If your chimney is leaning, the brickwork is spalling badly, or the mortar joints above the roofline have collapsed, Ely Roofers carries out full chimney rebuilds for homeowners in Cottenham and the surrounding villages.
A chimney rebuild is not the same as repointing or patching a few loose bricks. It means taking the stack down to a sound course above the roofline and rebuilding it from scratch using matching brick and properly mixed mortar. A new damp-proof course (DPC) is bedded in during the build, and once the brickwork is complete, new lead flashings are dressed and soaked into the masonry to seal the junction with the roof. Every part of the job has to be done in the right order, and every part matters.
A chimney that is rebuilt properly will handle rain, frost and wind without the problems that led to the original failure. One that is rebuilt carelessly will start to show the same faults within a few years.
This is the angle that makes the most difference to the outcome of any chimney job. A chimney rebuild involves brickwork, leadwork, DPC installation and scaffolding, and it sits at height on your roof. Choosing the wrong contractor is expensive to put right. Here is what to look for before you agree to anything.
Any proper chimney rebuild requires safe access. That means either a scaffold tower or a full scaffold lift depending on the roof pitch and chimney height. A contractor who says they can do it off a ladder is not giving you a safe or proper job. Ask specifically how they intend to access the chimney and whether the scaffold is included in the quote.
A damp-proof course in the chimney stack is not optional - it prevents ground moisture from the roof surface wicking up into the brickwork. Many older chimneys either never had one or had a mortar-only course that has long since failed. Ask the contractor whether they will be installing a new DPC and where in the stack it will sit. If they do not know what you are talking about, that tells you something important.
Lead is the correct material for chimney flashings. It is formed in two parts: the apron (or front flashing) and the stepped side flashings, with a back gutter behind the stack. Each piece of lead is soaked into a raked-out mortar joint and held with lead wedges, then pointed over. Ask whether they are installing Code 4 or Code 5 lead. Code 4 (1.8 mm thick) is the minimum for most domestic work; Code 5 (2.24 mm) is heavier and longer-lasting. If a contractor proposes using aluminium flashing tape or mortar fillets instead of lead, that is a compromise that will not last.
A quote that just says "chimney rebuild" with a single figure tells you nothing. Ask for a written breakdown that lists: demolition and disposal of existing brickwork, materials (brick type, mortar mix, lead code), DPC installation, flashing work, and making good any roof tiles disturbed during access. This is the only way to compare quotes fairly and to hold the contractor to what was agreed.
The rebuilt section of a chimney will be visible from the street. A good contractor will ask you about matching the existing brick before they start, or will take a sample to a merchant to source something close. Ask them directly: how will you match the brick? If they say it does not matter or that they will use whatever they have on the van, expect an obvious patch on your roofline.
Some roofing companies quote the job and then subcontract it to whoever is available. There is nothing wrong with subcontracting in principle, but you should know whether the person who surveys the job is the same person who does it. If it is subcontracted, ask who the subcontractor is and whether the main contractor will oversee the work.
Before any quote is finalised, someone needs to get eyes on the chimney from close up. A proper inspection will check the condition of all the mortar joints in the section to be rebuilt, the state of the existing flashings (which may need replacing even if the stack does not), the pot and haunching at the top, and whether the flaunching has cracked and allowed water in around the pot. All of these affect the final scope and cost.
If the chimney is no longer used, the contractor should also discuss whether to fit a ventilated cap or to fully close and weatherproof the top of the stack - leaving an open, unused flue is an invitation for birds, damp and cold air.
Once a contractor is appointed, the typical sequence is: scaffold erected, chimney taken down to a sound course, new DPC bedded in, brickwork rebuilt in matching brick, haunching formed around the pot, lead flashings cut and dressed, surrounding roof tiles relaid and made good, scaffold struck, site cleared. The whole job on a single domestic chimney usually takes one to three days on site depending on height and access.
Ask in advance what will happen if additional problems are found once the stack is down - exposed brickwork sometimes reveals worse decay than was visible from the survey. A straightforward contractor will agree a day rate for any additional courses, rather than presenting a surprise invoice.
Ely Roofers carries out chimney rebuilds in Cottenham and across the surrounding area, including Ely, Stretham, Little Thetford, Over and other villages in between. Call us to arrange a survey and a written quote before you commit to anything.
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Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
