Level 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.
Before
After
Before
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Before
AfterFast, Reliable Chimney Repair Across Kirby
Chimney repair in Kirby starts with a straight answer: most masonry chimney problems here are crown, flashing, and mortar-joint failures caused by the clay-heavy blackland soils under northeast Bexar County. Those soils expand and contract with every wet-dry cycle, and that movement is transmitted directly into brick chimneys, cracking crowns, tearing flashing, and opening mortar joints year after year. Our crews work Kirby homes off FM 78, around Binz-Engleman Road, and down Ackerman Road every week, so we know exactly what this ground does to a chimney. Call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll give you a written price before any work starts.
Why Flint Chimney Sweep Is Kirby’s Preferred Chimney Repair Company
Kirby homeowners call us because we tell them the truth about their chimney, then put the repair in writing. We don’t push liner replacements that a camera inspection doesn’t justify. We don’t quote a number over the phone and change it at the door. We operate under The Garrison Standard: a written price, a written scope of work, and a written guarantee on every repair, valid for one full year from the service date. If a covered repair fails inside that year, we come back and make it right at no charge. No argument, no second invoice.
Our technicians arrive in uniform, background-checked, and inside the window we gave you. When we pulled a spalling chimney crown off a 1960s ranch near Kirby Landing, the homeowner had already been told by another company she needed a full rebuild. The real issue was heat-stained Copperfield flashing letting water track down past the smoke chamber. We re-flashed, rebuilt the crown, and she paid a fifth of the rebuild price. That’s the difference between a company that sells work and one that diagnoses it.
Hank Delano has run Flint Chimney Sweep as part of the Garrison Partners family since 2002, and the code hasn’t changed: document everything, guarantee the repair, and answer the phone. A live person takes your call around the clock. No voicemail trees, no callback forms. When you need Chimney Repair help in Kirby, you reach a human being who can schedule the work.
Chimney Liner Installation in Kirby
Chimney Liner Installation in Kirby means replacing the inner liner that channels smoke and combustion gases safely out of the house. The clay soils here accelerate crown and flashing failures, and when water gets in from the top, it runs down the inside of the flue and rots the existing clay tile liner from behind. By the time a homeowner notices a musty smell or ceiling stains, the liner is often spalled and unsafe. A new stainless liner, typically DuraFlex or HeatShield, costs $1,800 to $3,400 in Kirby depending on flue height and whether the old liner needs breaking out first.
When a liner really needs to go
A camera run tells us the truth. Hairline cracks in clay tile that don’t extend through the full thickness can often safely wait. A liner with missing sections, separated joints, or heat-damaged glazing is moving carbon monoxide where it shouldn’t. We’ll show you the video, explain what you’re seeing, and give you a written price before anyone touches the chimney.
What you’re paying for
The liner material itself is a small part of the job. Most of the labor is in staging, breaking out the old clay tile when it’s collapsed, and re-pointing the crown once the new liner is set. Kirby’s single-story ranches from the 1960s and 70s are usually straightforward. Two-story homes around the newer subdivisions east of Kirby take longer and run toward the higher end of the range.
Chimney Flashing Repair in Kirby
Chimney Flashing Repair in Kirby is the single most common repair we book, and that’s directly tied to the local soils. As the ground moves, the chimney shifts independently of the roofline. The flashing, which is the metal seal where the chimney meets the roof, gets pulled, cracked, or lifted. Water then runs down the outside of the flue and shows up as ceiling stains or wall discoloration. Homeowners blame the roof, but the leak is at the chimney penetration. Flashing repair in Kirby typically runs $350 to $850 when the base flashing is intact and only the counter-flashing needs replacing. A full re-flash with new step flashing and a Copperfield or Famco cap runs $900 to $1,600.
Signs you have a flashing leak
You’ll see water spots on the ceiling near the fireplace, or a damp, musty smell in the firebox after a hard rain. Outside, look for lifting or missing metal at the chimney-roof line. If the sealant looks cracked or hand-caulked over old metal, water is already getting in.
The repair process
We cut the old flashing out, inspect the roof decking for rot, and set new step and counter-flashing with the proper overlap. The joints get sealed, and we photograph the finished work so you can see exactly what was done. It’s a one-day job in most Kirby homes, and every repair carries our one-year written guarantee.
Trusted Brands We Service in Kirby
We specify materials by the job, not by the margin. For flashing work, we use Copperfield and Famco components. For liners, we install DuraFlex and HeatShield stainless systems. These are the same brands commercial builders specify, and we stock common sizes for Kirby’s typical flue dimensions, which means less waiting on parts and a faster turnaround when we’re already on your roof. If a previous contractor installed a different brand, we’ll tell you whether it’s worth keeping or whether the leak or failure is coming from the material itself.
