Chimney Repair Derby | Stack, Flashing & Repointing

• Failed lead step flashing — where the stack meets the roof slope and water gets underneath
• Spalling brickwork — where the face of the brick flakes away after repeated wet-freeze cycles
• Loose or tilted chimney pots — a sign the flaunching beneath has cracked
• Chimney stack lean — a leaning or subsiding stack visible from ground level, often caused by sulphate attack on older mortar joints

Inside your home, watch for these warning signs too:

• Damp staining or brown patches on the chimney breast wall
• Water marks on ceilings directly below the chimney stack
• A smoky smell in rooms with sealed fireplaces — indicating a failed or blocked flue
• Creosote staining or unusual discolouration around the flue opening

A damaged chimney flue is a carbon monoxide risk if the property has a working fireplace or gas appliance connected to the stack. Carbon monoxide is odourless and invisible. If you suspect the flue is compromised, do not use any appliance connected to it. Call us on
01332-529704 to arrange a free chimney inspection across Derby.

In addition to our superior repair services, we also prioritise customer safety. That’s why our team is extensively trained in the latest industry regulations and standards. We stay up-to-date on best practices for chimney maintenance and operations—ensuring that your home or business remains safe and compliant with local code requirements.

Derby Roofers are proud to offer quality service you can trust. Let us take care of all your chimney repair needs with expertise and ease. Contact us today for a free consultation and estimate!

We can offer you the following guaranteed services:

This is one of the most common questions we get from Derby homeowners. The right answer depends on the condition of the stack and whether the chimney is still in use. Repair is almost always the lower-cost route when damage is caught early.

Many Derby properties — particularly post-war semis and detached homes across Mickleover and Littleover — have chimneys with sealed fireplaces that haven’t been used in years. Even a redundant chimney needs basic maintenance. Without it, the stack still weathers, mortar fails, and water gets in.

• Mortar joints are failing but bricks are structurally sound
• Flaunching is cracked but the pot and stack are intact
• Lead flashing has lifted or parted from the brickwork
• Isolated bricks are damaged but the stack is upright
• The chimney stack is straight and shows no signs of lean

• The stack is leaning or showing signs of collapse
• Internal chimney breast removal is needed after a loft conversion
• The repair scope is so large that removal becomes cost-competitive
• The stack has no aesthetic or functional value and the roof can be tidied cleanly

We carry out both services. Our team will inspect your chimney and give you a straight recommendation — repair or remove — based on what we actually find.
We will never recommend work that is not needed.

Many Derby homeowners are unsure what chimney repair involves before they book. Here is exactly what happens when our team carries out a repair on your property.

We work on all chimney types, including single-pot stacks common on terraced homes and double-stack chimneys found on larger detached properties in areas like Mickleover and Littleover. Access method depends on height — most jobs use scaffold or a specialist access platform. We confirm this when we inspect.

1. Safe access is set up around the stack — scaffold or access platform as required
2. We carry out a full visual inspection of the stack, flaunching, pots, flashings, and brickwork
3. On larger or complex jobs, a CCTV survey of the flue may be carried out from above
4. Damaged mortar is raked out by hand or disc cutter to a sound depth
5. Fresh mortar is applied to joints —
   weather-struck finish is standard for Derby’s wet and exposed conditions
6. Flaunching is repaired or replaced; pots are re-bedded or swapped out if cracked
7. Lead step flashing is lifted, cleaned, and re-seated or replaced with new lead
8. A chimney cowl or cap is fitted where the flue is redundant or needs protection from birds and rain
9. Completed work is checked for alignment, finish, and watertightness before we leave

Most repointing and flaunching jobs are done in a single day. Rebuilds or complex flashing replacements may take two to three days.

• Chimney repointing for listed and period properties — using lime mortar matched to original specification
• Chimney removal — full stack removal with roof tidied and finished
• Lead work and flashing — specialist leadwork across all chimney and roof junctions
• Chimney cap installation — all services associated with securing a protective, ventilated metal cover over the top of a chimney
• Chimney structural surveys and inspection

See the full breakdown, guarantee details and pricing guide for every job on our Chimney Services in Derby & Derbyshire page.

Our experienced professionals have been providing chimney repointing services for over 20 years and are committed to delivering quality craftsmanship that lasts. We take great pride in our work and understand how important a safe, efficient and attractive chimney can be for any home or business building. For this reason, we make sure that each job is done correctly and to the highest standards.

