Chimney Caps and Chase Covers

A surprising number of chimneys in Chicago have no cap at all. Snow and rain fall straight down the flue, wet the tile and the damper, and mix with soot into a smell that fills the room on humid days. Squirrels, birds and raccoons treat an open flue as a nest box. A cap with a mesh screen stops both problems for less than most chimney repairs.

Newer suburbs have a different problem. In Naperville the median home was built in 1990, and in Orland Park in 1989 (Census ACS 2020–24). Many of those houses have factory-built fireplaces inside a framed chase with a metal cover on top. Cheap galvanized covers rust, hold water in the middle, and drip it down the inside of the chase.

Signs you need this

• No cap or screen on top of the chimney
• Scratching or chirping inside the flue
• Water or rust in the firebox after rain or snowmelt
• A musty or sour smell from the fireplace in damp weather
• Rust streaks on the siding below a prefab chimney

How we do it

1. Free inspectionWe measure each flue, check the crown under the cap, and look for water and animal damage inside.
2. Pick the capA prefab stainless cap for a single round or square flue, or a custom cap or chase cover when the top is wide, odd-sized or has several flues.
3. Fit it securelyWe fasten the cap so Chicago winds can't lift it, with mesh sized to keep animals out without choking the draft.
4. Photograph the finished topYou get before and after photos of the chimney top.

Cap, crown and chase cover: what's the difference?

A crown is the concrete or mortar slab that covers the top of a masonry chimney around the flue. A cap is the metal hood with a screen that sits over the flue tile. A chase cover is the metal lid on top of a framed, sided chimney that houses a factory-built fireplace flue. Each keeps out water in a different way, and a leak can come from any of them.

Caps in lake-effect country

North of the city, lake-effect bands can stack snow fast. In the November 9–10, 2025 event the National Weather Service logged 10.0 inches at Winthrop Harbor and 5.0 inches in Gurnee. A cap stops that snow from filling an open flue, and a chase cover with a slope and a drip edge sheds melt instead of collecting it.

We use caps that are mesh-screened and fastened to the flue or crown, built to current code. Where a cap would go over several flues, we size it so each one keeps clear airflow.

What a chimney cap costs

Typical 2026 prices: a prefab metal cap installed runs $200 to $650. A custom cap or chase cover runs $425 to $850. The full range for chimney caps is $200 to $850. A cap that also seals the flue with a top damper typically runs $140 to $420. You get the price in writing at the free inspection.