's building official for a permit first. If it isn't clear whether your job needs one, we check with the city before we start, not after.
What causes a chimney to leak when it rains?
Most chimney leaks come in at the crown, the flashing or worn mortar, and the crown is the one people overlook most. Up there, flashing and sealant keep water out of the gap between the chimney wall and the flue liner, the pipe inside that carries the smoke, so when they fail, water runs down inside. Old mortar joints let water soak into the brick too, which is about the only thing bad mortar is still good at.
When should I get my chimney inspected?
The chimney safety industry recommends a Level 2 inspection, a more thorough look than a routine check, when you're selling the house or before a chimney is lined or relined. It's also recommended after a chimney fire, a bad storm, an earthquake or a malfunction likely to have done damage, and in California most quake damage to homes comes from ground shaking, which hits hardest near large active faults. A repair plan built on what the inspection finds beats one built on a guess.
How do I get my chimney ready for a new liner?
Have it cleaned first, because one liner maker's instructions call for a certified chimney sweep to clean a masonry chimney before the new liner goes in. Leftover creosote and soot can lead to fire or smoke damage later.
Does a chimney repair contractor need a license in California?
Yes, the Contractors State License Board licenses masonry contractors, the trade that installs brick, stone and fire brick, and the board's masonry material covers fireplace and chimney work. In Riverside, a contractor who pulls a permit has to show proof of licensing the board can check and hold a current City of Riverside business license, so ask for that proof before you hire.
Get a written chimney repair estimate
Tell us your chimney's age, where you're seeing leaks and any recent fire or quake, and we'll reply within one business day. Then I come out to look, and the written estimate is free with no obligation.
Examples of chimney masonry
Other work that goes with chimneys
Tuckpointing
If the mortar is soft or sandy across your whole house, not just the chimney, repointing the walls heads off the same water problem somewhere else.
Learn moreBrick repair
Cracked, loose or flaking bricks on walls, steps or planters get cut out and replaced with brick matched as close as we can find to what's already there.
Learn more