Our chimney repointing services are tailored to meet your individual needs and budget. Whether you need a small repair or a full chimney rebuild, we have the experience necessary to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

We offer competitive prices and can provide estimates for any size project. We also guarantee all of our work for two years after completion.

If you’re looking for a reliable, professional service to repoint your chimney, look no further than our team at Derby Roofers.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you improve the safety and appearance of your property. Thank you for considering us for your next chimney repointing project!

Our team can also inspect the mortar joints between bricks in order to determine if there is missing or damaged pointing that needs to be addressed. We take the time to ensure that all repairs are performed correctly, and can also provide preventative maintenance services if required.

We understand how important it is to keep your home’s roof in good condition, and our chimney flashing repair or replacement service is designed to do just that. We use only the best materials available, and our qualified professionals will make sure that your job is done right the first time.

We are proud of the reputation that we have built for providing quality service at competitive prices. Our team is highly experienced in chimney flashing repairs, and all our work is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We strive to provide excellent customer service with each job we tackle, so you can rest assured knowing that your flashing repair or replacement will be done correctly and on time.

If you need help with chimney flashing repairs or replacements, contact us today and let our experts take care of it for you. We promise to exceed your expectations with our commitment to excellence and customer service. Your satisfaction is guaranteed! Let us show you why more people trust us in Derby for their chimney flashing repairs and replacements. Contact us today!

A correctly repaired chimney should not need attention again for many years.
Mortar mix selection matters more in Derbyshire than in many parts of England.

Derbyshire sits in a high-rainfall zone and experiences regular wet-freeze cycles through winter. These cycles are hard on mortar — particularly if the wrong mix is used. A soft lime mortar is correct for older brick, while a harder sand-cement mix suits modern clay and engineering brick.
Using the wrong mix in a Derby Victorian terrace can cause premature failure within just a few years — rather than the decade-plus lifespan you should expect.

• Repointing with the correct mortar mix: 15–25 years
• New flaunching: 10–20 years, depending on exposure
• Lead flashing replacement: 50+ years with correct installation
• Chimney pot replacement: Matches the lifespan of the flaunching bed it sits in
• Full stack rebuild: Generation-level lifespan when built with the right materials and spec

We specify mortar to match your chimney’s age and brick type. This is one of the most important decisions in any chimney repair job — and one many homeowners don’t know to ask about.

We also recommend a visual inspection every two to three years on Derby properties with exposed stacks, particularly on terraced homes where the chimney serves as a party wall with your neighbour.

The most expensive chimney repairs in Derby almost always share one thing in common — they were left too long. A repoint that starts as a manageable repair can become a partial stack rebuild if water gets into the brickwork over multiple winters.

Don’t wait until autumn to address a problem you noticed in spring. Water damage does not pause while the weather is dry. Any moisture sitting in cracked mortar or failed flaunching will work its way deeper into the stack and into your roof space year-round.

• Full or partial stack rebuild — needed when structural damage is too advanced for surface repair
• Flue relining — required when a working fireplace is being reinstated and the existing liner has failed
• Chimney breast removal at multiple floor levels — a structural job that involves internal works as well as the roof
• Secondary damage repair — rot, damp plaster, and ceiling damage caused by water entering through a failed chimney
• Sulphate attack repair — where horizontal expansion cracks along mortar joints have caused the stack to lean away from the prevailing wind

In our experience, a chimney that is inspected and maintained every few years almost never reaches the point of requiring a full rebuild. Book a check before problems escalate — call us on
01332-529704.

This is one of the most searched questions we hear from Derby homeowners after a storm. The answer depends on the cause of the damage — not just the fact that the chimney is damaged.

Derby and the wider Derbyshire area experiences strong westerly winds and occasional storm events through autumn and winter. Storm damage to a chimney — a displaced pot, a section of collapsed stack, or lead flashing torn away by wind — is more likely to be covered under a standard buildings insurance policy. Gradual deterioration is a different matter entirely.

