Chimney Liner Repair & Replacement
The liner is the pipe inside the chimney. When it fails, combustion gases reach the masonry and the framing beside it — which is why this is the one repair we never soft-pedal.
on site
included
If it is urgent
Smoke coming back into the room, a burning smell after a fire, an animal in the flue, or water running down the chimney breast — stop using the fireplace and call us.
What the liner does
A flue liner is the smooth inner channel that carries combustion products out. It does three jobs: it keeps heat away from the framing the chimney passes through, it protects the masonry from acidic flue gases, and it gives the appliance a correctly sized channel to draft through.
Houses built before roughly 1940 in New Jersey frequently have no liner at all — just brick and mortar. That was acceptable for a coal fire. It is not acceptable for a modern gas appliance, whose cooler, wetter exhaust condenses inside the flue and eats mortar joints.
Signs yours has failed
- Pieces of clay tile appearing in the firebox or on the smoke shelf
- White staining on the outside of the chimney
- A persistent smell that cleaning does not fix
- Any history of a chimney fire — the heat cracks tile
- Draft that has changed noticeably
A camera scan settles it. You cannot assess a liner from the firebox with a flashlight, and anyone who tells you otherwise is guessing.
Types and what they cost in New Jersey
These are typical market ranges in New Jersey, not our quote — every chimney is different and we price yours after we have seen it.
- Stainless steel liner — the usual answer. Roughly $1,500–$5,000 depending on height, diameter and access.
- Cast-in-place — a cementitious liner formed against the existing flue. Roughly $2,500–$7,000. Used where the masonry itself needs the structural help.
- Clay tile replacement — labour-intensive, often $5,000 and up, because the chimney usually has to be opened to do it.
Relining is a real expense. It is also the repair most often sold to people who do not need it, which is exactly why we hand you the camera footage and the photographs and let you take them elsewhere for comparison.
Common questions
Straight answers
Do I legally need a liner?
Modern code requires a correctly sized, listed liner for new appliance installations. An older unlined chimney is not automatically illegal, but it will usually be flagged on a home inspection and it is a genuine safety issue if a modern appliance is venting into it.
How long does a stainless liner last?
A quality stainless liner installed properly and swept annually generally lasts decades, and most carry a long manufacturer warranty. Neglect and heavy creosote shorten that considerably.
What happens on the visit
- We protect your floor and hearth before anything else
- A camera goes in the flue, bottom to top — not a flashlight
- We check the firebox, damper, smoke shelf and the crown above the roofline
- We confirm which appliances vent into which flue
- You get a written report with photographs the same day
Get it looked at
Inspection $49 · Cleaning $99