Your Local Fireplace Rebuilding Team
Sometimes a fireplace is past the point of patching: the back wall bulges, the damper is rusted through, the smoke chamber is rough and the hearth has cracked. A rebuild takes the inside of the fireplace down to sound structure and lays it back with new firebrick, a new damper, a smooth smoke chamber and a solid hearth.
About Fireplace Rebuild
Repair works on one failing part. A rebuild is for a fireplace where several have failed together: a back wall that bows out, joints washed out across the firebox, a damper rusted beyond use, a rough smoke chamber and a hearth cracked from settling. Patching each one separately costs more over time than rebuilding the whole interior and getting a fireplace whose parts all start their service life together.
Long service and poor earlier repairs bring many older fireplaces to this point. Brownstone and townhouse fireplaces built for coal may have been opened up for wood without being resized. Midcentury fireboxes may have been pointed with ordinary mortar that crumbled near the heat. Hearths settle when the floor framing beneath them shifts. Where the house is being renovated, rebuilding is also the moment to change the opening size or style.
A rebuild keeps the shell of the chimney and replaces the interior. The firebox is laid in new firebrick with refractory mortar, sized so the opening matches the flue it feeds. A new damper goes in or a top-sealing damper is fitted. The smoke chamber is parged smooth. The hearth and its extension in front of the opening are built to the size local code calls for, and the clearances to the mantel and trim are checked.
What Our Crew Does
- Firebox, damper, smoke chamber, hearth and flue assessed together
- Opening size worked out from the flue it serves
- Room sealed off and the floor protected before demolition
- Old firebrick, damper and failed hearth removed by hand
- New firebox laid in firebrick with refractory mortar
- New damper fitted and the smoke chamber parged smooth
- Hearth and hearth extension built to local code
- Curing schedule and first-fire steps explained
When to Call Us
- The firebox back wall bulges or leans into the room
- Repairs to the firebox keep failing
- The hearth is cracked, sunken or pulling away from the opening
- Several parts are worn out at once
- You are renovating and want a different opening size
How the Job Goes
- Assess the whole fireplace
Firebox, damper, smoke chamber, hearth and the flue it feeds are checked together, so the rebuild is sized to the flue.
- Take it out cleanly
The room is sealed off and the old firebox, damper and damaged hearth come out by hand.
- Lay it back new
New firebrick in refractory mortar, a new damper, a parged smoke chamber and a hearth extension built to local code.
- Cure and first fire
We tell you how long the new work needs to cure and how small to keep the first fires.
Your Options
Angled sides and a sloped back wall, the familiar shape in most homes, sized to the flue.
Tall, shallow and with steeply angled sides that reflect more heat into the room. Needs the right flue and throat to work.
Precast refractory panels assembled inside the opening. Faster than laying brick and sized to fit standard openings.
Brick, stone or tile on a noncombustible base, chosen to suit the room while meeting the size the code requires.
What Affects the Cost
- Opening size and how many components are replaced
- Removing and reinstalling a mantel or surround
- Hearth materials and the structure under the hearth
- Damper type: throat or top-sealing
- Smoke chamber work and flue repairs found during the rebuild
- Finishing work around the opening
Every job starts with a free written estimate, so you know the price before we start.
When It Cannot Wait
- A back wall bowing toward the room
- A hearth gap that shows wood framing beneath
- Mortar or brick falling from the firebox during fires
- Charring or heat marks on wood near the fireplace
Make It Last
- Keep the first fires small while the refractory mortar cures fully
- Keep logs on a grate, clear of the new back wall
- Have the chimney swept every year so creosote does not build up
- Shut the damper between fires once the ashes are cold
Questions About Fireplace Rebuild
Repair or rebuild?
Can the opening be made smaller or larger?
What happens to the mantel and the brick face?
How long will the fireplace be out of use?
Will dust spread through the house?
Can the new fireplace be built only for gas logs?
Guides From Our Crew
What Is a Rumford Fireplace?A Rumford fireplace is a tall, shallow masonry fireplace with steeply angled side walls and a smooth, rounded throat.
Hearth Extension Requirements in Plain TermsA hearth extension is the noncombustible floor in front of and beside a fireplace opening that catches sparks and rolling embers.
How Far Should a Mantel Be From the Fireplace?A mantel has to sit far enough from the opening that heat cannot scorch it, and the exact distance comes from two places.
What Is a Fireplace Smoke Chamber?The smoke chamber is the funnel-shaped space above the fireplace damper where the wide firebox narrows into the much smaller flue.
Cracked Fireplace Hearth: Cosmetic or a Problem?Plenty of hearth cracks are cosmetic: a fine line across a slate, granite or marble slab, or cracked grout between tiles.
Can a Non Functional Fireplace Be Made Usable Again?Many non functional fireplaces can be brought back, but it depends on why they stopped working.
Why homeowners call Pro 1
18,000+ Chimney Jobs. One Standard.
15+ years and 18,000+ chimney jobs taught us what homeowners want: a crew that shows up, explains it plainly and leaves the house as clean as they found it.
$500 OFF any chimney service
- Our own local crews
The people at your door work for us and live in the area. We never send subcontractors.
- Licensed and insured
Your home and our crew are covered on every job, from a sweep to a full rebuild.
- Free written estimate
You see what we found and what it takes to fix it, in writing, before any work starts.
- Upfront pricing
The price we write down is the price you pay. No hidden fees and no surprise add-ons.
- Fast response
Open 24 hours Sunday to Friday, with a real person on the phone and same-day visits when we can.
- Clean, careful work
Floors and furniture covered, the roof and yard cleaned up, and a walk-through when we finish.
Limited time offer
$500 OFF
Any chimney service. Mention it when you call or book online.
Simple from the first call
How It Works
- Your callCall, text or book online
Tell us what you see or smell. A real person from our team answers and sets a time that suits you.
- The visitFree chimney inspection
Our own crew arrives in a marked Pro 1 van, covers the floor and inspects the chimney from the firebox to the cap, free of charge.
- The estimateFree written estimate
We walk you through what we found, in plain words, and put any repair in writing before work starts.
- The workThe job, done right
We do the work, clean up the roof, the yard and the room, and walk you through the finished job.
Book before the holidays. Fireplaces get their heaviest use from Thanksgiving to New Year. A free inspection now catches nests, creosote and cracked flue tiles before the first big fire and the family gatherings.
Book My Free InspectionGet a Free Estimate
Leave your details and our local team calls you back to set a time.
