Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Styles & brands we work with
- Sweep & inspection
- Caps & crowns
- Flue relining
- Masonry repair
- Gas fireplace service
See the difference
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AfterHow Much Does Chimney Repair Cost in Santa Monica?
Chimney repair in Santa Monica typically costs between $350 and $1,800 in 2026, with most common repairs (caps, crowns, flashing, and minor mortar work) landing in the $450 to $900 range. Major structural work – full relining or rebuilds – can run $2,500 to $7,000 or more. The single biggest cost driver is whether the flue interior is sound or has failed, since that determines whether we can resurface with HeatShield or need to install a new DuraFlex liner.
We’re Steadfast Chimney Sweep, and we do repair as a named service rather than an afterthought to cleaning. When we inspect a Santa Monica chimney and find a problem, we can fix it in the same visit with professional-grade materials instead of handing you a deficiency report and walking away.
Chimney Repair Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s what the line items look like in Santa Monica this year. The ranges reflect real jobs across the Westside, from 1920s bungalows near Ocean Park to newer construction in Sunset Park.
| Repair type | Typical cost range | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Chimney sweep and inspection | $150 – $275 | Cleaning plus a camera inspection to diagnose what’s actually wrong |
| Chimney cap (Gelco stainless) | $175 – $450 | New cap and screen; stops animals and rain entry |
| Crown repair or rebuild | $350 – $900 | Sealing hairline cracks up to pouring a new crown |
| Flashing repair | $300 – $650 | Resealing where the chimney meets the roof to stop leaks |
| Mortar joint and tuckpointing | $400 – $1,200 | Grinding and re-packing degraded joints |
| HeatShield flue resurfacing | $900 – $2,200 | Restoring a damaged flue interior without full relining |
| DuraFlex liner installation | $2,500 – $6,000 | New flexible stainless liner for a failed or unlined flue |
| Partial rebuild (above roofline) | $3,500 – $7,000+ | Rebuilding the portion of the stack above the roofline |
| Dryer vent cleaning (same visit) | $125 – $250 | Lint and blockage removal from the dryer exhaust |
The numbers climb when more of the chimney has failed. A single crown crack is a few hundred dollars. The same chimney with a degraded flue and a failed crown can cross $2,000 because the flue work and the crown work stack together. On the other end, we keep costs down when we can repair rather than replace. HeatShield resurfacing is the clearest example – it can restore a damaged flue interior for a fraction of what a full DuraFlex relining would cost, and we’re certified to apply it.
One thing that surprises Santa Monica homeowners: a chimney problem rarely shows up as one line item. It shows up as a cluster. A cap that’s been missing for a couple of years lets water into the crown, which cracks it, which lets water into the flue. By the time we’re called, there are usually two or three fixes on the same chimney. That’s why we inspect the whole system before quoting.
What Affects Chimney Repair Pricing in Santa Monica
Two houses on the same block can get very different quotes. Here’s what moves the number:
- Age of the home and original construction. A lot of Santa Monica housing stock dates to the 1920s through 1950s, and those chimneys were often built unlined or with clay tile that’s now cracked after decades of heating and cooling. An unlined flue almost always needs a liner, which pushes the job into the $2,500+ territory. Newer construction in areas like Sunset Park often has a clay liner that only needs spot repair or resurfacing.
- Whether the flue has failed. If the camera inspection shows a sound flue, you’re looking at crown, cap, and flashing work – the $350 to $900 range. If the flue has cracks or gaps, you’re either resurfacing (HeatShield, $900 to $2,200) or relining (DuraFlex, $2,500 to $6,000). That decision makes or breaks the budget.
- Roof pitch and accessibility. Santa Monica’s hillside homes – think the streets climbing above San Vicente – have steeper rooflines and harder access. A chimney that’s easy to reach from a ladder takes less labor than one that needs more staging or roof work. Labor is a real portion of every quote, and access adds to it.
- Salt air and marine moisture. Living this close to the Pacific accelerates corrosion on metal components – caps, flashing, damper hardware, and the top of the chimney. We see flashing and cap failures in Santa Monica more often than in inland cities, and we stock Gelco, Famco, and Copperfield components so we can replace those parts on the same visit rather than ordering and coming back.
- Water intrusion history. A chimney that’s been leaking for a couple of seasons can have soft brick or cracked mortar below the roofline. Once water gets in, the repair scope grows. Catching it early keeps you in the lower range.
- Gas insert vs. wood-burning. Gas inserts and wood-burning fireplaces have different venting requirements, and the repair approach differs. Some Santa Monica homes converted to gas inserts years ago and the venting isn’t sized right for the insert – that’s a repair line item some homeowners don’t expect.
We don’t quote a chimney repair without seeing it. The difference between a $450 crown repair and a $3,000 relining job is inside the flue, and no honest quote can tell them apart from the street.