• Sudden storm damage: displaced pots, collapsed stack sections, wind-lifted flashing
• Accidental damage where the policy includes that optional cover

• Gradual wear and weathering of mortar, flaunching, or brickwork
• Damp caused by a chimney that was already in poor repair
• Neglected maintenance where damage built up over time

Before you call your insurer, get a written inspection report from a qualified chimney specialist. This documents the cause and condition clearly. It gives you the evidence you need to support a valid claim — and helps your insurer understand what happened.
We provide written inspection reports after every visit. Call
01332-529704 to arrange yours.

Derby Roofers proudly serves homeowners and businesses throughout Derby city and the wider Derbyshire area.

Derby City Areas:

Surrounding Derbyshire Towns & Villages:

Our local teams cover

Not sure if we cover your area? Call us on 01332-529704 and we’ll be happy to help.

• Full visual and hands-on inspection of the stack, flaunching, pots and flashing before any work starts, so the quote reflects what’s actually wrong rather than a guess
• Raking out and repointing loose or crumbling mortar joints in a mix matched to your property’s age and brick type, rather than a single mortar blend used across every stack
• Flaunching repair or replacement to reseat cracked or loose chimney pots and stop water pooling around the base of the pot
• Lead flashing repair or replacement where the stack meets the roof slope, including step flashing and cover flashing along the join
• Chimney pot replacement for cracked, broken or missing pots, matched in clay or concrete to what’s already sitting on the stack
• Repair of cracked, spalled or frost-damaged brickwork on the stack itself, not just the mortar joints running between the bricks
• Fitting or replacing a cowl or rain guard where the existing one has rusted through, blown off, or gone missing altogether
• Checking and, where accessible, repairing the flashing or DPC tray at the base of the stack where it meets the roof timbers
• Clearing of debris from the roof and a check of the guttering around the base of the stack before the ladder or tower comes down
• Written inspection report and photos handed over after every visit, whether work goes ahead that day or is quoted for a later date

• Flue relining, needed only where a working fireplace or stove is being brought back into use and the existing liner has failed - this is quoted as a separate job once the liner’s condition has been checked, not bundled into a standard exterior repair
• Internal chimney breast removal following a loft conversion, which counts as structural building work rather than external stack repair and sits outside what this visit covers
• Repair of rot, damp plaster or ceiling damage caused by long-term water ingress - this gets priced once it’s actually uncovered behind a wall or under floorboards, not assumed at the outset
• Scaffold or specialist access platform hire, priced according to the height and position of your stack once that’s confirmed at inspection rather than quoted blind
• Listed building or conservation area consent, which stays the homeowner’s responsibility to check with Derby City Council - the team will flag it during the inspection if your property looks like it applies
• Repointing or repair to a shared chimney stack where the neighbouring section is under separate ownership - this can affect access and needs agreeing between both households before a start date is fixed

1. Enquiry: Describe what you’re seeing over the phone or online - crumbling mortar, a cracked or loose pot, a damp patch below the chimney breast, or a pot that’s visibly leaning - along with roughly how old the property is and what the brickwork looks like, so the right roofer and the right access equipment are booked for the visit rather than a generic slot.
2. Inspection: A roofer gets up close to the stack using a ladder, tower or platform suited to your roof, checking mortar joints, flaunching, pots and flashing by hand rather than judging the damage from ground level. This is also where the brick type and property age are confirmed against a sample of the existing mortar, which is what the eventual repointing mix gets matched to.
3. Written quote: A fixed price for the specific work identified during the inspection, covering the mortar mix, materials, pot type and access method, handed over before anything gets booked in for the actual repair date. If more than one problem has been found - say, both repointing and a cracked pot - the quote sets out how they’re being combined into one visit rather than priced and scheduled separately.
4. Access set-up: Scaffold, a mobile access tower or a specialist platform is rigged according to the height and position of your stack, by team members holding the relevant IPAF or PASMA certification for that piece of equipment, on the agreed repair date.
5. Repair carried out: Repointing, flaunching, flashing or pot work completed to the agreed spec on the day, usually finished from that single access setup rather than needing a return visit. Where the job is a full or partial rebuild, this stage runs over two to three days instead of one.
6. Sign-off: Debris is cleared from the roof and gutters, a written inspection report with photos is handed over, and where repointing was carried out the two-year guarantee is confirmed in writing, along with what to look out for if a repointed joint were ever to fail within that period.

