Will insurance pay for chimney repair?
Short answer. Insurance pays for chimney repair when a covered event caused the damage: lightning, a falling tree, wind that tears off a cap or chase cover, hail that dents metal flashing, or a chimney fire. It does not pay for crumbling mortar, a crown cracked by years of freeze and thaw, or leaks from old flashing and sealant.
Chimney items that ride along with a roof claim
- Flashing. When a roof is replaced, the step flashing and counterflashing at the chimney are typically replaced or reset, and a replacement estimate should include them.
- Cricket. The International Residential Code generally calls for a cricket or saddle on the uphill side of a chimney more than 30 inches wide. If yours lacks one, it may be a code item under ordinance or law coverage.
- Metal chase covers and caps. Hail dents and wind damage on these are common and are separate line items.
Repairs usually on you
- Spalling brick and eroded mortar joints.
- A cracked concrete crown from weathering.
- Leaks through porous brick, or a missing cap that let rain in over time.
- Creosote buildup and routine sweeping.
Bigger events
A lightning strike can crack the stack and the flue liner, and a chimney fire can crack clay flue tiles. Both are covered causes in a standard policy, and a camera inspection of the flue is how the damage is documented.
How to file
Photograph the chimney from the ground and, safely, from the roof, note the storm date, and include it in the same claim as the roof if the same storm caused both. See code upgrades and ordinance or law coverage, and if water has come inside, interior water damage coverage.