Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Caps & crowns
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AfterTrusted Chimney Liner & Rebuild for Manhattan Homeowners
A cracked or deteriorated flue liner in Manhattan means your chimney is moving hot gases, carbon monoxide, and creosote through gaps in the system instead of up and out. Liner replacement or a partial rebuild is the fix, and you can read about how much Chimney Liner & Rebuild costs depending on access, liner type, and how much masonry needs to come down. Level Two Chimney Co. has completed more than 38,000 inspections and cleanings since 2009, and we document every liner job with camera footage before and after, so you see exactly what changed. Corrine Halstead leads our Manhattan team, and every job gets a written price before any work starts. Call (862) 319-8047 to schedule.
Key Takeaways
- A stainless steel liner replacement in Manhattan typically runs $2,800-$5,500; a full rebuild with masonry work can reach $12,000-$25,000 on taller brownstone stacks.
- We run a camera down the flue on every liner job and hand you the photo record, not a verbal summary.
- Written price, written scope, and written warranty are delivered before any work begins - that’s Haven Standard Clause 1.
- We work on Gelco, Olympia Chimney, and Famco systems, among others, and stock common replacement components through Haven’s buying network.
- No step-by-step DIY guidance here - liner work involves flue gas pathways and structural masonry. This is a trained-professional job.
What Our Chimney Liner & Rebuild Service Includes
Stainless Steel Liner
A stainless steel liner is a rigid or flexible metal sleeve installed inside the existing flue to contain combustion gases and protect surrounding masonry. You need one when the original clay tile liner has cracked, spalled (flaked apart), or shifted out of alignment, which leaves gaps for heat and carbon monoxide to escape. Level Two Chimney Manhattan sources stainless steel systems from Olympia Chimney and Famco through Haven’s buying network, and we size the liner to your appliance to maintain proper draft and meet NFPA 211 clearance requirements.
Flexible Liner
Flexible liners are continuous stainless steel tubes that bend through offset flues and older masonry with irregular dimensions, which describes a lot of Manhattan’s prewar stock. They’re typically used when a rigid liner can’t make the turns without extensive demolition, or when you’re relining a chimney serving a gas furnace or water heater. We install flexible liners only when the flue is structurally stable enough to support one, and we insulate where code and draft conditions require it. The camera scan before installation tells us if a flexible liner is safe or if you need a rebuild instead.
Liner Replacement
Liner replacement means removing the old, failing liner and installing a new one, usually stainless steel. In Manhattan we see clay tile liners in old brownstones and mid-century co-ops that look fine from the firebox but are cracked six feet up, which is exactly why we run a camera before recommending anything. A replacement preserves your chimney’s structural life and restores safe draft. We remove the old liner sections, size and install the new one, and run the camera down again before we call the job done, so you’re not taking our word for it.
Partial Rebuild
A partial rebuild addresses the top section of the chimney, most commonly the flue tile crowns, top courses of brick, and mortar joints that have broken down from freeze-thaw cycles and water intrusion. This is the work that fixes a spalling crown or a chimney that’s losing bricks into the yard or onto a neighboring roof. Level Two rebuilds only what the camera and masonry inspection show needs to come down, and we quote that scope in writing before the hammer comes out. In neighborhoods like Morningside Heights and the Upper East Side, partial rebuilds on older buildings are among the most common jobs we quote in spring and fall, and we also handle Jersey City Chimney Liner & Rebuild projects.
Full Chimney Rebuild
A full rebuild takes the chimney down to the roofline or below and reconstructs it with new brick, new flue liners, a new crown, and proper flashing. It’s the right call when the structure is beyond spot repair: leaning stacks, widespread spalling, or liner collapse through multiple flue tiles. In Manhattan, full rebuilds often involve roof access challenges, street permits, and coordination with adjacent buildings, which we handle as part of the written scope. This is a multi-day job, and the price reflects that, but it’s the only option that restores the chimney as a system when the structure itself has failed.