How to Save on Chimney Repair
There’s no discount that beats catching a problem early. A $75 cap failure becomes a $900 crown rebuild after two rainy seasons. Here’s how to keep the number down:
- Get the inspection regardless of whether you suspect a problem. An annual sweep and inspection is the cheapest line on the page at $150 to $275, and it’s the one that prevents the rest. If you’ve never had a camera inspection of your flue, that’s the place to start.
- Ask about HeatShield before you accept a relining quote. If the flue is damaged but structurally intact, resurfacing can restore it for $900 to $2,200, versus $2,500 to $6,000 for a new liner. Not every chimney is a candidate, but a technician certified to apply HeatShield can tell you whether yours is. Ask specifically.
- Bundle the dryer vent cleaning. Your dryer vent is a chimney for lint – it’s the other exhaust path in your house that accumulates combustible material. Cleaning it on the same visit as the chimney work saves you a second trip charge and addresses both leading exhaust-related fire risks in one call.
- Replace the cap now. A missing or cracked cap is why water gets into the crown and the flue in the first place. Replacing it at $175 to $450 now avoids the crown and flue repairs later.
- Fixing in one visit beats fixing in three. Because we stock Gelco, Famco, Copperfield, Olympia Chimney, and DuraFlex components, most cap, cover, and venting repairs happen on the first visit. Fewer trips, fewer labor charges.
Every estimate is free. Call (833) 593-2844 and we’ll take a look and give you the number in writing before any work starts. If we find a smaller problem than you expected, we’ll tell you.
FAQs – Chimney Repair Cost
How much does chimney repair cost in Santa Monica? Most chimney repairs in Santa Monica run $350 to $1,800, with typical cap, crown, flashing, and mortar work in the $450 to $900 range. Full relining or rebuilds push past $2,500 and can reach $7,000 for major structural work. Call (833) 593-2844 for a free, exact quote.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace a chimney liner? Repairing is usually cheaper if the flue is still structurally sound – HeatShield resurfacing runs $900 to $2,200 versus $2,500 to $6,000 for a new DuraFlex liner. If the flue has major cracks or is unlined, replacement is the safer and sometimes only option. A camera inspection tells you which way you’re headed; call (833) 593-2844 to schedule one.
Can you come today? In most cases we can schedule an inspection or repair visit within a day or two, and persistent leaks get moved up. We’ll give you a realistic window when you call (833) 593-2844 – no guessing.
What’s the most expensive chimney repair? A partial rebuild above the roofline is the costliest common repair, running $3,500 to $7,000+ because it involves new masonry, a new crown, and flashing. Full liner replacement sits just under it at $2,500 to $6,000. Call (833) 593-2844 and we’ll tell you which range your chimney falls into.
Does a chimney repair require a permit in Santa Monica? Many structural repairs and any work affecting the roofline may require a permit from the City of Santa Monica. We’ll tell you upfront whether your job needs one and factor it into the quote. Call (833) 593-2844 to talk it through.
More on Our Santa Monica Chimney Work
We handle the full scope in Santa Monica: sweep and inspection, structural repair, and dryer vent cleaning under one roof. Repair work uses the same materials professional installers specify – DuraFlex flexible liner systems for relining, HeatShield for resurfacing, and Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield components for caps, covers, and venting. Most jobs get inspected, cleaned, and repaired in a single visit, and you’ll get a straight explanation of what was found and what we did about it.
If you’re new to us, start with our home page to see how we work, or go straight to our Chimney Repair in Santa Monica service for the full scope. If you’re outside the city and comparing options, see our cost guides for Chimney Repair in Los Angeles, Chimney Repair in Beverly Hills, Chimney Repair in Culver City, and Chimney Repair in Marina del Rey. If your dryer vent is overdue, our Dryer Vent Cleaning in Santa Monica page covers that side. For the diagnosis that starts every repair, see our Chimney Inspection in Santa Monica guide, and our Chimney Sweep in Santa Monica page explains the annual cleaning and why it catches problems early.
Related city pages: Chimney Repair in Pacific Palisades, Chimney Repair in West Hollywood, and Chimney Repair in Manhattan Beach.
To set up a free estimate, call (833) 593-2844. We’ll look at the chimney, the flue, and the dryer vent if you want us to, tell you what’s actually broken, and give you the price before we touch anything.
Pricing reflects the Santa Monica market as of 2026. Steadfast Chimney Sweep offers free estimates – call (833) 593-2844.
What Our Customers Say
"Level two inspection before we bought the house. The report was detailed enough to use as a negotiating point and he explained every photo in it."
- Gilbert Torres"Liner was cracked in two places. He walked me through the repair options honestly, including the one that was cheaper for him and better for me."
- Christine Wong"Creosote buildup was worse than I realized. He measured it, showed me the glazing on the flue with the camera, and was honest that we were closer to a chimney fire than I wanted to hear."
- Tracy Thompson