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.
Trusted Chimney Repair for Cicero Homeowners
If you’re wondering how much chimney repair costs in Cicero, IL, it generally runs between $185 and $2,800 depending on what’s actually wrong, and most jobs we diagnose can be scheduled within a week of the inspection. The price gap exists because a cracked chimney crown is a different job than a collapsing flue liner. Led by Norm Sulecki, Wexford Chimney Sweep has built its reputation on telling Cicero homeowners exactly what needs fixing, what can wait, and what it costs before any work begins. If you’ve noticed water staining near the fireplace, spalling brick, or a cap that’s rusted through, call (866) 361-2607. We’ll inspect it properly and show you what we’re seeing.
Chimney Cap Installation
Chimney Cap Installation is the most cost-effective way to keep rain, animals, and debris out of a flue that currently has nothing covering it. A properly fitted cap also acts as a spark arrestor, which matters in Cicero’s dense residential blocks where homes sit close together. We typically see cap installation run from $200 to $650 in Cicero, depending on flue size and the mounting hardware needed.
Why an Uncovered Flue Causes Damage
Rain enters an uncapped chimney and soaks into the masonry and flue liner. Over a few Chicago winters, that trapped moisture freezes and thaws, cracking the brick from the inside. The fix costs far more than the cap would have.
Materials We Stock
We keep Olympia Chimney and Famco caps on hand in standard sizes, so a simple installation usually doesn’t require a second visit. If your flue has an unusual dimension, we order the right fit rather than forcing a generic cap that won’t seal.
Styles & brands we work with
Chimney Cap Replacement
Chimney Cap Replacement is needed when the existing cap has rusted through, pulled loose from the flue, or no longer sits level after years of wind and weather. In Cicero, we replace a lot of caps on older bungalows where the original cap was installed decades ago and has finally failed. Expect to pay $250 to $700 for a replacement, including removal of the old unit and proper reattachment.
Signs Your Current Cap Is Done
Rust streaks running down the chimney are the most common tell. Birds nesting inside the flue, water in the firebox after rain, or a cap visibly tilted to one side all point to replacement.
Upgrades Worth Considering
If you’re replacing anyway, a multi-flue cap or a larger mesh for better drafting may make sense. We’ll tell you if an upgrade provides real value for your setup, and we won’t push one if it doesn’t.
Chimney Liner Installation
Chimney Liner Installation involves placing a new stainless steel or aluminum liner inside the existing flue to restore a safe exhaust pathway. This job becomes necessary when the original clay tile liner cracks, gaps, or deteriorates to the point where combustion gases can leak into the home. In Cicero, liner installation typically costs $1,800 to $2,800 for a full reline, depending on chimney height, diameter, and the appliance being vented.
DuraFlex Liner Systems
We install DuraFlex flexible liner systems because they’re the retrofit standard trusted by chimney contractors nationwide. The corrugated design navigates older chimneys with offsets that a rigid liner can’t accommodate.
When a Full Reline Is Avoidable
Not every deteriorated liner requires full replacement. We assess the damage by camera before recommending anything. In qualifying cases, HeatShield restores the existing flue surface without the cost or disruption of pulling and replacing the old liner.
Chimney Flashing Repair
Chimney Flashing Repair addresses the metal where the chimney meets the roofline, which is the single most common leak point in Cicero homes. Flashing deteriorates from decades of expansion and contraction, and once it fails, water moves straight into the roof deck and attic. Flashing repair around Cicero generally runs $350 to $900, depending on accessibility and how much metal needs replacing.
What We Actually Do
Rather than layering caulk over failing flashing, we remove the compromised metal, inspect the step and counter-flashing, and install new material that’s properly lapped. Caulk alone almost never works; mechanical repair does.
Why Leaks Can’t Wait
Water that starts at the flashing doesn’t stay there. It follows the roof deck down, soaking insulation and drywall and setting up conditions for mold. The longer it sits, the wider the repair area grows.
Chimney Crown Repair
Chimney Crown Repair fixes the concrete or mortar slab that caps the top of the chimney structure and sheds water away from the flue. Cicero’s freeze-thaw cycle is brutal on crowns, and once cracks form, water penetrates and degrades the masonry below. Crown repair in Cicero typically costs $400 to $1,100, though a full rebuild runs on the higher end.
