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.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterTrusted Chimney Cap & Crown for Ellicott City Homeowners
A damaged chimney cap or a cracked crown is an open invitation for water, animals, and debris to get inside your flue. In Ellicott City, where winter freezes and summer storms alternate on the same brick, Chimney Cap & Crown in Ellicott City damage compounds fast. Level Two Chimney Ellicott City has completed more than 38,000 chimney inspections since 2009, and the single most common repair we document is a failed cap or crown. The fix is usually straightforward: a quality cap installed correctly, or a crown rebuilt with the right mix and slope. Call (443) 363-5262 and we’ll put a written price in your hand before any work begins.
What Our Chimney Cap & Crown Service Includes
Cap Installation
A chimney cap is a metal cover fitted over the flue opening. It keeps rain out, stops birds and squirrels from nesting, and blocks wind from pushing smoke back into the house. We measure the flue exactly, account for liner projection and draft requirements, and install a cap sized to the flue, not just whatever looks close. Every cap installation includes a photo record before and after, delivered to you under Clause 4 of the Haven Standard.
Cap Replacement
Caps rust, dent, and blow off in the kind of wind Ellicott City gets off the Patapsco Valley. When a cap fails, you’re losing the protection you paid for, even if the chimney looks fine from the street. We remove the failed cap, clean the mounting area, and install a replacement that matches the flue size and your roof profile. If the old cap was the wrong size, we’ll document that in writing so you know why it failed.
Crown Repair
The crown is the concrete or mortar slab at the very top of the chimney that seals the brick from water. When it cracks, water seeps into the chimney structure and freezes, spalling the brick face and opening channels for more water. We chip out the damaged sections, rebuild them with a proper crown mix that includes expansion joints, and slope the surface so water runs off instead of pooling. A crown that’s touching the flue liner without an expansion gap will crack again, so we always restore that gap during repair.
Crown Coating
A crown that’s structurally sound but surface-worn can be sealed with a flexible crown coating. This buys years of life on a crown that would otherwise need full replacement. The coating fills hairline cracks, bonds to the existing surface, and flexes with freeze-thaw movement instead of splitting. We only recommend coating when the underlying crown is still stable, and we’ll tell you plainly when it isn’t.
Multi-Flue Cap
Ellicott City homes built in the 1970s through the 1990s often have multiple flues running through a single chimney chase. A multi-flue cap covers the entire chimney opening rather than capping each flue separately, similar to Chimney Cap & Crown - Columbia installations. It protects the crown as well as the flues, shedding water away from the masonry. We custom-measure the full chimney opening and order a multi-flue cap sized to the outside dimensions of the crown, with screen mesh sized to keep out even small chimney swifts.
Custom Cap
Some flues are oversized, unusual shapes, or paired with a damaged crown that makes an off-the-shelf cap a bad fit. For these, we order our Chimney Cap & Crown in Olney custom cap built to the exact measurements we take on site. Materials are sourced through Haven’s buying network from Copperfield and Gelco, which keeps custom orders priced honestly. Whether it’s a standard round flue or a rectangular masonry flue tile that’s out of production, we’ll spec a cap that fits correctly and installs cleanly.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Brands We Service for Chimney Cap & Crown
We work with caps and crowns from Copperfield and Gelco more than any other brands, because those are the materials we order most often through Haven’s buying network. Copperfield caps are built with heavy-gauge metal and welded corners, which matters in Ellicott City where wind and rain hit from every direction. We’ve installed and serviced hundreds of Copperfield units, including their multi-flue and custom configurations, and we stock their standard mounting hardware.
Gelco crown coats and sealants are what we specify when a crown is in repairable condition. We’ve used Gelco products for crown coating work across Howard County, and we know the cure times and temperature requirements, so we can schedule the work when Ellicott City weather gives us the right window. Whether your cap was installed by us, by another company, or came with the house, we’ll service it or replace it with the right part.
BeforeAfterSigns You Need Chimney Cap & Crown Right Now
- Water stains on the ceiling near the fireplace. When a crown cracks and water gets behind the brick, it travels down and shows up as staining on interior surfaces. That stain means water has already entered the chimney system and is working on the structure, not just the surface.
- Spalling brick on the chimney exterior. Spalling is when the brick face flakes or pops off in pieces. It happens when water inside the brick freezes and expands. A cracked crown is almost always the entry point, and the flaking you see is the visible end of a process that’s been running for at least one winter.
- Debris or nesting material in the firebox. If you find twigs, leaves, or nest material in the fireplace, animals are getting in through an uncapped or poorly capped flue. Birds and squirrels don’t just make a mess; their nests block draft and create a fire hazard inside the flue.
- A metallic rattling sound from the chimney during wind. A loose or damaged cap will rattle, shift, or lift in heavy wind. Every gust is scraping mount points and loosening the fit further. Left alone, the cap eventually releases and can damage the roof or gutter on the way down.
- Visible cracking or a seam that’s opened at the crown. From the ground, run a visual check on the top of the chimney. If you can see an open crack or a joint that’s separated at the crown, water has already begun entering. Crown damage never seals itself; it widens with every freeze cycle Ellicott City gets between November and March.
