How to Choose a Chimney / Masonry Pro in Metro Detroit

Ask how they diagnose a leak — a pro inspects the crown, joints, flashing, and cap rather than assuming — and how they match mortar to old brick (using a mortar too hard for soft historic brick damages it). Ask how they handle flashing where the chimney meets the roof, whether they rebuild crowns with a proper overhang and drip edge, and to see photos of past chimney work. Specific, diagnosis-first answers mark someone who fixes problems instead of papering over them.

Be wary of anyone who quotes a repair without going up to inspect, proposes to “just seal it” without identifying the leak source, plans to coat brick with a non-breathable sealer, or cannot show real masonry work they have done. High-pressure door-knockers after a storm, large cash deposits, no proof of insurance for roof-height work, and prices that ignore the actual cause are all signs of a crew that will leave the underlying problem in place and be gone before it resurfaces.

Because chimney failures are dangerous to access and easy to fake a fix on, who does the work is decisive. The masons in our network are screened for licensing, current liability and workers-comp insurance, and a track record of real masonry repairs that held, so the pro who inspects your chimney has already cleared those checks. You compare and decide, starting from vetted local masons rather than whoever knocked on the door after the last storm.