Small Cracks vs. Structural Failure
Hairline cracks can often be sealed with a flexible crown coating before they expand. Spalling, crumbled sections, or a crown that’s separated from the flue means rebuilding the surface rather than sealing it.
What We Use
We repair crowns with materials meant for exterior exposure, not generic mortar. A crown that slopes properly and overhangs the brick is the difference between a chimney that lasts 30 years and one that needs masonry work in five.
Chimney Repair Companies
Chimney Repair Companies in the Cicero area range from solo sweep operators to full-service contractors, and the difference matters when a repair involves structural work. We also provide our chimney repair in Berwyn and surrounding communities. Wexford Chimney Sweep is a full-service chimney specialist, we sweep, inspect, and fix what we find, all under one roof. Repair pricing for a typical job lands between $185 and $2,800, depending entirely on what the inspection reveals.
What to Ask Before You Hire
Ask whether the company uses a camera to show you the damage before quoting. Ask what brands of liners and caps they install. If the answer is vague, keep looking. The companies worth hiring document what they see and stand behind what they install.
Why We’re Different From a Sweep-Only Operation
A cleaning company that finds a cracked liner has to hand you a phone number for someone else. We don’t. Problems found during a sweep can be quoted, scheduled, and completed by the same company, no referral to a third party, no diagnosis-and-abandon visit.
Chimney Masonry Repair
Chimney Masonry Repair covers the brick and mortar of the chimney structure itself, from tuckpointing loose joints to rebuilding sections that have spalled or shifted. In Cicero’s older housing stock, built primarily between 1910 and 1960, masonry decay is one of the most common structural issues we encounter. Masonry repair in Cicero typically ranges from $500 to $2,500, depending on the extent of the deterioration and chimney height.
Tuckpointing vs. Rebuild
Tuckpointing involves grinding out deteriorated mortar joints and repacking them with new mortar matched to the original color and profile. A rebuild is required when the brick itself has failed, which is common on older Cicero chimneys that have absorbed decades of roof runoff.
The Freeze-Thaw Cycle
Cicero brick soaks up water, freezes, expands, and sheds its face layer a little at a time. We see brick that looks fine from the street but crumbles at the touch once you’re on the roof. Matching the mortar hardness to the brick is critical, mortar that’s too hard actually accelerates brick failure.
Brands We Service
We work with professional-grade product lines because that’s what holds up. Copperfield chimney caps and flashings are a standard part of our repair inventory, they’re built with heavier gauge metal than the big-box alternatives, and we’ve replaced enough corroded generic caps to know the difference. Olympia Chimney products are another line we regularly install, particularly their cap and termination systems, which handle Chicago-area weather without warping or pulling loose.
When a job calls for a new liner or repair to an existing venting system, we rely on DuraFlex and HeatShield systems. DuraFlex gives us a flexible stainless steel reline option that works in older flues with offsets. HeatShield allows us to restore the existing flue surface in qualifying cases, which means a full tear-out reline isn’t the only answer when a liner shows age. Whether you have a system built around those brands or any other make, we can assess and service it.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterSigns You Need a Pro Right Now
- Water in the firebox after rain. This means your cap, crown, or flashing has failed somewhere, and water is entering the chimney where it shouldn’t. Left alone, it accelerates decay across every part of the system.
- Spalling or flaking brick. If brick faces are falling off or you can see chunks of masonry in the yard, the structural outer shell is failing. This doesn’t stop on its own; the exposed inner brick loses even more surface area each winter.
- A rusted-through or missing chimney cap. An unsealed flue invites animals, nests, and rain directly into the liner and firebox. A rusted cap that’s partially collapsed can also block drafting, pushing smoke back into the house.
- White staining on exterior brick. Efflorescence looks like a cosmetic issue, but it signals water moving through the masonry. Where water moves, freeze-thaw damage follows within a season or two.
- Visible gaps or crumbling mortar between bricks. Deteriorated mortar joints weaken the entire chimney structure. On a chimney that vents a furnace or water heater, that’s a direct path for exhaust gases to leak into the wrong places.
Our Process, Step by Step
- 1
Camera inspection. We run a camera through the flue before quoting anything, so you see what we see. An honest diagnosis starts with documentation, not guesswork.
