Update 2022: The cost of chimney repairs and other home maintenance projects has soared in recent months due to increased demand, a shortage of skilled labour and supply chain shortages and inflation. The prices on this page were updated in 2022 but are subject to change. If you would like a fixed price, fill in this form with details of your project.

Chimneys often suffer from water ingress due to their exposed location and require specialist maintenance. This page is for anyone who is looking for a price to maintain, repair or even remove a chimney.

Here we will cover:

• Chimney cowls, their uses and how much they cost.
• A price guide for chimney pointing.
• Replacing lead flashing and how much this costs.
• Chimney sweeping costs.
• Chimney removal and lowering prices.

Cowls

Cowls are primarily used for two purposes:

1. Stop rainwater and birds from entering the chimney stack.
2. To help increase the updraft so smoke from a fireplace is pulled up the stack.

There are dozens of different types of cowls but the best option is to usually fit a universal product that is suitable for different fuels and even disused chimneys that need ventilation.

We recommend the Colt Top cowl which is the industry leader in manufacturing these products.

Purchase cost: £69 (see product details here)

Installation cost: £75-£100 (excluding scaffold costs, which may be needed; it depends on the height of the chimney)

Chimney Sweeping

If you have an active fireplace then cleaning the chimney via a sweep is a task that should be done once per year.

Recent research by Quotation Check suggests that the average price for a chimney sweep is around £50 in the north of the UK, £65 in the midlands and the south and up to £95 in London.

A good place to find a sweeper is by visiting the National Association of Chimney Sweeps.

Chimney Pointing Cost

Chimney pointing is the process of removing failed and loose mortar from between the bricks on a chimney and “pointing in” new mortar.

This process has several benefits:

• Prevents water from soaking into the bricks.
• Helps to secure the lead flashing to the wall.
• Improves the visual appeal of the chimney.
• Prevents bricks from coming loose.

How much this will cost doesn’t just depend on how long the work takes or even how difficult the work is, but is affected by how much scaffold (if any) is required.

A chimney that is located in the centre of a roof 20 metres high will require a considerable amount of scaffold. A smaller chimney located at the roof edge and only 6 metres high could probably be reached via an access tower that most roofing firms use.

With that in mind, it’s impossible for us to give you a price to point a chimney without knowing more details such as its height and location.

The three examples below exclude scaffold costs but are what a roofing company would otherwise charge to repoint a chimney:

1. Small chimney 2m high by 0.75m wide – £500 – £750
2. Medium-sized chimney 3m high by 1m wide – £750 – £1000
3. Larger chimney 4m+ by 1.75m wide – £1000 – £1250

The prices above also include a new cement flaunching to the top of the chimney.

Chimney Removal

A chimney “stack” is the part that extrudes from the house, usually via the roof.

The “breast” is the part of the chimney that is inside the property.

Dismantling and removing a chimney stack is an option and is often done when:

• The chimney is at risk of collapse.
• The fireplace has been closed off and the chimney is no longer needed.
• Any extension is planned and the chimney needs to be removed.

As with repointing, small chimneys can often be reached by access tower but anything larger will need to be professionally scaffolded.

There are also additional costs to consider; waste disposal fees for medium and larger chimneys will be in the region of £250 – £500 as bricks and mortar are so heavy and waste is charged per tonne.

Also, the roof will need to be repaired after the chimney has been removed, so new rafters, batons, felt and tiles will be required to fill in the hole.

Assuming the stack will be removed to below the height of the roof tiles and the chimney breast inside the house will be left intact:

Small chimney – £900 – £1200

Medium-sized chimney – £1250 – £1500

Larger chimney – £1750+

(The estimates above exclude the cost of scaffold)

More detailed information about chimney breast and stack removal can be found here.

Leadwork

The base of the chimney stack where it intersects with the tiles is a weak spot that’s prone to leaking.

To protect this area, lead flashing is often secured to the chimney and “dressed” over the tiles.

There are several reasons why leadwork may fail and need replacing or repairing:

• Splits are common on thin long lengths of lead.
• Movement or “settling” of the roof due to the weight of the tiles.
• Incorrect or poor initial workmanship.

The cost of replacement lead is determined by these factors:

• Scaffold costs, as stated earlier in this article.
• The purchase price of the lead, which fluctuates frequently.
• The width and thickness of the lead.

The following prices are a guide only and exclude scaffold costs:

Small to the medium-sized chimney – £750 – £1000

Large chimney – £1000 – £1250

Scaffold Costs

As you can see from our price guides on this page, scaffolding is often required for chimney repair, removal and maintenance work.

Visit this page to see how much scaffold costs to hire.

How Much Do Tradespeople Earn?

We have done extensive research into how much tradespeople earn in wages and day rates.

Explore our guide below, it’s both informative and insightful:

Get Your Own Quote – Online

We hope you have found our guide prices helpful.

Tap the button below and fill in the contact form with details of your project to get a custom quote:

This guide was written by Danny Woodley and was last updated in April 2022.

Don’t forget; we have price guides for hundreds of home improvement projects.

Explore our full list of detailed price guides here.