Chimney Crown Repair
Hairline cracks sealed and coated, or a broken-up crown rebuilt with a sloped slab that sheds water.
Chimney Cap Installation in Grand Rapids, MI
Grand Rapids Elite Chimney Sweep handles chimney cap installation in Grand Rapids, MI, with stainless steel caps for brick chimneys and chase tops for chimneys covered in siding.
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Why a Chimney Needs a Cap
A chimney cap typically costs $250 to $750 installed and protects a flue worth thousands. A cap is the screen in an open window: smoke and air go out, while rain, snow, birds and raccoons stay out. It also keeps sparks and embers from landing on your roof.
Two kinds cover most Grand Rapids houses. A brick chimney gets a stainless steel cap with mesh sides that fits over the flue. A chimney wrapped in siding, called a chase, gets a chase top, a metal lid that covers the whole thing and sheds water. We swap rusty galvanized chase tops for stainless steel. Our crew carries stainless caps in the van, and we fit most of them in under 2 hours.
Call (616) 317-7774 to get a chimney cap fitted.
Questions?Contact UsChimney Cap Types and Options in Grand Rapids
Which cap fits depends on the chimney's top. We measure first, then pick a size that leaves the opening larger than the flue.
Stainless Steel Chimney Caps
One flue, one cap. Mesh sides keep out birds, squirrels and raccoons while smoke leaves freely. Stainless doesn't rust the way galvanized steel does, so it's the one we use.
Chase Top Replacement
A framed chimney with siding has a chase top, not a cap. Ours are stainless steel and cover the whole chase. They shed water away from the framing and the siding.
Caps With Spark Screens
The mesh on the sides stops embers from drifting out of the flue and onto the roof.
Replacing a Rusted or Blown-Off Cap
Wind in West Michigan loosens caps over the years. A cap that's bent or gone leaves the flue open to the next snow. We take the old one off and fit a new one the right size.
Caps for Wood and Gas Chimneys
Wood smoke needs an open mesh that won't clog with soot. Gas flues can take a finer one. Either way, the opening is sized to the flue, not to a stock cap.
Cap and Crown Together
A cap sits on the crown, the cement slab on top of the brick. If the crown is cracked, we'd fix it first so the new cap isn't sitting on a leaking slab. See chimney crown repair.
Chimney Cap Prices in Grand Rapids
- Stainless steel chimney cap: typically $250 to $750
- Stainless chase top: typically $400 to $1,500
- Time: usually one visit once we're on the roof
Typical Grand Rapids ranges for 2026, not a quote. Odd sizes and multi-flue chimneys cost more.
What Every Cap Installation Includes
- Measuring the flue or the chase opening before we order anything
- A stainless steel cap or chase top sized to fit
- A look at the crown, flashing and mortar joints while we're up there
- Old cap or chase top removed and hauled away
- A digital report with photos emailed to you
Cap or Chase Top: What Goes Where
| Part | Goes on | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Chimney cap | A brick or stone chimney, over the clay flue | $250 to $750 |
| Chase top | A framed chimney wrapped in siding | $400 to $1,500 |
What a Rusty Chase Top Does to a House
Galvanized chase tops rust through over the years. The first sign is usually rust streaks running down the siding, then water stains on the ceiling around the fireplace. Stainless steel doesn't do that. On a chase chimney the top is the only thing keeping rain out of the framing, which is why we replace it before it fails.
How a Cap Protects the Flue
Rain that runs straight down a flue rots the firebox and rusts the damper, the metal door that closes the chimney. Snow drifts in through the same hole. A cap with mesh sides stops most of it and keeps animals from nesting in the flue, where they block the smoke path.
Does Every Chimney Need a Cap?
Every chimney that's open at the top. Most of the chimneys we look at in Grand Rapids have either no cap, or one that's rusted or the wrong size. On a roof in Walker last fall, the old cap was held on by one rusty screw. We found it because water stains showed up on the lower brick.
