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Chimney Leak Repair in Indianapolis - Free Inspection
Clean Sweep 317 diagnoses and repairs chimney leaks across Indianapolis, Geist, Broad Ripple, Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, Zionsville, Noblesville, Brownsburg, Plainfield, Avon, Meridian Hills, Williams Creek, and Meridian-Kessler. Our free general inspection includes a water test on every visit (we find the leak source at no charge). NFI Certified, BBB A+ Accredited, Three Best Rated Award winner. Indianapolis chimney specialists since 2014, with 4.9 stars across 585+ reviews. Two locations to serve you faster.
Schedule a free inspection (includes water test).
Our purpose: We keep homes and families safe through expert inspections, education, honest craftsmanship, and a commitment to leaving every home better than we found it.
We Find the Source of the Leak, Then We Fix It
Chimney leaks are tricky. The water stain on your ceiling rarely tells you where the leak is actually coming from, and we have seen homeowners spend hundreds of dollars on the wrong repair because the previous company guessed at the source instead of diagnosing it.
Our differentiator: every Clean Sweep 317 general inspection is free and includes a free water test where we apply water to each potential leak source and confirm where it actually enters the chimney. No other Indianapolis chimney company offers a free water test. You only pay for the actual repair work, never the diagnostic.
Our team’s dual NCSG certifications (Accredited Certified Chimney Professional and Certified Chimney Reliner) plus NFI Certification mean we are trained to identify the actual cause of the leak, not just the visible symptom. Most chimney leaks trace back to one of four sources: a compromised chase cover, deteriorated chimney flashing, a failed crown, or mortar joint failure.
Chimney Flashing Repair in Indianapolis
Chimney flashing is the metal that seals the joint between your chimney and the roof. When it fails (rust, loose seams, gaps from settling, or improper original installation), water runs down the chimney exterior, hits the flashing seam, and flows down into your attic and ceiling.
Most Indianapolis chimney leaks we diagnose are flashing-related, especially on:
Homes 15+ years old where the original flashing was steel and has rusted
Homes with recent roof replacements where the flashing wasn't properly stepped or counter-flashed
Chimneys where the flashing was caulked over instead of properly resealed
Flashing repair runs $750 to $2,800 or more depending on flashing condition, complexity, and whether it is a repair or full replacement. Our flashing work uses proper step-flashing and counter-flashing technique sealed with high-grade masonry sealants. We do not caulk over failed flashing; that is a six-month fix that always comes back.
Chimney Cap Replacement
Distinct from chase covers (which sit on prefab chase tops), chimney caps sit directly on a masonry chimney's flue and keep water, animals, and debris out. We replace failed caps with stainless steel caps sized to your specific flue. Cap replacement runs $380 to $890 or more depending on cap type and flue dimensions.
Chase Cover Repair & Replacement
If your home has a prefab chimney (the kind enclosed in a wood frame or siding chase, common in homes built from the 1980s onward), the chase cover is the number one source of leaks. The chase cover is the metal lid on top of the chase that keeps water out. When it rusts through, develops gaps at the seams, or pulls loose, water pours straight down into the chase and damages everything below: the flue, insulation, framing, ceiling, and walls.
Signs your chase cover needs attention:
Rust streaks running down the exterior of the chase
Water stains on the ceiling near the chimney
Visible holes, gaps, or warping when you look at the cover from the roof
Standing water on the cover after rain (the cover should slope and shed)
Loose flashing or seams at the cover edges
Clean Sweep 317 replaces failed chase covers with stainless steel covers (which won't rust) sized exactly to your chase. Replacement includes new cover, proper sealing, and verification that water sheds correctly. Most chase cover replacements complete in a single visit.
Chase cover pricing varies based on chase size and configuration and is quoted after your free general inspection. Most residential chase cover replacements fall in a common Indianapolis price range that we walk through during the inspection.
Chimney Crown Repair & Replacement
The crown is the cement cap at the top of your chimney. When it cracks (and it almost always does over time), water gets into the masonry below. Crown failure is one of the most common leak sources we see in Indianapolis.
Crown sealant for minor cracks: $550 to $900 or more
Full crown rebuild: $1,900 to $3,000
We do not quote crown work over the phone; the actual price depends on what we find on inspection. The free water test confirms whether the crown is the actual leak source before we recommend repair vs. rebuild.
