Chimney caps and crowns
Chimney cap and crown repair for Atlanta homes
A chimney lets water in from the top as often as from the flashing. A cracked crown, a missing cap or a rusted chase cover sends rain straight down into the chimney and the walls around it.
- Calls answered 24/7
- Caps, crowns and covers
- Flashing checked too
Quick answer
Chimney cap and crown repair in Atlanta covers the top of the chimney: the concrete crown on a masonry chimney, the cap over the flue, and the metal chase cover on a framed chimney. We seal or rebuild cracked crowns, fit caps that keep out rain, leaves and animals, and replace rusted chase covers, and we check the flashing where the chimney meets the roof while we are up there.
The work
Why chimney tops leak
The crown is the concrete slab that caps a brick chimney, and it is often poured too thin or without an overhang, so it cracks within a few years and lets water into the brick and the flue. An uncapped flue lets rain straight in, along with leaves, twigs and birds. On framed chimneys, the flat metal chase cover rusts, dishes and holds water until it leaks into the chase.
Those leaks are often blamed on the flashing, which gets patched again and again while the real entry point sits at the top of the chimney.
Updated September 2026
Cost
What chimney cap and crown work costs depends on
Chimney top repairs are priced by the part being fixed and how hard the chimney is to reach.
- Cap type and size
Single or multi-flue, stainless or copper.
- Crown condition
Sealing a sound crown or rebuilding it.
- Chase cover
Fabricated to the chase size.
- Roof pitch and height
Steep roofs and tall chimneys need more rigging.
- Flashing
Repairs where the chimney meets the roof.
- Interior damage
Stained or wet walls near the chimney.
Chimney caps
A cap keeps rain, leaves, twigs and animals out of the flue while letting smoke out. We fit caps sized to the flue, in stainless steel or copper, fastened so they do not lift in high wind, with mesh that keeps birds and squirrels out without choking the draft. On chimneys with several flues, a multi-flue cap can cover them all at once. If an animal is already living in the flue, it has to be removed before the cap goes on.
Crown repair and rebuilds
Hairline cracks in a sound crown can be cleaned and sealed with a flexible crown coating that bridges the cracks and sheds water. A crown that is broken, crumbling or poured flush with the brick needs to be rebuilt with enough thickness, a slope away from the flue and an overhang with a drip edge so water falls clear of the brick face. We also check the flue liner where it meets the crown, because a gap there lets water down the outside of the liner.
Chase covers for framed chimneys
Many newer Atlanta homes have framed chimneys sided to match the house, topped with a flat metal chase cover. Thin galvanized covers rust within a decade, dish in the middle and pond water, which then finds its way into the chase and the walls below. We replace them with heavier stainless or copper covers that have a raised center, a cross-break so water runs off, and a drip edge that holds water away from the siding, and we reseal the flue pipe collar where it passes through the cover.
Trees, chimneys and caps in Atlanta
Uncapped chimneys under Atlanta's canopy, which covers about 46.5 percent of the city, fill with leaves, twigs and nesting birds as often as they take in rain. A cap with a mesh screen keeps the flue clear and stops the debris that otherwise ends up on the smoke shelf, and it is one of the cheapest ways to keep water out of the top of the chimney.
How it runs
How a chimney top repair runs
- 1
Call answered
Where you see water or debris.
- 2
Inspect the top
Crown, cap, cover and liner checked.
- 3
Check the flashing
Base of the chimney inspected too.
- 4
Recommend the fix
Seal, cap, rebuild or replace.
- 5
Make the repair
Crown, cap or cover installed.
- 6
Water test
Hose run to confirm it stays dry.
DIY or call
What you can do and what to leave to us
| Task | Doing it yourself | Having us do it |
|---|---|---|
| Spotting the problem | Look at the chimney top with binoculars. | We inspect the crown, cap, cover and flashing up close. |
| Animals in the flue | Call a wildlife service if they are inside now. | We fit a cap once the flue is clear. |
| Small crown cracks | Do not climb a steep roof to seal them. | We clean and seal hairline cracks with a crown coating. |
| Rusted chase cover | Not a ladder job. | We fabricate and fit a sloped replacement. |
Watch from the ground and call when you see stains, rust or debris.
Warning signs
Signs the top of the chimney is letting water in
Water in the firebox
Rain coming straight down the flue.
Stains on the chimney breast
Water soaking through the brick.
Cracks across the crown
Visible from the ground with binoculars.
Rust streaks on siding
A chase cover rusting through.
Animals in the flue
Birds or squirrels nesting inside.
Spalling brick near the top
Faces flaking off from trapped water.
FAQ
Chimney cap and crown questions
It can be either, and often both. We check the top of the chimney as well as the flashing before deciding what to fix.
Yes. A cap keeps rain, debris and animals out of the flue whether or not you burn fires.
Hairline cracks in a sound crown can be sealed. A crown that is broken or poured too thin should be rebuilt.
The metal top on a framed chimney that is sided to match the house. Thin galvanized ones rust and pond water.
If animals are inside, a wildlife service should remove them first. We fit the cap afterward so they cannot get back in.
No. We handle the crown, cap, cover and flashing; flue cleaning and relining are chimney sweep work.
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