Chimney rebuilding in Somerset County, NJ
The oldest chimneys in Somerset County stand in the river towns and the old Highlands boroughs. When the top of one will not take fresh mortar anymore, we take it down to sound brick and build it back.
NJ HIC 13VH13268400 · Licensed and insured · Free inspection · Open 24 hoursModern Home Roofing & Chimney rebuilds brick chimneys on houses across Somerset County, NJ, including North Plainfield, Bound Brook, Bernardsville and Peapack and Gladstone. In each of those towns at least a quarter of homes were built before 1940. When a stack is loose at the top, we take it down to sound brick and rebuild it. NJ HIC 13VH13268400.
Where the oldest chimneys stand
Somerset County is newer than New Jersey as a whole, with a 1981 median against 1971, so its old chimneys sit in a handful of towns. In North Plainfield and Bound Brook, 28 percent of homes went up before 1940. In Manville and Millstone the median house dates to 1956. Some of those chimneys have reached the point where the top courses rock under a hand and the crown is split clean through.
In the Highlands the old houses are in the boroughs. A quarter of Bernardsville homes and 32 percent of those in Peapack and Gladstone predate 1940, and Peapack and Gladstone has the highest share of oil heat in the county, at 43 percent. Soot and moisture from the boiler work on the flue, and the colder, snowier winters work on the outside.
If the chimney still vents a furnace or a boiler, a rebuild opens the stack and gives a clear shot at the flue. A liner problem can be dealt with before the brick goes back up, and it goes on the same estimate.
So we only call for a rebuild after we have been up top and can show you how far down the loose brick goes.
How we decide a Somerset County chimney needs rebuilding
A rebuild costs more than repointing, so we price one only when the brick will not hold new mortar. These are the things that tip it one way or the other.
Up top, we check
- Whether the upper courses shift when pushed.
- Whether the crack in the crown runs clean through or stops at the surface.
- How deep the mortar has washed out, and how far down the stack that goes.
- Whether the chimney leans or has pulled away from the wall.
- Soot and cracks in the flue liner, on a house that heats with oil.
- Spalled brick, where the face has popped off and the soft inside shows.
Sometimes only the top few feet are gone, or repointing still works. If a smaller job will hold, that is what we price. Chimney repair in Somerset County
How a chimney rebuild works in Somerset County
How long it takes depends on how far down the stack has to come. All seven steps are on the chimney rebuilding page.
Free inspection
We get up to the top when it is safe to and photograph the brick, crown, cap, flue and flashing. You see how far the damage goes before we talk about price.
Written estimate
How far down we expect to go, what goes back up and the price, on paper. Any permit goes on it too.
Down to solid masonry
We take the chimney apart brick by brick until we reach solid masonry. With the stack open, we check the liner and the framing and show you what we find.
Build it back and clean up
New brick and mortar go up course by course, with a new crown, cap and flashing. Then we haul the old brick away and go over the photos with you.
Do you need a permit for a chimney rebuild in Somerset County?
It depends on your town. Rebuilding a chimney is not on New Jersey's list of ordinary maintenance or minor work, so the construction office in your town decides what paperwork it needs. Franklin Township requires a certificate of appropriateness for exterior alterations to houses in its local historic districts. We check with your town before we start, and any permit goes on the estimate.
What you can check on us first
- Our New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor license is 13VH13268400. Look it up with the Division of Consumer Affairs.
- We carry insurance and can send you the certificate before work starts.
- The inspection is free, and the estimate comes to you in writing.
- We are open 24 hours.
If it is in Somerset County, yes. We cover all 21 municipalities, from Bedminster to Watchung. Put your ZIP code in the estimate form and we confirm it when we call you back.
The town decides. Rebuilding a chimney is not on New Jersey's lists of ordinary maintenance or minor work, so the construction office sets what paperwork it needs. Franklin Township requires a certificate of appropriateness for exterior alterations to houses in its local historic districts. We call the town before we start and put any permit on the estimate.
That is usually the sensible time. With the stack open, the flue is easy to reach, and a liner is simpler to fit before the brick goes back. We look at the liner where we can see it and show you what each option costs.
If the brick lower down is sound, yes. The loose part is often the section above the roof, where the weather hits it hardest. We show you in photos where the solid brick starts, and the estimate covers only what has to come down.
It turns on how far down the stack comes, how tall and wide it is, and whether the flue needs a new liner. We do not quote over the phone. You get the price in writing once we have been up top and found where the solid brick starts.
Find out how much of your chimney is still sound
Tell us your town and what the chimney vents. We call you back shortly, climb up for a free inspection, and give you the photos and a price on paper. If a repair will hold, we tell you.
Or call 732-682-9251