Mortar Joint Repair & Tuckpointing
Indianapolis weather is hard on mortar. Freeze-thaw cycles open hairline cracks in the joints; water gets in, freezes, expands, and accelerates the damage. We grind out the failed joints and repoint with new mortar that matches the existing color and profile. Tuckpointing runs $700 to $2,000 or more depending on scope and chimney accessibility.
What Damage Can Water Cause My Chimney?
Putting off chimney leak repair lets a small problem turn into an expensive one. Here is what unaddressed water does to a chimney and the home around it. Rusted metal components: caps, dampers, chase covers, flashing, and firebox parts all corrode once water gets in, and the failures compound.
- Deteriorated masonry: brick and mortar are absorbent, and once the freeze-thaw cycle starts, you see real cracking and spalling.
- Staining throughout the chimney and home: water spots on walls and ceilings usually trace back to failed flashing.
- Rotted woodwork: water that reaches adjacent framing wears it down and rots it over time.
- Clogging and odors: moisture in the flue invites clogs, and when it mixes with creosote it produces a musty smell, while mold and mildew can affect air quality. Worst case, the damage escalates to a full chimney rebuild. Affordable repair now is far better than a major renovation later.
Why Indianapolis Trusts Clean Sweep 317
We have served Indianapolis homeowners since 2014. Our differentiators:
- Highest rated chimney company in Indiana (4.9 stars across 585+ Google reviews)
- Dual NCSG certifications: Accredited Certified Chimney Professional plus Certified Chimney Reliner (the highest credentials in the industry)
- NFI Certified
- BBB A+ Accredited
- Three Best Rated Award winner
- Free general inspection with free water test on every visit (no other Indianapolis chimney company offers this)
- Owner: Jesse Lockerbie
- Two locations to serve you faster: 5351 N Tacoma Ave (Indianapolis) and 10 S 9th St Suite 13 (Noblesville)
- 317 Membership / Purple Squad program with ongoing service options for repeat customers (goal of 500 members by year end)
- Stainless steel liner installations carry a transferable lifetime warranty. Charged Level II inspections plus sweeping are available when scope warrants.
Service Area
We serve Indianapolis (primary HQ at 5351 N Tacoma Ave) and the surrounding target neighborhoods: Meridian Hills, Williams Creek, Meridian-Kessler (high-end historic Indy neighborhoods), Carmel, Zionsville, Fishers, Geist, Westfield, Brownsburg, Noblesville (second location), Greenwood, Plainfield, Avon, and Broad Ripple. We serve the broader Central Indiana market across Marion, Hamilton, Boone, Hancock, Hendricks, and Morgan counties.
Chimney Leak Repair FAQs
Pricing depends entirely on the leak source. Chimney cap replacement $380 to $890 or more. Crown sealant for minor cracks $550 to $900 or more. Crown rebuild $1,900 to $3,000. Flashing repair $750 to $2,800 or more. Tuckpointing $700 to $2,000 or more. Chase cover replacement is priced after inspection (varies with chase size). Our general inspection (including the water test that identifies the leak source) is free; you only pay for the actual repair work.
We run a structured diagnostic: visual inspection of the crown, flashing, mortar joints, cap, and chase cover (for prefab chimneys), followed by a water test where we apply water to each potential source and confirm where it actually enters the chimney. The water test is included in our free general inspection. No other Indianapolis chimney company offers a free water test.
Prefab chimneys (the kind enclosed in a wood frame or siding chase, common in homes built since the 1980s) have a metal chase cover at the top instead of a masonry crown. The chase cover is the number one leak source on prefab chimneys. Signs you need a chase cover replacement: rust streaks down the chase, water stains near the chimney, visible holes or warping, standing water on the cover after rain. We replace with stainless steel covers (which won't rust) sized to your chase.
Yes. Water that enters a chimney structure does damage all winter (freeze-thaw cycles expand cracks), accelerates masonry deterioration, can damage adjacent ceiling and wall framing, and in worst cases compromises the structural integrity of the chimney. Early repair is dramatically cheaper than delayed repair.
A chimney cap sits on top of a masonry chimney flue and keeps water, animals, and debris out (cap pricing $380 to $890 or more). A chase cover is a larger metal cover that sits on top of a prefab chimney chase (the wood-framed or sided enclosure that houses a factory-built chimney). Both protect against water infiltration; both need replacement when they fail or rust through.
Yes. Our team holds two National Chimney Sweep Guild credentials (Accredited Certified Chimney Professional and Certified Chimney Reliner) plus NFI Certification. These are the highest credentials in the industry. The credentials matter because chimney leak diagnosis requires understanding the full chimney system.