- 2
Written quote with photos. You get the specifics: what’s failing, what we recommend, what can wait, and a line-item price. Nothing gets lumped into a vague “repair” category.
- 3
Flat-price approval. You approve the number before work starts. No surprise add-ons, no pressure to expand the scope once we’re on the roof.
- 4
The repair itself. We use the professional-grade materials appropriate to the job, DuraFlex, HeatShield, Olympia Chimney, Copperfield, or Famco depending on what the work requires.
- 5
Proof of completion. We show you the finished work, walk you through what was done, and leave you with before-and-after photos. You can verify the quality yourself.
How Much Does Chimney Repair Cost in Cicero?
A typical chimney cap installation in Cicero runs $200 to $650, while flashing repair lands between $350 and $900. Crown repair sits in the $400 to $1,100 range depending on whether we’re sealing or rebuilding. Masonry work, which varies the most, generally costs $500 to $2,500 based on how much brick has failed and how high the chimney is. A full chimney liner installation is the biggest single ticket item, usually $1,800 to $2,800 for a DuraFlex reline.
What moves the price: chimney height, roof pitch and accessibility, the extent of hidden damage that only a camera reveals, and whether we’re matching custom brick or can work with standard materials. The best way to avoid overpaying is to demand documentation before approving work. Any company that won’t show you the problem on camera is asking you to buy something you can’t verify. Our free estimate includes a camera inspection and a written breakdown, so you’ll know exactly what you’re approving and why.
Our Service Area Near Cicero
Wexford Chimney Sweep handles repair work throughout Cicero and the surrounding near-west suburbs. We’re regularly in Berwyn, Stickney, North Riverside, and Forest Park, and we cross into the city for jobs in South Lawndale, Brighton Park, North Lawndale, and West Garfield Park. If you’re in Oak Park or East Garfield Park, we’ll schedule you just the same. Our home page covers the full sweep and dryer vent side of the business, and you can read more about our repair work in Chimney Repair in Berwyn and Chimney Repair in North Lawndale.
Serving Cicero, IL — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Cicero area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chimney Repair in Cicero
Chimney repair is any structural or functional fix that restores a chimney’s ability to vent exhaust gases safely and keep water out of the house. It includes cap replacement, crown work, flashing repair, liner installation, and masonry restoration. In Cicero, most repair work we do addresses water intrusion or deteriorating flue liners.
Most cap, flashing, and crown repairs in Cicero are completed in a single visit lasting two to four hours. A full liner installation typically takes half a day to a full day. Masonry rebuilds can take one to two days depending on the extent and the weather window.
Chimney repair in Cicero ranges from $185 for small fixes to $2,800 for a complete reline. Most jobs fall between $250 and $1,100. We give a flat written price after a camera inspection, so you’ll know your exact number before any work is approved. Call (866) 361-2607 for a free estimate.
We install and service Olympia Chimney, Famco, Copperfield, DuraFlex, and HeatShield products, but we can assess and repair systems built around any manufacturer. If a part is proprietary or discontinued, we’ll source the right replacement rather than forcing an off-brand fit.
If you have an active water leak or a structural failure that’s creating a venting hazard, call us and we’ll get you on the schedule as quickly as possible. We don’t promise same-day dispatch, but we do prioritize urgent safety issues. Call (866) 361-2607 and describe what’s happening and we’ll tell you if it’s an emergency.
We stand behind our workmanship and use professional-grade materials built for exterior exposure. Specific warranty terms vary by the type of repair and the materials used, so we’ll outline exactly what applies to your job before you approve it.
Clear the area around your fireplace if we’ll need interior access, and make sure we can reach the roof with our ladder. Move any vehicles blocking the driveway or alley access if possible. If you have pets, securing them during the visit helps us work faster.
Schedule Your Chimney Repair Service in Cicero Today
If your chimney is leaking, spalling, or showing any of the warning signs above, the time to act is before the next freeze-thaw cycle makes it worse. Call (866) 361-2607 for a free, no-obligation estimate from Norm Sulecki and the Wexford Chimney Sweep team. We’ll inspect it on camera, tell you plainly what’s wrong, and give you a number before any work starts.
Written by Norm Sulecki, Owner at Wexford Chimney Sweep, serving Cicero since the company’s founding.