Common Chimney Repair Problems We See in Kirby Homes
- Spalled crowns and rusted caps from clay-soil movement. Water sits on the crown, freezes in rare cold snaps, and spalls the surface. Once the crown is cracked, water gets into the firebox and damper from above, quietly rotting the structure. The fix is crown rebuild and a proper cap, usually under $900 in Kirby.
- Missing or loose flashing at the roof penetration. This lets rain run the outside of the liner, which is why homeowners see ceiling stains and blame the roof. In most Kirby ranch homes, this is a one-day Copperfield re-flash, not a liner replacement.
- Third-degree creosote glaze in the smoke chamber and flue liner. A brush alone won’t touch it. This glossy, tar-like buildup only shows up on a camera run, and it’s the condition most likely to fuel a chimney fire. If we see it, we’ll show you the footage and explain exactly what’s needed.
- Mortar joint erosion from seasonal soil movement. The same shrink-swell cycles that crack crowns also open the horizontal joints between bricks. Left alone, water gets into the wall and freezes, pushing bricks outward. Tuckpointing and repointing stop it early, usually for $600 to $1,800 on a typical Kirby chimney.
Pricing for Chimney Repair in Kirby, TX
Here are the numbers we quote in Kirby, and they’re the same numbers you’ll see on the written estimate before we start. Mortar repointing runs $600 to $1,800 depending on how much of the stack needs work. Spalling brick repair runs $400 to $1,200 for a typical patch job. Chimney waterproofing runs $300 to $600 for a standard single-flue stack. Crown rebuild runs $600 to $950. Flashing repair runs $350 to $1,600 as covered above. Liner installation runs $1,800 to $3,400. A partial or full rebuild on a badly damaged Kirby chimney starts around $2,500 and goes up based on height and access. The estimate you get is the price you pay. No exceptions.
We Also Serve Cities Near Kirby
Flint Chimney Sweep runs crews across the San Antonio metro. If you’re outside Kirby, we also handle Chimney Repair in Kirby neighbors throughout San Antonio, and regularly travel to Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth for larger rebuild and relining jobs. Scheduling is coordinated from our San Antonio office, with crews dispatched locally to Kirby throughout the week.
Serving Kirby, TX - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Kirby area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Chimney Repair in Kirby
Most Kirby chimneys need real repair work every 5 to 10 years, usually crown or flashing work driven by the clay soil movement under the foundation. Annual cleaning handles creosote buildup. A camera inspection every two years catches mortar joint erosion and flashing failures before they become structural problems. If your chimney hasn’t been inspected in five years, call (830) 251-4560 and we’ll schedule a camera run with a written report.
A full repair inspection in Kirby means running a camera up the flue liner and down from the crown, photographing every joint, the smoke chamber, the damper, and the flashing at the roofline. You get a written photo report showing exactly what we found and what needs to happen now versus what can wait. The report costs you nothing if you book the repair with us. We’ll also give you a flat price in writing before any work begins, so the number you approve is the number on the invoice.
We’ll give you a ballpark on the phone based on what you’re describing, but the written price comes after the camera inspection. That’s deliberate, because quoting a repair without seeing the actual condition of your flue and flashing means guessing. What we won’t do is quote one number over the phone and change it at the door. The estimate you sign is the price you pay, and it’s backed by our one-year written guarantee.
Usually not. A hairline crack in a clay liner is something to plan for, not something to lose sleep over. If the camera shows missing sections, separated joints, or active carbon monoxide leaking into the house, that’s a different situation and we’ll treat it as urgent. But most cracked liners we see in Kirby homes have been cracked for years without incident. We’ll give you a straight answer on whether you need repair this month or can plan it for next fall.
First-degree creosote is a light, flaky soot that brushes off easily during a standard sweep. Third-degree creosote is a hard, glossy glaze that has baked onto the liner. It won’t brush off. It requires chemical treatment or mechanical removal, and it’s the condition most likely to ignite a chimney fire. The only way to know which you have is a camera run. If you haven’t had one in Kirby, call (830) 251-4560 for a free estimate.
Get Your Kirby Chimney Inspected and Priced in Writing
If you live in Kirby, TX, from the older ranch homes off Ackerman Road to the newer subdivisions east of the city, we’ll send a background-checked technician to your door with a camera, a notepad, and a straight answer. You’ll get a written photo report, a flat price for any needed repair, and a one-year guarantee on everything we do. Call (830) 251-4560 to book your inspection. A live person answers, around the clock, and the estimate is free.
Written by Hank Delano, Owner at Flint Chimney Sweep, part of the Garrison Partners family since 2002.