Brick and block chimneys
Topeka Demolition: Chimney Removal in Topeka, Kansas
Leaning, cracked and unused brick chimneys taken down to the roofline or all the way to the footing, with the roof and walls closed up after.
- Topeka and 10 towns within 20 miles
- Written price before work starts
- Permit, sewer cap and landfill steps explained
- Local, licensed, insured contractors
Topeka Demolition connects Topeka homeowners with local contractors for chimney removal, for the many older houses whose brick chimneys no longer vent anything and have started to lean, crack or leak.
Taking a failing chimney down to the roofline can cost a few hundred dollars and starts at $300; leaving it until a windstorm drops it through the roof turns it into a roof, ceiling and framing repair that can pass $6,000.
Typical price range
$300 to $6,000
The published range for chimney removal (Fixr). Removing only the part above the roof and capping it sits near the bottom; removing a full-height exterior chimney down to its footing, then patching siding and roof, sits near the top.
Calls answered Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Signs a chimney should come down
- A visible lean or a gap opening between the chimney and the house
- Missing or crumbling mortar and loose bricks at the top
- Water stains on the ceiling or wall beside the chimney
- A furnace or water heater that no longer vents through it
- Cracked flue tiles found during an inspection
Above the roof, or all the way down
The cheapest fix for an unused chimney is to take it down below the roofline, cap it and shingle over the hole. The brick below stays inside the walls. A full removal takes the whole stack out, interior and exterior, down to the footing, which frees up floor space and removes the weight, but it means opening walls and patching siding and floors.
How the work is done safely
Chimneys are taken down from the top, brick by brick or in small sections, so nothing falls through the roof or onto the yard. Debris goes down a chute or in buckets to a dumpster. Before any of it starts, the contractor confirms that no appliance still vents into the flue; an active gas furnace or water heater has to be re-vented first, often through the wall or the roof.
- Roof tarped and the opening framed and decked the same visit
- Interior walls protected where the chimney passes through
- Old flue liner checked for asbestos in older houses
Storm-damaged chimneys
After a windstorm, a chimney that cracked or shifted is a priority because it can fall later. If the storm did more than that, storm damage demolition covers the rest of the house. Owners in Overbrook and other older towns nearby often remove chimneys left from coal and wood stoves that have not been used in decades.
Brick, mortar and the inside of the house
A full-height chimney is heavier than it looks, and its brick is often older and softer than the house around it. Taking it out from inside means opening the wall or ceiling where it passes through each floor, protecting floors and furniture from dust, and framing and patching the openings afterward. That patching is usually the bigger share of a full removal, which is why taking only the part above the roofline costs so much less.
Old chimneys sometimes hide an asbestos-cement flue pipe or old insulation around the breach, and older houses may have used asbestos materials near furnaces. A test before demolition decides whether part of the job goes to a licensed abatement contractor.
Questions people ask
How much does chimney removal cost in Topeka?
Published figures run $300 to $6,000. Above the roofline only is cheapest; full removal to the footing with siding and roof repair costs most.
What are the signs a chimney is unsafe?
A lean, a gap at the wall, loose bricks and mortar, and water stains beside it. Any of those means it should be looked at before the next storm.
Can a chimney be removed only above the roof?
Yes. It is taken down below the roofline, capped and shingled over. The rest stays hidden inside the walls.
What if my furnace vents into the chimney?
It has to be re-vented first. The chimney cannot come down while an appliance still uses it.
How long does chimney removal take?
Usually a day for a roofline removal and a few days for a full removal with patching.
Get a demolition price in writing
Tell the contractor what is coming down, where it is, and what should be left behind: bare dirt, a slab, or a seeded lot.
Call (785) 268-2537