Liner Repair
Liner repair is targeted repair of a damaged section of liner rather than full replacement, and it’s appropriate when the damage is localized, not systemic. HeatShield is a product we use to resurface and seal small cracks and gaps in clay tile liners when the underlying masonry is still sound. We’ll only recommend repair when the camera scan shows damage limited to one or two areas; if the damage runs through the full length of the flue, replacement is the honest answer. The written quote you receive will tell you which one applies and why, with the camera images to back it up.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
BeforeAfterBrands We Service for Chimney Liner & Rebuild
We work extensively with Gelco liners, which are common in Manhattan because their stainless steel systems handle both wood-burning and gas appliance vents well in tight flue configurations. Our technicians have installed and serviced Gelco products across the borough, and we keep common Gelco components on our trucks so we’re not running back to a supplier mid-job. When building management or a co-op board asks for documentation, we provide the photo record and written warranty that Gelco’s system allows us to produce cleanly.
Olympia Chimney and Famco are the other two brands we see most in Manhattan. Olympia’s rigid and flexible stainless steel systems are a frequent choice for cooktop and boiler flue relining in co-ops and prewar buildings, while Famco supplies liner components and termination caps we use on rebuilds. We also stock and work with Copperfield materials. Whether your existing system is Gelco, Olympia, Famco, or any other make, we can assess it, source the right replacement parts, and give you a written price before we start.
Signs You Need Chimney Liner & Rebuild Right Now
- You see crumbling flue tile pieces in the firebox. Clay tiles that break off and fall into the firebox mean the liner is actively failing. Those gaps are where heat moves into wall cavities and joists instead of out the top.
- White staining or efflorescence on the exterior brick. Moisture is moving through the masonry and carrying salts to the surface. That water is entering through a cracked crown, damaged liner, or failed mortar joints, and it is breaking the chimney down from the inside.
- You smell smoke or gas even when the fire is out. A damaged liner can allow carbon monoxide and combustion gases to back up into living space. This is the one sign that should trigger an immediate call, not a scheduled cleaning.
- Your chimney is leaking water into the attic or top-floor ceiling. A failed liner or crown lets rain drive into the flue and down into the structure. In Manhattan row houses, we often trace top-floor ceiling stains directly to a cracked crown or failed liner joint.
- A Level 2 camera inspection found flue damage. If you’ve had a previous inspection with another company and they flagged liner damage, get a second written opinion from us. Our Free Second Opinion on any written estimate applies here, and we will show you our own camera footage, not a paraphrase of theirs.
Our Chimney Liner & Rebuild Process - Step by Step
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Camera-scan inspection (NFPA 211 Level 2). We start every liner and rebuild job with a camera down the flue. This is the same practice we made standard in 2009, and it became Clause 4 of the Haven Standard: every visit produces a documented photo record. You’ll see the crack, the gap, or the failed section on screen with us, in real time.
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Written scope and written price, before any work starts. We write down exactly what we found, what we recommend, what it will cost, and what the warranty covers. That document is yours before you commit to anything. Haven Standard Clause 1 requires this on every job, no exceptions.
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Demolition and prep, only where needed. For partial and full rebuilds we bring the chimney down to the level the camera justified. We protect surrounding roofing and neighboring structures, and we handle Manhattan street and access logistics as part of the scope, not as a surprise line item.
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Liner installation or masonry reconstruction. Whether we’re installing a stainless steel Olympia liner or rebuilding brick courses, we use materials from DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, Famco, and Copperfield, sourced through Haven’s buying network to keep the price honest. We install to NFPA 211 clearance and clearance-to-combustibles requirements.
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Documented photo record on completion. We run the camera down again before we leave. You get before-and-after images of the liner, the flue, and the finished masonry, plus the written warranty. The 365-Day Done Right Promise backs every job: if it’s not done right, we make it right.
How Much Does Chimney Liner & Rebuild Cost in Manhattan?
A stainless steel liner replacement in New York typically runs $2,800 to $5,500 for a standard single-flue chimney. A partial rebuild with crown repair and top-course masonry work range from $4,000 to $9,000. A full chimney rebuild on a brownstone or taller co-op building can reach $12,000 to $25,000, driven by roof access, scaffolding, street permits, and the number of flues involved. These are the real numbers we quote in Manhattan, and the written price you receive will reflect your building’s specific access and condition, not a generic national chart.