Our Chimney Cap & Crown Process - Step by Step
- 1
Camera inspection of the flue and crown. The first thing we do on any cap or crown visit is run a Level 2 camera inspection down the flue and document the crown condition from above. We’re looking for existing water damage, liner condition, and anything that changes the scope of the repair. Under Clause 4 of the Haven Standard, all of this is photographed and provided to you.
- 2
Written scope and price. After inspection, you get a written document that lays out exactly what we found, what we recommend, and what each item costs. This is always in writing, always before work begins, and always yours to keep. If you have a written estimate from another company, bring it in and we’ll give you a Free Second Opinion.
- 3
Site preparation and protection. On the day of the job, the crew sets up roof protection and secures the work area before removing any material. We take down the old cap or damaged crown sections carefully, keeping debris contained and the roof surface protected.
- 4
Installation or repair. For caps, we install the new unit and seal all mounting points properly, verifying fit before we leave. For crowns, we rebuild or coat the surface, restore the expansion gap, and confirm proper slope for drainage. Any parts we remove are shown to you in photos so you’re never wondering what was there before.
- 5
Documented photo record and warranty. When the work is done, you get a final photo record of the completed job and a written warranty on the work. If anything isn’t done right, the 365-Day Done Right Promise means we come back and make it right, no argument.
How Much Does Chimney Cap & Crown Cost in Ellicott City?
A standard Chimney Cap & Crown cost guide shows replacement in Ellicott City typically runs $350-$750 depending on the flue size and the cap material. Multi-flue caps run higher, usually $900-$1,600, because the cap is larger and often must be custom-fabricated. Crown repair averages $650-$1,100 for a partial rebuild, while a full crown replacement with proper expansion joints runs $1,200-$2,200. Crown coating, when the crown is still structurally sound, is the most economical option at $450-$800.
What changes the price is access, flue size, and the condition of the crown structure beneath. A chimney on a steep Howard County roofline takes longer and costs more. A crown that’s fully degraded needs a rebuild, not a coat, and we’ll tell you in writing which one you need and why. The way to avoid overpaying is to get the camera inspection done so you’re paying for exactly the right repair, not a guess. Every estimate is free, written, and includes the photo documentation of what we found.
Chimney Cap & Crown Near Ellicott City - Our Service Area
We service all of Ellicott City and the surrounding Howard and Baltimore County communities. Most cap and crown jobs within the Ellicott City, Catonsville, and Woodlawn area are scheduled within a few days of the inspection. We also regularly work in Columbia, Elkridge, Arbutus, Eldersburg, and Milford Mill. If you’re further out in Maryland City, Severn, or Glen Burnie, we’ll still get to you; reach out for scheduling. Our home page has the full service breakdown if you want to see everything we handle beyond caps and crowns.
Serving Ellicott City, MD - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Ellicott City 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 Cap & Crown in Ellicott City
The crown is the concrete or mortar slab that seals the top of the chimney structure, and the cap is the metal cover that sits over the flue opening itself. Together they keep water, animals, and debris out of the flue. The crown protects the masonry; the cap protects the flue interior. Both need to be in good shape for the chimney to function safely and stay dry.
A standard cap replacement takes about an hour to an hour and a half on site. Crown repair runs two to four hours depending on how much of the crown needs rebuilding. Crown coating is typically a single visit with a one-to-two-hour work window. For any job, we give you a written time estimate before we start.
Most cap replacements land between $350 and $750, and crown repairs run $650 to $1,100 for partial work. A full crown rebuild is the higher end, typically $1,200 to $2,200. The exact price depends on what the camera inspection finds and the specifics of your chimney. Call (443) 363-5262 and we’ll give you a written quote before any work begins.
Yes. We install and service Copperfield caps regularly, including custom and multi-flue configurations. Gelco crown coating products are what we use for most sealant work when the crown is still structurally sound. Since we order both through Haven’s buying network, we can quote honest prices on the brands themselves.
We schedule cap and crown work on demand, but not every situation needs immediate attention. If you have an active water leak or a fallen cap, call (443) 363-5262 and we’ll assess the urgency over the phone and get you in as soon as possible. Live phone support runs 24/7, so you’ll always get a person, not a voicemail.
All cap and crown work comes with a written warranty, and the entire job is covered by our 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the work isn’t done right, we make it right, no runaround. The warranty is written, not verbal, and it’s delivered with your final photo record under Clause 4 of the Haven Standard.
Clear any furniture or decor away from the fireplace opening, and make sure we have clear access to the roof if you know where the chimney is accessible from. If you have pets, keep them secured while we’re moving ladders and equipment. Other than that, you don’t need to do anything; we handle the full job from ladder placement to cleanup.
Schedule Your Chimney Cap & Crown Service in Ellicott City Today
Your chimney’s cap and crown are the only things standing between your flue and the next Howard County storm. We’ll inspect, document, and quote you a fair written price before any work starts. Call (443) 363-5262 for a free, no-obligation estimate and a camera-scan that shows you exactly what’s happening up there.
Written by Corrine Halstead, Owner at Level Two Chimney Ellicott City, serving Ellicott City since 2009.