Chimney repair in Victorville CA - a fix that matches how deep the damage goes
Cracked mortar, loose brick or a chimney that moved in a quake? We find how far the damage goes and repair it to match.
Does my chimney need patching or a full rebuild?
Chimney repair in Victorville can be as small as repointing, where we grind out the worn face of the mortar joints and pack in fresh mortar, or as big as replacing the firebox and chimney with a framed chimney above the foundation. At Bedrock Victorville Concrete and Masonry, I look at how far the damage goes before I suggest either one, and I'll tell you straight whether surface work is enough or your chimney needs more.
Most people call after they spot cracked joints, a loose brick up top or a chimney that doesn't look right after the ground shook, and they want to know what it means before they spend anything. The price and the schedule turn on how far the damage reaches, whether it's tuckpointing on the outside joints or work that goes down into the firebox, how tall the chimney is and how hard it is to reach, and whether the job needs a permit and a city inspection. My estimate says what we'll do and why, so you'll know which repair fits your chimney. We're fully licensed and insured, and when a job needs a permit we handle the application with the city or county.
How can you tell your chimney needs repair?
Most chimney trouble shows up from the yard or the hearth if you know where to look. These are the things people usually call me about, and what each one tends to mean.
Mortar that's sandy, crumbles under a fingernail or sits back from the brick usually means the joints are worn out.
Cracks that run through the brick itself, not just the joints, usually mean the chimney has moved.
A chimney that leans or shows a gap where it meets the house has likely shifted at its base.
Loose or missing bricks near the top often mean the mortar holding them has let go.
Cracked fire brick in the firebox, the lining where the fire burns, usually means the inside needs work too.
New cracks or mortar bits on the roof after a quake can mean damage you can't see from below.
If bricks are loose, the chimney leans or new cracks showed up after a quake, call us now rather than waiting to see whether it gets worse.
What happens when you call us about your chimney?
Here's how a chimney job runs with us, from your first call to the cleanup, so you know who's coming out and what you'll have in hand before you decide anything.
Call or send us a message
Call (760) 493-2913 or use the form, and tell us what you've noticed and whether the chimney went through a recent quake or fire. We call you back to set a time for me to come out.
I walk the chimney with you
I look at the joints, the brick, the top of the chimney and the firebox to see how far the damage goes, and you can ask me anything along the way. You get a written estimate that says what we'll do and why, so the price lines up with the problem before you sign off on anything.
We handle the city permit
When the job needs a permit, we apply for it and build to the approved plans. In Victorville the Development Department reviews the plans, the fees are paid and the permit is issued, and then we start.
Our crew does the work
Our own crew does the repair while I check it as it goes, and on a permitted job the city inspects and approves the finished work. Like a good kitchen, we clean as we go and leave the site clean before we call it done.
Find out what your chimney needs and why
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free and on site, with no pressure to book.
- Call
- (760) 493-2913
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Chimney repair methods, from joints to a rebuild
Most chimney work starts at the mortar joints. We grind out the soft mortar and pack in fresh, and where a brick has cracked or flaked we cut it out and set a new one, the same brick repair we do on walls. The fire brick lining the firebox counts as masonry too, along with clay brick and stone, under the state licensing board's masonry class, so it's part of what we look at.
Out here the bigger question is the ground moving. After the 2019 Trona earthquakes, San Bernardino County found that brick chimneys on wood-frame houses are extremely vulnerable to shaking. Older chimneys with no steel inside and tired mortar are most at risk, though even ones built to modern standards can be badly damaged. A chimney that comes down can land in the yard on someone walking by, or through the roof onto the people inside.
That's why the choice matters. Repair keeps a sound chimney sound and costs less now, while a framed rebuild takes the heavy masonry off the house and costs more. Some owners pick the rebuild just because they want the fireplace brick gone, and that's a fair reason. If your chimney is old, the mortar's tired and the next quake worries you, I'd lean toward the rebuild, because it removes the weight that can fall.
Chimney repair questions from Victorville homeowners
Is repointing enough to make my chimney safe in an earthquake?
Not by itself, because repointing keeps the joints sound but doesn't make the chimney much stronger in shaking. San Bernardino County's guidance calls repointing and patching isolated cracks good regular upkeep that will do little to reduce future quake damage. If the next quake is your worry, plan for more than surface work, and I'll show you what that looks like for your chimney.
When does a chimney need a full rebuild instead of a repair?
A full rebuild is needed when quake damage reaches below the firebox shoulder, the spot where the chimney steps in above the firebox. In that case the county's guidance calls for replacing the firebox and chimney with a framed chimney above the foundation. I check for that on the estimate visit, since it's hard to see from the yard.
How much does chimney repair cost in Victorville?
Chimney repair in the San Bernardino area usually runs about $600 to $7,500 per project, and that's what the work goes for around here, not our price. The spread is wide because one job is a handful of worn joints and another is a chimney taken down and rebuilt, with permits and access adding to it. Your own figure comes from the estimate, which spells out what we'll do and why.
Do I need a permit to repair a chimney in Victorville?
Quake repairs and rebuilds need a building permit, since San Bernardino County requires one before that chimney work starts, and in Victorville the city's Building Division enforces the code on repairs. Smaller jobs aren't always as clear, so if it isn't clear whether yours needs one, we check with the building office before we start. When one is needed, the application is ours to handle.
How do I know when to get a Level 2 chimney inspection?
The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends a Level 2 inspection after an earthquake or a big weather event, a chimney fire, or a malfunction likely to have damaged the chimney. It recommends one too when you're selling the house or before the chimney is lined or relined. That inspection includes a video scan or a similar look inside the chimney, not just at the outside, so bring what it found to the estimate if you've had one done.
What causes a brick chimney to crack?
Most chimney cracks come from mortar that's worn out or from the chimney moving, and telling which is the first thing I look for. Sandy joints usually point to age, while cracks through the brick or a gap at the house point to movement, from shaking or from the ground settling under it. If it's settling, the fix may start below the chimney with foundation repair, because patching the crack alone just means another call later.
Masonry repair that often goes with it
Tuckpointing
The same worn joints you see on the chimney often show up on brick walls and planters around the yard, and tuckpointing brings those back before they loosen.
Brick repair
When cracked or crumbling brick shows up on a wall, a planter or the house, we cut out the bad pieces and set matching brick in their place.
Book a chimney estimate in Victorville
Take a few photos of the chimney before you call (760) 493-2913 or use the contact form, so I can see what you've seen before I come out.
Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM