Chimney stack surrounded by a scaffold tower ready for repointing

Chimney repair costs: repointing, flaunching and rebuilds

Real 2026 prices for every common chimney job, from mortar and flashing to rebuilding the stack, plus who pays when the chimney is shared. Prices updated July 2026.

Quick answer: chimney repointing costs £400 to £900 in 2026. Smaller repairs like flaunching run £150 to £400, while rebuilding a stack above the roofline costs £1,000 to £2,500.

The chimney is the most exposed brickwork on the house: it takes weather from every direction, at the highest point, with nothing sheltering it. That is why chimney mortar fails decades before the walls below it do, and why most chimney bills are really access bills with some mortar on top. This guide prices every common job and explains where the money actually goes. For a figure tailored to your own home, use our roof cost calculator.

Chimney repair costs (2026)

Job	Typical cost
Repointing full stack	£400 – £900
Flaunching repair	£150 – £400
Lead flashing renewal	£300 – £800
New pot or cowl	£150 – £400
Rebuild stack above roofline	£1,000 – £2,500
Full chimney removal	£1,500 – £3,500

Flaunching is the mortar bed the pots sit in; flashing is the lead sealing the joint between stack and roof. Both fail more often than the brickwork itself, and both are handled by a chimney repair specialist, with leadwork a trade in its own right on older stacks.

Why access drives the cost

A chimney sits at the highest, least reachable point of the roof, so nearly every job on this page needs a scaffold tower around the stack: typically £150 to £300, and usually included in the quotes you receive rather than itemised separately. That access cost is fixed whether the roofer repoints one joint or the whole stack, which is why small chimney jobs feel expensive and why it pays to do everything the stack needs in one visit. Full detail on access pricing is in the scaffolding cost guide.

Fresh mortar flaunching being smoothed around a chimney pot

Signs your chimney needs work

The stack usually announces itself before anything falls. Watch for mortar shedding: crumbling joints, sandy grit in the gutters, or mortar fragments on the ground below the chimney. A stack that has started to lean needs a professional look promptly, because wind loading on a leaning chimney only pushes it further. Inside the house, damp appearing on the chimney breast wall points at failed flaunching, flashing or pointing letting water track down the flue. Any of these on a stack that has not been touched in decades justifies getting it inspected before winter.

Shared stacks on terraces and semis

On terraced and semi-detached houses, one stack often serves two properties and straddles the boundary, which makes it a party structure. In practice that means repair costs are usually split with the neighbour, since both homes benefit and both are exposed if it fails. Sort the practicalities before work starts: agree the contractor, the scope and the split, and get that agreement in writing. A shared stack repaired unilaterally is a recipe for a dispute about the bill afterwards.

Tip: if a re-roof is on the horizon, do the chimney work while that scaffold is up. The access is already paid for, so repointing or flaunching adds only the labour and materials, saving the whole separate access bill. See the new roof cost guide for what the main job should run.

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Chimney FAQs

Chimney repair questions, answered

Repointing a full chimney stack costs £400 to £900 in 2026, including the access equipment. The mortar and labour on the stack itself are modest; most of the money goes on getting a roofer safely up to ridge height, which is why quotes look high for what seems a small job.

Look for mortar shedding from the joints: crumbling beds, sandy debris in the gutter or on the ground below, and visibly recessed joints between the bricks. A leaning stack or damp appearing on the chimney breast wall inside are later-stage signs that the stack needs attention promptly.

On terraces and semis a chimney stack straddling the boundary is a party structure, so repair costs are usually split with the neighbour. Agree the works, the contractor and the split in writing before anyone starts, because informal arrangements are where shared-stack disputes come from.

Usually for sudden events: storm and lightning damage to a chimney is covered by most buildings policies. Gradual decay is not, so failed mortar, aged flaunching and general weathering are classed as maintenance and land on the homeowner. Document storm damage quickly with photographs and dated weather records; our guide to insurance and roof leaks covers the claims process.

Yes. An unmaintained stack still sheds bricks and mortar onto the roof and anything below it, whether or not a fire has been lit in decades. Cap the pot and ventilate the flue so the stack stays dry inside, and have the pointing and flaunching checked when the roof is inspected.