Where the numbers climb is a partial or full stack rebuild, which can run from roughly £1,500 up to £3,000 or more depending on how much of the stack needs taking down and rebuilding, the height involved, and whether new lead flashing and a full set of pots are needed as part of the job. Flue relining ahead of bringing a fireplace back into use is priced separately again, driven mainly by the length of the flue and whether a rigid or flexible liner suits the flue’s shape.

Beyond the type of repair, three things tend to move the price on any given stack: the mortar mix specified for your property’s age and brick type (a lime-based mix for an older Victorian terrace costs more in materials and labour than a standard cement mix); whether scaffold, a mobile tower or a specialist platform is needed to reach the stack safely, which depends on height, roof pitch and what’s around the property; and how many separate repairs are being combined into one visit, since bundling repointing, flashing and pot work together spreads the access cost across more work rather than charging for it each time.

None of this is published as a fixed price list, because no two stacks are genuinely the same - the brick type, the pitch of the roof, the height of the stack and the extent of the damage all vary from one Derby property to the next. Every job gets a full, free quote after the chimney has been inspected in person; figures given over the phone before that inspection are a starting point for budgeting, not the number you’ll actually be asked to pay.

It’s also worth weighing a repair against the cost of leaving it. A £300-£600 repointing job now is a smaller outlay than the same stack needing a partial rebuild in a few years once water has kept getting into an open joint through winter after winter. The same logic applies to a cracked flaunching bed left in place - a £150-£350 repair today is a lot less than the cost of a pot coming loose, falling, and taking roof tiles or guttering with it. None of that means every small crack needs an immediate call-out, but it’s a reasonable part of deciding whether to get a stack looked at this season or leave it until the next.

None of that matters if the person doing the raking-out and pointing can’t work steadily and safely at height in the first place. A stack repair in a Normanton terrace, a detached roof in Mickleover or a chimney in Littleover all start the same way - someone has to get safely up to the brickwork before any joint gets touched. Team members hold IPAF certification for powered access equipment and PASMA certification for mobile access towers, so the ladder, tower or platform used on your roof is rigged and operated by people trained specifically for that equipment. Stable, correctly rigged access is what lets a roofer take the time to get a weather-struck finish right and match the mortar properly, rather than rushing the job because the platform underfoot is awkward. It’s the combination of the two - the right mix for the brick, and safe, unhurried access to apply it - that sits behind the guarantee and the written inspection report handed over after every visit.

The guarantee itself is meant to be usable, not a line in the small print that’s hard to act on. It covers repointing carried out on that visit failing again within two years through no fault of the property owner, and if that happens the joint is put right without a second call-out charge being raised. That’s a specific commitment tied to the repair actually carried out, rather than a general promise attached to the business as a whole, which is why it’s confirmed in writing at sign-off alongside the inspection report rather than left as a verbal assurance on the day.

If you’re just outside what feels like the usual patch, it’s worth asking at enquiry stage rather than assuming a stack repair isn’t covered - access equipment and travel time are the only things that tend to vary by area, not the repair work itself or the guarantee that comes with it. The same inspection-first approach, the same written quote before anything is booked, and the same two-year guarantee on repointing apply whether the stack in question is a terraced roof in the middle of Derby or a detached property out toward one of the surrounding villages.

Derby’s building stock varies a fair amount street by street, and that’s part of why the mortar mix and access method are worked out at inspection rather than assumed from the postcode alone. A Normanton terrace and a Mickleover detached house from a different era won’t take the same repointing mix, and a stack reached easily by mobile tower on one roof might need a specialist platform two streets over depending on how the roof pitches and what’s around it. Same-week booking, a written quote, and the two-year guarantee stay consistent across the whole coverage area - only the practical detail of the visit changes from property to property.

There’s no charge for the inspection itself if the repair doesn’t go ahead, so there’s little reason to keep watching a hairline crack or a slightly loose pot over another season. A short call is enough to get a visit booked, a roofer up to the stack, and a written answer on what it actually needs.

If you have spotted a problem with your chimney — even a small one — the right move is to get it looked at now, not later. Small repairs stay small when they are caught early. Left alone, they become bigger, more disruptive, and more expensive jobs.

Derby Roofers has over 20 years of experience repairing chimneys on all types of property across Derby and Derbyshire. We are local, qualified, fully insured, and we will give you a straight answer about what your chimney needs — and what it does not.

Call us today on 01332-529704 or use our contact form to request a free chimney inspection. Same-week appointments are available across Derby.