Chimney Repair for Hillsborough Homes

What the town's own records mean for your chimney

Town of Hillsborough documents bear directly on chimney repair. Three facts are worth knowing before you book: the age of the housing, how roof-to-chimney flashing must be installed on stucco homes, and a spark arrestor rule tied to building permits.

Most homes here were built before 1980

The Town of Hillsborough's 2014-2022 Housing Element states that almost all of the town's housing was built before 1980 and almost half before 1970 (source: Town of Hillsborough - 2014 Housing Element (2014-2022), adopted October 13, 2014).

For a homeowner, that matters because a chimney that has stood for decades has had time for mortar joints to erode, crowns to crack and flashing to loosen. On an older brick chimney, we look at the whole stack, not just the spot that's leaking or shedding brick. A small visible problem often has a cause higher up: a cracked crown letting water into the masonry, for example.

Stucco walls change how the roof joint is flashed

The Town of Hillsborough Building & Planning Department's roofing requirements handout requires flashing at roof-to-chimney junctions to be installed under lathing paper where exterior walls are stucco (source: Town of Hillsborough Building & Planning Department - Roofing Requirements (handout)).

This applies to homes with stucco exterior walls where the chimney meets the roof. When a leak traces back to that joint, the repair has to put the flashing behind the paper layer rather than sealing new metal over the surface. Caulk smeared over a failed joint may stop a drip for a while, but it doesn't meet that requirement and usually doesn't last. Only use a product rated for direct flame in a firebox, as a short-term fix for a hairline gap; open joints and larger cracks need a proper repair before the next fire.

A permit can't close until every chimney has a working spark arrestor

Under Hillsborough Municipal Code 15.03.171, any construction requiring a Town building permit cannot receive final sign-off until each chimney on the property has a working spark arrestor (source: Town of Hillsborough - Municipal Code Title 15, Section 15.03.171 Retroactive spark arrestor compliance).

This rule reaches beyond chimney work. If you're planning a remodel, a roof replacement or any other permitted project, a chimney without a working arrestor can hold up the final sign-off. Have the top of every chimney checked early so a missing or damaged arrestor doesn't delay the end of the job. If a new cap is needed, we handle chimney cap installation in Hillsborough as part of the same visit or as its own job.

Chimney repair in brief

Repair covers the structure that carries smoke and gases out of your home: the brick or block of the stack, the crown on top, the mortar joints, the flashing where the chimney meets the roof, the flue and its liner, the damper, and on factory-built chimneys the chase and its cover. We find the source of the damage, fix it, and tell you plainly what still needs attention. The full scope is laid out in how chimney repair works.

When repair fits, and when something else fits better

• Repair is the right call when you see loose or spalling brick, gaps in mortar joints, a cracked crown, water stains around the chimney indoors, or rust running down from the top.
• A rusted chase cover on a factory-built chimney usually means replacing the cover itself before water starts rotting the chase framing underneath.
• A blocked chimney with debris, nests or heavy buildup is a cleaning and removal job first; repair comes in only if the blockage has damaged the flue.
• Widespread damage across much of the stack may make rebuilding the better value. Our guide to chimney repair vs rebuild walks through how that decision is made.

More for homeowners in town

For the details of the job itself, read about our chimney repair service. For everything else we do locally, start with our services in Hillsborough.