Chimney repair in Torrance CA - a chimney that stays sound and keeps water out
Crumbling mortar, cracked brick or a leak where the chimney meets the roof? We repair the masonry and the flashing so water stays out.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Does your chimney need repair, and what will it take?
Chimney repair in Torrance renews worn mortar and cracked brick and fixes the metal flashing where the chimney meets the roof, so the masonry stays sound and water stays out of your roof.
Most calls start with something you can see from the driveway, like sandy mortar washing out of the joints, a brick with a crack running through it, or a water stain on the ceiling next to the chimney. The price turns on how much of the mortar is worn, how many bricks need replacing, whether the flashing has to come off and go back on, and how tall the chimney is, because a tall one takes more time and more care to work on from the roof. The schedule turns on the same things, plus any permit steps for your address and the weather. I'll tell you which of those apply once I've seen it, and the written estimate spells out the scope so you're not guessing.
How we do chimney repair
I start on the roof, because the joints you can see from the yard are rarely the whole story. On a tall brick chimney I look past the mortar to how the chimney is tied to the roof framing, and whether the flashing, the metal that turns water away where brick meets roof, is still doing its job. Then our crew rakes out the worn mortar down to sound material, replaces cracked bricks and repoints with mortar mixed softer than the brick, because mortar harder than the brick makes the brick faces flake off and you end up paying for new brick instead of new joints. Plenty of chimneys I see were patched with whatever was on the store shelf, and it shows. Last, we rework any flashing that has let go so the leak stops at the roofline.
Chimneys rarely wear out alone. If the joints on the house walls look as tired as the ones on the chimney, the same work there is tuckpointing, and cracked or flaking brick on a wall, step or planter falls under brick repair, so we can look at both on the same visit.
Mortar and brick repair
This suits a chimney where the brick is mostly sound but the joints are sandy, cracked or sunk back from the face. We replace the bad mortar and any broken bricks, which covers most chimney work because the mortar is the part that wears.
Flashing and roof tie-in work
This suits a chimney that leaks into the attic or ceiling, or a tall one that rises well above the roof. We rework the flashing where the brick meets the roof and check the chimney's connection to the roof framing, so it sheds water and has more than its own weight holding it up.
Chimney repair in Torrance means thinking about earthquakes
The City of Torrance says it sits in an area prone to high seismic activity because of nearby faults, and a tall, narrow chimney, or a brick or stone one that rises high above the roof, is the kind that comes down in a quake. When one falls it can go through the roof and hurt the people inside, so the usual advice is a solid connection between the chimney and the roof framing, which helps it resist toppling in strong wind or an earthquake. That's the check I make first on a tall chimney here, and we do the same on jobs in Redondo Beach and Lomita, where plenty of older houses carry the same kind of brick chimney. We're based in Torrance and work in many of the cities around it, so if yours isn't on our list, call and ask.
Whether your chimney repair needs a permit is the city's call, and the Torrance Permit Center answers that at (310) 618-5910 or CDDBuilding@TorranceCA.Gov. If it does, we handle the application, which the city now takes electronically, and I tell you what we learn before any work starts.
Why Torrance homeowners call AJ Torrance Concrete and Masonry for chimney repair
I come out and look myself
The person who looks at your chimney and writes the estimate is me, not a salesperson. Our own crew does the work with a lead mason running the site, and I stop by to check on it.
Building masonry since 2013
I sold brick, block and stone at a supply yard before I learned to lay it, and I started this business in 2013. Years of hearing how other people's jobs went after the trucks left is a cheap education in what not to do.
Licensed and insured in California
We're licensed and insured, which matters on a chimney because our crew is working up on your roof. California licenses masonry contractors through the Contractors State License Board, and chimney brick work falls under that trade.
The part of a chimney that matters most is usually the part you can't see from the driveway, so let me get up there and look. Send a request or call (424) 318-3093 to set a time.
Request a quoteGet a written estimate for your chimney repair
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out and look at your chimney. The estimate is free, done at your property and comes with no obligation. You get it in writing with the scope spelled out, so you can see exactly what we'd fix before you decide.
What happens after you call about your chimney?
Call or send a request
Call (424) 318-3093 or fill in the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. We pick up from 6 AM on weekdays and 7 AM on weekends.
I look at the chimney
I check the mortar, the brick, the flashing and, on a tall chimney, how it's tied to the roof, then tell you what I see. You get a written estimate with the scope spelled out, so you know what's in the price before you decide anything.
We handle permits and work
If the job needs a permit, we take care of the steps with the office that covers your address before work starts. Then our crew does the repair, with a lead mason running the site.
I check it before we finish
I look the work over myself before we call it done. We clean up the roof and the ground around the chimney so you're not finding mortar crumbs in the gutters next month.
Frequently asked questions
What does chimney repair cost in the Los Angeles area?
Chimney repair in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $700 to $9,500 per repair. That's the area's usual range, not our price, and where your job lands depends on how much mortar and brick need work, the flashing and the height of the chimney. Our own number comes in the written estimate, and our work is satisfaction guaranteed.
Is my chimney at risk in an earthquake in Torrance?
If it's tall and brick, it's worth having checked, because chimneys are the part of a home most likely to be damaged in an earthquake. Many fell in the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles. We look at how a tall chimney is tied to the roof framing as part of the estimate.
How do I know my chimney mortar needs repointing?
Your chimney needs repointing, which means refilling the mortar joints, when the mortar has worn back more than about ¼ inch from the brick face, according to one masonry council. Crumbling mortar, hairline cracks, holes in the joints, or brick that cracks along with the joints are signs too. If you can see a few of those from the ground, it's time to have someone look.
Who can do chimney masonry work in California?
A contractor licensed by the state for masonry can, and that license covers brick, natural and manufactured stone, and the fire brick used for heat-resistant work. A general building contractor can also take the job if it holds the masonry specialty or subcontracts it to a licensed masonry contractor. If a general builder bids your chimney, ask which of those applies.
How do I stop water leaking around my chimney?
Most leaks where the chimney meets the roof come from the flashing rather than the brick, so that's where the fix usually starts. Flashing typically has three parts, base flashing at the bottom, step flashing along the sides and counterflashing set into the brick over the top. We check each piece and rework whichever one has let go.
What causes chimney mortar to fall apart?
Mostly age, because mortar lasts roughly 25 to 50 years while brick lasts about 100 years or more. That gap means an older chimney will usually need its joints redone at least once in its life. It's normal wear, and catching it early keeps the brick from going with it.
Related masonry work
Tuckpointing
When the house walls show the same sandy, sunken joints as the chimney, tuckpointing renews the mortar there and finishes the joints with a clean line that matches the old work.
Brick repair
Cracked bricks, a broken brick step or faces flaking off a wall call for brick repair, where we cut out the damaged brick and set replacements sized and colored to fit.
Torrance, CA
Send us photos of your chimney
A couple of photos of the chimney and the roofline, plus a note about any cracked mortar or ceiling stains, let me come out already knowing what to look at first.