Last Updated on July 9, 2026
A chimney is the part of the roof most likely to fail first and the part most people ignore until it stains a bedroom wall. The costs range from a small repoint to a full rebuild, so the words on the quote matter as much as the number.
The mistake: not knowing which job you are buying
“Chimney repair” covers everything from raking out and repointing the mortar to taking the whole stack down and building it again. Those are wildly different jobs at wildly different prices, and if you do not know which one you need, you cannot tell whether the quote is fair.
What chimney work costs in 2026
Repointing, raking out the old mortar and replacing it. An average repoint is around £750. A small, low chimney can be nearer £300. A medium chimney on a gable end needing scaffolding is around £800, and one at the ridge with full scaffolding around £1,000. Priced by the metre, repointing brickwork is around £55 per square metre and stonework around £80.
Partial rebuild, the top few courses. Around £600 to £1,000.
Full rebuild above the roofline. Around £1,000 to £3,500 depending on size and height.
Removing the stack entirely. Around £260 to £340 per metre, plus making the roof good where it was.
Access. A scaffold tower is around £300, full scaffolding more. Chimney work is at the highest and most awkward part of the roof, so access is a real cost, and a job at the ridge nearly always needs proper scaffolding rather than a ladder.
How to read the quote
The honest quote names the specific job. Repoint, partial rebuild, full rebuild, or removal. It says whether scaffolding is included. And it is realistic about access, because a roofer who plans to do a ridge chimney off a ladder is cutting a corner you do not want cut.
Ask which of those jobs it is, ask if scaffolding is in the price, and be wary of a quote that jumps straight to full rebuild without explaining why a repoint will not do.
The sharp takeaway
Find out which chimney job you actually need before you compare prices. A repoint and a rebuild are different jobs, and the only way to know you are being quoted fairly is to know which one is on the paper.
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Typical 2026 UK ranges from public cost data, confirm locally. Sources: Checkatrade, MyBuilder. See also our full roof cost guide.
