Michael T.
After years of avoiding chimney service, Alpine's team completely transformed our fireplace. Professional, on time, thorough.
Free written estimate before any work begins
Chimney Repair in San Francisco, CA
From a cracked crown to a full rebuild, with the scope and the price agreed in writing before anyone picks up a tool.
Licensed & insured11 years experience5.0 star ratedUpfront pricing
Licensed & insured · 134 reviews
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FreeWritten estimate before work
1-2 daysTypical crown or liner job
MatchedMortar mixed to the original
Chimney Repair for San Francisco homes
San Francisco chimneys are old, tall, narrow and built into houses that share walls with their neighbors, and that combination makes the city its own specialty. Victorian and Edwardian homes across Noe Valley, the Richmond, the Sunset and Bernal Heights typically have unlined brick flues serving fireplaces that were the original heating for the room, often several stacked on a single chimney breast. A great many have been decommissioned, partially filled, or connected to a later appliance without the flue ever being brought up to a state that suits it. On top of that sits the seismic question: unreinforced masonry above the roofline in a city that has twice demonstrated what that means. Almost every San Francisco job we take starts with a camera rather than a brush.
Victorian and Edwardian housing with tall, narrow, commonly unlined brick flues, frequently several serving one chimney breast, on shared-wall lots. Widespread historic decommissioning and improvised later connections. Unreinforced masonry above the roofline is a live seismic concern in a city with two major earthquakes on record.
Included in every job
- The cause fixed, not the symptom
- Written scope, fixed price
- Matched materials
- Work that suits the structure
Warning signs
When San Francisco homes need this service
- Pieces of mortar or brick in the firebox or on the roof
- Damp patches on the ceiling or wall next to the chimney breast
- A white powdery bloom on the outside brickwork
- The crown at the top is cracked, spalled or missing
- The stack leans, bows, or has a visible gap where it meets the roof
- Rusted or missing flashing at the roofline
- Cracked or displaced flue tiles found during an inspection
- Damage after an earthquake or a major storm
Chimney Repair in San Francisco
Call (209) 447-0752 for same-week availability.
Process
How the visit works
Diagnose the cause
Inspection first, including the roof and the flue, so the quote addresses the reason and not just the visible damage.
Scope and quote in writing
What we will do, the materials, the access needed and the price. Free, and yours to compare.
Protect the site
Roof and grounds protected before the work starts, and access arranged so nothing is dropped where it should not be.
Carry out the repair
Repointing, crown rebuilding, liner replacement, flashing, cap fitting or a full rebuild, depending on what the diagnosis found.
Water test and photograph
Where the repair addressed a leak we test it, and you get before and after photographs on completion.
Reviews
From San Francisco customers
Questions
FAQs
Our Victorian has three fireplaces on one chimney. Can they all be used?
Sometimes, but not on the assumption that they were designed to be. Multiple flues in one San Francisco stack are often narrow, unlined and separated by masonry that has decayed, and a camera inspection is the only way to know which of them are still safe to light.
Is my unreinforced brick chimney an earthquake risk?
Above the roofline, where the stack is unbraced, it is the part of the structure most likely to fail in a significant quake. That does not mean it needs to come down tomorrow, but it does mean an honest assessment is worth having, particularly if there is already cracking or a lean.
How do I know whether it needs repointing or rebuilding?
It depends on how deep the failure goes. If the mortar has eroded but the bricks are sound and the stack is straight, repointing is the answer. If bricks are spalling, the stack is leaning, or the structure has moved, rebuilding the affected section is the safer and often cheaper long-term option. The inspection tells us which.
My chimney leaks when it rains. Where is the water coming from?
Usually one of four places: a cracked crown, missing or failed flashing where the chimney meets the roof, porous or unpointed brickwork, or a missing cap letting rain straight down the flue. They present identically inside the house, which is why we diagnose before quoting.
Contact Alpine Chimney
Alpine Chimney Company
1080 Broadway
Millbrae, CA 94030
(209) 447-0752
info@alpinechimneycompany.com
Open 24/7Every day, including holidays
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Fast response. No obligation.