Cap Installation After a Windy Night
If a cap is bent, loose or missing after a storm, the flue is open to the next snow. A chimney inspection with the camera tells us whether water has already gotten into the liner. If it has, see our chimney leak repair page.
Why We Pick Stainless Steel
A galvanized cap rusts in a few winters. Stainless doesn't. The price gap is small next to paying for a roof visit twice. That's our opinion, and the one we'd give a neighbor.
Every Visit Ends With a Written Report
A digital report of the camera scan with photos, and repair quotes you can read at the kitchen table. Nothing gets booked until you say so.
Before you book
Chimney Cap Questions
How Do I Know What Size Cap I Need?
We measure the flue tile or the chase opening and pick a cap that clears the opening by an inch or two, so smoke can leave without fighting the mesh.
Can a Cap Keep Birds and Raccoons Out?
Yes. Mesh sides keep out birds, squirrels and raccoons while the smoke still gets out. Without a cap, the open flue looks like a good nesting spot.
Is a Stainless Cap Worth the Extra Cost?
Usually. A galvanized cap rusts through in a few winters, and a second visit costs more than the price gap. Stainless steel lasts years longer on a West Michigan roof.
Will a New Cap Make the Fireplace Smoke?
A badly sized cap can, if the mesh is too fine or the opening too small. We size the opening larger than the flue so the cap doesn't slow the draft.
Questions we hear
Chimney Cap FAQs
How much does a chimney cap cost in Grand Rapids?
A stainless steel chimney cap in Grand Rapids typically costs $250 to $750 installed, depending on flue size and how many flues the chimney has. A stainless chase top for a chimney wrapped in siding typically runs $400 to $1,500. Odd sizes and multi-flue chimneys cost more than a standard cap.
What is the difference between a chimney cap and a chase top?
A chimney cap is a small metal cover with mesh sides that sits over a single flue on a brick chimney. A chase top is a larger metal lid that covers the whole top of a framed chimney wrapped in siding. Both keep rain out, but they fit very different tops.
Do all chimneys need a cap?
Yes, every chimney that's open on top. A cap keeps out rain, snow, birds and animals, and it stops sparks from landing on the roof. A flue left open takes in every rainstorm, and that water rots the firebox from the inside.
How long does a chimney cap last?
A stainless steel cap lasts many years longer than a galvanized one, which often rusts through in a few winters. Wind, snow and soot all take a toll, so look at the cap every year when you book a chimney inspection. A bent or loose cap is easy to fix before it fails.
Can a chimney cap be installed in winter?
Yes, as long as the roof is safe to work on. A cap is a bolt-on job and doesn't need weather for mortar to cure. Icy or wet shingles are the limit, because we won't climb a slick roof. West Michigan's snowy months mean we pick a dry morning.
Will a chimney cap stop animals?
Yes, a cap with mesh sides keeps squirrels, raccoons and birds out of the flue. Mesh with openings around half an inch is the usual size for stopping most animals while still letting smoke leave. If an animal is already inside, we deal with that before the cap goes on.
What Our Customers Are Saying
Learn more about how we work.
PhotosWith every reportThe camera scan comes back as pictures you can keep, so you can show a roofer, an agent or your spouse.Contact Us
Our Other Chimney Services
Chimney Inspection
Level 1, 2 and 3 inspections with a camera scan of the whole flue and a photo report emailed to you.
Chimney Leak Repair
Flashing, crown, brick or cap: we trace the water first, then fix the part that is letting it in.
Chimney Liner Installation
Cracked clay tile sealed with HeatShield, or a new insulated stainless steel liner the full height of the flue.
Chimney Rebuild
Partial and full rebuilds that take down only the brick that has failed and lay it back up straight.
Chimney Tuckpointing
Crumbling mortar joints ground out and repacked, loose bricks replaced, the top of the stack made tight again.
Where We Do This Work
Chimney service requests
Book Your Sweep, Inspection or Repair Quote
Leave your name, number and a line about the chimney. We call you back during office hours to set a time.
- Camera scan with every sweep
- Written report with photos
- CSIA-certified sweeps on the crew