How Much Does It Cost to Tuckpoint a Chimney? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $500 - $2,500
Tuckpointing costs an average of $500 to $2,500, with the total cost depending primarily on the project size and location.
Tuckpointing costs an average of $1,500 per 100 square feet, including labor and materials. Prices can vary based on your location, the size of the project, and how accessible the brick or stonework is on your home. While replacing the old, damaged grout in your brick and stone work with new, clean grout can easily cost up to $2,500, the improvement in appearance and water protection make it worth your investment.
- Average
- $1,500
- Low end
- $180
- high end
- $50,000
What Is Tuckpointing?
Tuckpointing is when a chimney professional removes damaged mortar from a chimney’s joints and replaces it with new, fresh materials. Chimney technicians will color-match the mortar to maintain a uniform appearance and fill it in with narrow lines of putty in a contrasting color. This process is key for strengthening a chimney’s structural integrity and lengthening its lifespan. Keep in mind that tuckpointing doesn’t always fix extensive damage.
Average Cost to Tuckpoint a Chimney
Tuckpointing mortar prices range from $300 to $1,600 when you're covering an 8-by-8-foot wall area. Tuckpointing a chimney costs about $10 per square foot. For example, a chimney covering 20 square feet would cost $200.
Labor is a major expense in a tuckpointing project bill due to the expertise and detail needed for application. Expect to pay between $180 and $800 when having an 8-by-8-foot wall tuckpointed. A typical home with 2,600 square feet will have roughly 2,000 square feet of space for tuckpointing. Homeowners are often paying between $10,000 and $50,000 when tuckpointing entire houses.
Chimney Tuckpointing Cost Factors
Some factors may take you outside the scope of routine estimates.
Height
One of the biggest factors impacting project price is structure height. Contractors generally raise rates for tuckpointing on brick above a certain height. In many cases, the threshold is 8 feet. However, this varies by contractor. Expect to see your quote rise to between $10 and $25 per square foot for higher surfaces.
Damage
When mortar damage has impacted a chimney's structure, you may need to address your chimney's integrity before you can move forward with tuckpointing. While some contractors will recommend tearing out the chimney for a rebuild if the brick is in bad shape, others may be able to repair the chimney. While a typical chimney repair costs between $750 and $1,000, a full chimney rebuild costs between $1,500 and $4,500.
Cost to Tuckpoint a Chimney Yourself
With a DIY tuckpointing job, materials represent your biggest cost. You'll need to calculate the average price of $300 to $1,600 for tuckpointing mortar for an 8-by-8 foot surface based on the area you need to cover.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
While DIY tuckpointing is possible, it's important to understand just how much labor-intensive work is involved. Extreme precision is needed to ensure that you don't create a "crooked" appearance by failing to make mortar joints appear level.
It’s a good idea to have a tuckpointing pro near you take a glance at your bricks to rule out any structural issues. Keep in mind that tuckpointing cannot actually fix cracking bricks, crumbling bricks, or wall cracks that are caused by your foundation shifting. If your chimney has cracking or crumbling, book a chimney inspection ASAP.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Masonry experts can use contrasting mortar and fill colors to make your brick joints look straighter and tighter.
Tuckpointing can be important for preventing moisture and water from getting into your chimney system. When mortar joints aren't cohesive, it's very easy for water to seep in. If water breaches your flue, this can result in rotting wood, mold formation, and mildew.
An alternative to tuckpointing a chimney is a separate but similar process called repointing. Reporting removes and replaces old mortar from chimney joints but achieves a soft and wavy appearance instead of sharp, clean lines. Consult a chimney specialist about which process will work best for your chimney’s needs and look.