What affects price: roof access (steep pitch, no interior hatch, adjacent building clearance), flue length and flue count, whether the liner is being insulated, and whether the crown and cap need replacement at the same time. How to avoid overpaying: get the camera footage first. A company that quotes a full rebuild without showing you flue-level damage is guessing on your money. Our written estimate includes the photo record, the scope in plain terms, and the warranty terms, and we offer a Free Second Opinion on any competitor’s written quote. If you’ve been told you need a full rebuild, bring us that quote and we’ll show you our own camera scan and our own number.
Chimney Liner & Rebuild Near Manhattan - Our Service Area
Level Two Chimney Manhattan serves all of Manhattan, including the Upper East Side, Morningside Heights, Midtown Manhattan, and the Financial District, plus nearby communities like Astoria, Long Island City, Elmhurst, Flushing, Jersey City, Brooklyn Heights, and Englewood. Typical scheduling runs a few days out for liner replacement and one to two weeks for full rebuilds during seasonal peaks. Every visit starts with the camera scan and ends with the written photo record. Call (862) 319-8047 and we’ll give you a written price before any work starts, wherever you are in Manhattan.
Serving Manhattan, NY - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Manhattan area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked Questions - Chimney Liner & Rebuild in Manhattan
A chimney liner is the inner sleeve, usually clay tile or stainless steel, that contains hot combustion gases and protects surrounding masonry from heat and corrosion, and we specialize in Chimney Liner & Rebuild in Manhattan. A rebuild is structural repair or reconstruction of the chimney itself, from top courses of brick and the crown up to a complete teardown. The two jobs often happen together because a failed liner is frequently the first sign that the masonry around it has also degraded. In Manhattan, we assess both with a camera scan and quote whichever work the footage supports.
A straightforward liner replacement takes one day on site, sometimes two if the liner needs insulation or the crown and cap are being replaced at the same time. A partial rebuild runs two to three days. A full rebuild can take five to ten working days depending on height, roof access, and weather windows. Your written quote includes a schedule along with the price, so you know before we start how many days the crew will be on your roof.
Most liner replacements in Manhattan run between $2,800 and $5,500 for a standard flue, with the price driven by flue length, access, and whether the liner is rigid or flexible. A full rebuild can run $12,000 to $25,000 on taller buildings. The exact number for your chimney comes from the camera scan, not a phone estimate, and our written price is the number we hold to. Call (862) 319-8047 and we’ll schedule the scan and the quote.
Yes, we service and install Gelco, Olympia Chimney, and Famco liner systems across Manhattan, and we keep common components for these brands on our trucks. We also work with DuraFlex, HeatShield, and Copperfield materials. If your existing setup is one of these and it’s failing, we can assess it with the camera and give you a written price for repair or replacement using the right parts for your system.
If you smell gas or fireplace smoke when the appliance isn’t burning, or if water is actively leaking into the ceiling below the chimney, treat it as an urgent situation and call us at (862) 319-8047 right away. A cracked liner can allow carbon monoxide to move into living space, which is why we don’t give DIY advice on this. We’ll get a technician out to camera-scan the flue and either rule out a hazard or get the repair scheduled immediately.
You get a written warranty that names the scope, the materials used, and the coverage period, delivered before we start the job, not after. That warranty is backed by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if it’s not done right, we make it right. Materials from manufacturers like Gelco and Olympia Chimney carry their own warranties, and we document the installation so those warranties stay valid.
You don’t need to do much. We’ll need clear access to the fireplace or boiler connection and a path to the roof if we’re working from above. Move anything fragile away from the hearth area, and if you have a pet, keep them out of the work zone during the day. We handle permits and street access in Manhattan as part of the written scope, and we’ll text you when the technician is on the way, so you’re not waiting around all day.
Schedule Your Chimney Liner & Rebuild Service in Manhattan Today
Call (862) 319-8047 and we’ll schedule a camera-scan inspection, give you a written price and scope before any work starts, and leave you with a documented photo record when the job is done. That’s the Haven Standard, and it’s been how we’ve operated in Manhattan since 2009. Free estimate, no obligation, and a written warranty on every liner and rebuild job.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney Manhattan, serving Manhattan since 2009.