Here is a guide discussing how much it cost to install or replace a chimney liner. These reline costs are pure estimates for popular services.
Chimney liners, popularly called flue lining are installed within chimney structures to conduct the combustion gas of the chimney. These are made from various materials such as ceramic, clay, or metal.
These installations serve three basic functions that include protection of masonry, heat insulation, and enhancing general chimney efficiency. While these are all great functions, they don’t last indefinitely.
In other words, chimney liners get eventually get damaged.
For new chimneys, chimney liner installations will be necessary. There are also replacement costs for worn-out or damaged chimney liners. We’ll be discussing the cost implications for both scenarios.
So how much does chimney liner cost? Let’s find out.
Installation And Reline Costs
There are two aspects of the cost being discussed here. We’ll be treating each separated. That is chimney liner installation costs and chimney liner replacement costs.
By splitting these in two, you’re able to gain a better understanding of how costing works.
It Starts with Inspection
A chimney inspection is where it all starts from.
There’s no way of knowing whether a chimney liner needs to be replaced without an assessment. A professional chimney sweep performs this procedure by taking a look at the current state of the existing chimney liner.
This process won’t be necessary for a newly-built chimney as it’s the first time a liner is fixed. A chimney sweep will discuss findings with you and provide price quotes.
How Much Does It Cost To Install Chimney Liner?
The average cost for chimney liner installation is $2,500. At the low end, you’re likely to pay around $650.
As expected, the high side of things will see costs amounting to as much as $7,000. The national average is quite different as it falls within the $1,800 to $4,000 range.
i. Factors Affecting Chimney liner Installation Prices
There are varying aspects of cost to consider when discussing chimney liner installation.
These will normally impact total costs for the job. You’ll need to know these and understand that what you end up paying for chimney installation is determined by them.
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Cost of Chimney Liner Installation by Type
For chimneys, there are two types of liners. These are the single wall and double wall liners. Asides from labor, materials used for such installation jobs cost around $20 to $40 for single-wall liners.
For double walls, you’re likely to incur around $40 to $90.
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Chimney Shape
How does chimney shape impact installation costs? It isn’t that complicated as you think. If your chimney has offsets and bends, it’s likely to cost more to have liners installed than straight ones.
Liner installations for chimneys with offsets and bends cost around $40 to $120 per foot of cast-in liner.
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Roof Height
The roof height is another factor usually considered by chimney technicians when giving price quotes. Accessing higher roofs to install a chimney liner is quite challenging.
Additional equipment such as a lift will need to be installed. Renting a lift will cost around $350 per day.
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Number of Appliances
In many homes, there are multiple appliances all using a common chimney.
Due to this situation, additional labor hours will need to be committed to fix or fit appliances to the flue. This action is necessary after the liner has been fitted. This procedure will add a minimum of $400 to total costs
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Cost of Chimney Liner Installation by Degree
This simply refers to the insulation level or degree of installation. If you wish for a single-wall liner installation for your chimney, it will cost around $20 to $40. In most cases, this is the cheapest option for those on a tight budget.
So, will you get the desired result? You will! However, part of the downsides is the difficulty in cleaning. Plus, these are less durable compared to double-wall chimneys. There’s the double-wall chimney liner installation.
As the name suggests, double-wall chimneys have two layers; the inner and outer. The inner layer or wall is generally smooth while the outer wall is made of corrugated material.
The cost for double-wall chimney liners falls within the $40 to $90 range.
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Cost of Chimney Liner Installation by Material
One of the major determinants of chimney liner installation costs is the materials such liners are made of. Now, the type of material you choose will determine how long such liners last.
In other words, certain materials are more durable than others.
One thing to consider when picking or buying liners made of a certain material is that costs will vary. You’ll notice that price points for the more durable chimney materials are quite higher. The most common materials include a cast-in-place which costs $40 to $120 and terracotta or clay at $6 to $15 per square foot.
Other materials include stainless steel at $20 to $90 per square foot and aluminum at $5 to $30. Of these four materials, cast-in-place is considered the most durable, yet most expensive.
This is followed by stainless steel chimney liners mostly installed by professional chimney services.
You’ll be charged around $2000 for stainless steel chimney liner cost by experts, and for DIY, expect to spend around $800 for a ready-to-install piece.
ii. How Much Does It Cost To Replace Chimney Liner?
Chimney liner replacement is only necessary when an existing liner has been damaged and needs to be changed. This procedure is also known as relining a chimney. It will cost you anywhere from $1,200 to $4,600.
For every relining or liner replacement job, the existing or damaged liner needs to be removed.
The labor involved in removing the old is factored in. So, is it included in the cost above? It is! It’s best to have everything done at once. That is both removals of the old lining and the replacement procedure.
With such an approach (combining both old liner removal and replacement), you tend to get discounts.
However, if you only wish to have old and damaged chimney liner removed, it will cost anywhere from $75 to $150 an hour.
Can Chimney Liner Cost Be Negotiated?
It depends on who you ask.
The relining cost discussed here is only estimated as these could vary from one chimney service to the next. It’s important to ask for price quotes whenever you contact a service to find out more about costs.
Chimney liner installation and replacement costs are quite varied as discussed above. We’ve taken a look at each of these individually and also listed some of the factors impacting such costs.
We’re confident you’d find this very informative. Now, you can proceed to make more informed decisions.
