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I had a company come to sweep my chimney and they said it needs to be repaired. The company that inspected the house when we bought it said the same thing. The chimney does have cinder block showing, and multiple cracks and missing face covering. They said they can repair by reinforcing with wire mesh and stucco. They quoted me 3200 for the work. Does anyone know if that is a fair price? The house is in nj and things tend to run expensive here but I still don't want to get robbed. Thanks.
Contact multiple companies and get quotes. That is the only way you will get a fair price. IMO it sounds high. I always estimate using time, materials and labor then add a little extra for profit. You should have some idea of how many people they will send to do the job, how long it will take and how much materials will cost.
If it is a job one guy can do in one day with 100 of materials, then Yes you are getting ripped off. Also Chimney companies are like doctors or lawyers. They have a professional association and licensing so there are limited numbers of them. Now is also the HOT season and in MD it is even hard to find someone to come and clean the chimney because of high demand. Hopefully the company you used is a licensed chimney sweep.
If you can put the job off until next year, you may be able to get a better deal. If the chimney is safe to use, then the cracks on the OUTSIDE are not a big deal IMHO. Find out if it is unsafe. If it is, then stop using it or get it fixed to make it safe. But it sounds like just the outside needs some more stucco. If that is all, then one or two guys can do that in 4-5 hours. 3K is too much for that type of job.
KinkyToes is right, MJJersey. But I think I know the reason for the high price. Chimney guys would prefer to work in materials that they regularly carry: cement, and brick. Stucco work is a little out of their league; but it sounds like it needs to match the existing design. Technically they're charging you for the "trouble" of having to buy specialized materials, and doing a job that they don't do often.
Get another quote from a reputable stucco guy. A regular masonry worker may charge less. If you're not worried about leaks, and the chimney brick is accessible for cement repair/cap/whatever it needs, you could go with a liner to make it safer in the meantime, - that could run you $1000 - to $1500, depending - but that work could be done by a regular chimney guy.
They quoted me 3200 for the work. Does anyone know if that is a fair price? The house is in nj and things tend to run expensive here but I still don't want to get robbed. Thanks.
I've heard quotes for a new chimney in that range but that depends, height etc. Go talk to a mason.
I would also be looking at cost to completely replace and upgrade. You don't mention enough about the chimney to make an informed statement. If it is a chimney for an oil or gas furnace that is liner/block/and some facing replacement should be easy and cheap. If it is an exterior chimney for a woodburning fireplace, costs can be steep.
Oddly, your best friend might be a zoning inspector. A good one would have seen the work of many contractors and have a general idea of how much they charged. Since anything you do is likely to need permits and inspection anyway, I see no harm in contacting one and asking advice.
Get a second opinion and see if their price is in the same ballpark for the same work.
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