Brick Chimney Repair for Pre-1980 Valley Homes

Short answer: most brick chimney repairs in the Valley are one of three jobs. A crown fix (HomeGuide: $150 to $1,500), a water repellent on sound brick after the openings are closed ($150 to $400), or rebuilding the part above the roof when the top courses have come loose ($1,000 to $3,500). The free inspection shows which one your chimney needs, with photos of each problem spot.

These chimneys sit on the Valley's older houses. Sun City's median home was built in 1973, Tempe's in 1984, Phoenix's in 1985 and Glendale's in 1986, according to Census estimates for 2020–2024. Homes from that era often have a masonry wood-burning fireplace with a brick stack through the roof. Plenty of them now burn gas logs or nothing at all, but the masonry still has to keep water out of the house.

Signs you need this

• Mortar joints near the top that are sandy, recessed or missing
• Bricks you can wiggle by hand, or brick pieces on the roof
• White powdery deposits or water stains on the inside chimney wall
• A stack that leans or has pulled away from the house wall
• Gaps where the chimney meets the roof or the exterior stucco

How we do it

1. Survey the whole stackAt the free inspection we look at the chimney from the roof, the attic and the firebox, and photograph every loose joint, crack and stain.
2. Separate cosmetic from structuralFading paint and old stains get noted but not sold. Loose brick, open joints and water paths get a written price.
3. Repair from the top downLoose courses are taken down to solid brick and relaid, joints are repointed, and the crown is sealed or recast.
4. Protect the finished brickOnce every opening is closed, a breathable water repellent can go on so the brick sheds the next storm.

What actually damages a chimney in the desert

Freezing weather is rare at Sky Harbor, so the slow frost damage common in cold places is not the main story here. What we find instead: mortar that has weathered back over fifty years of sun, crowns poured too thin, flashing that relied on sealant, and caps that blew off in a dust storm and let rain and birds in. Haboobs reach Sky Harbor a few times a year on average (NOAA tech memo), and monsoon microbursts can loosen a top course that was already weak.

Roof work is another quiet cause. When a tile roof is replaced or repaired, the chimney gets bumped, flashing gets cut, and the crown sometimes takes a hit. If your chimney started leaking after a reroof, mention it; it narrows the search.

Typical repairs and what they cost

Ranges below are HomeGuide's 2026 national figures. Your price is written down at the inspection before anything is started.

• Crown repair: $150 to $1,500
• Water repellent on the brick: $150 to $400
• Rebuild above the roofline: $1,000 to $3,500
• Repointing a few joints or resetting a cap: priced at the inspection

Should you repair it or take it down?

If the fireplace has been unused for years and you have no plans for it, removal can be worth comparing. Removal of the fireplace and chimney is a bigger job than most repairs, and a chimney that only needs a crown and some joints is usually cheaper to keep. We lay both options side by side when the question comes up, and the fireplace removal page explains how that work goes.