Should I remove my chimney?
Short answer. Removing a chimney can make sense if it is unused, leaking, deteriorating, or in the way of a roof replacement or remodel, and the most common approach is taking it down below the roofline and roofing over the opening. It is a structural, usually permitted job, so check whether anything vents into it and whether framing depends on it before anything comes down.
Why people remove chimneys
- It is never used and the flashing keeps leaking.
- Crumbling brick, a lean, or a cracked crown would be costly to rebuild.
- A framed chase has a rusted cover and rotting siding around a fireplace nobody uses.
- A remodel needs the space.
Your options
- Remove it above the roof: take the stack down below the deck, frame and sheath the opening, and shingle over it. This is the most common and least disruptive choice. The remaining masonry in the attic should be capped.
- Remove it entirely: down to the foundation, opening floors and walls; a remodeling project.
- Repair and keep it: rebuild the crown, add a cap, repoint, and reflash with a cricket.
Check before you decide
- Does a furnace or water heater vent into it? Those appliances need a new code-compliant vent first.
- Does any framing bear on the chimney? Have an experienced contractor or engineer look.
- Permits: structural and demolition work generally needs one, so ask your building department.
- HOA approval for exterior changes.
- Resale: some buyers value a working fireplace.
Timing with the roof
If the roof is due, removing the chimney first lets the new shingles run across uninterrupted, with one less flashing detail to fail. If you keep it, the reroof is the best time to add a proper cricket. See chimney leaks and crickets and roofing permits in Georgia.