With four generations and 100+ years of structural masonry heritage, DiBara Masonry repairs, rebuilds, and inspects chimneys and fireplaces across Los Angeles, correcting cracked crowns, leaning stacks, and seismic damage to restore safe, code-compliant function before the rainy season arrives.
With more than 4,300 projects completed, we showcase a selection of our chimney and fireplace work, from crown repair to full rebuilds, matched to the brick or stone already on your home.
Each repair is built with care, precision, and durability in mind, serving homeowners across Hancock Park, Los Feliz, Pasadena, and surrounding Los Angeles neighborhoods.
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With more than 4,300 structural projects completed across Southern California, our masonry crews repair chimney crowns, flue liners, fireboxes, and exterior stacks damaged by age, rain intrusion, or seismic movement.
We work on original brick chimneys in Hancock Park, Los Feliz, and Pasadena, as well as newer stucco-clad chimney chases across the Valley, matching materials and reinforcing each structure to current code before closing it back up. Our historical masonry restoration team is regularly called in on these original brick chimneys, where preserving the visible character matters as much as the structural fix.
A chimney sweep clears creosote; only a licensed masonry contractor can diagnose and repair the structural cracks, spalling brick, and leaning stacks that put a chimney at risk of collapse during an earthquake or heavy rain. DiBara Masonry holds CSLB License #1002003 (C-29 Masonry classification) alongside approximately 5 additional trade licenses, and evaluates every chimney against current seismic bracing and clearance requirements. Our guide on what a CSLB license actually verifies explains why that distinction matters when you’re hiring for structural work.
Every repair is reviewed by a fourth-generation mason before we close the chase, so problems a visual inspection alone would miss, like a hairline crack in a crown letting water into the flue liner, get caught early. That review step is the same one described in how our review process works on any structural project.
We start with a structural and moisture inspection, checking the crown, flashing, flue liner, and firebox for cracks, spalling, and water intrusion, and checking the stack’s lean and seismic bracing. Within 72 hours we deliver a repair or rebuild proposal covering tuckpointing, crown repair, liner relining, or full rebuild, matched to your existing brick or stone where visible.
Our crews then complete the code-compliant repair with proper flashing, spark arrestors, and seismic strapping, leaving the chimney ready for its next inspection. A project manager and on-site foreman stay on the job through completion.
Our scope covers chimney crown and flashing repair, tuckpointing and brick repointing, and full chimney rebuilds with flue relining where the liner has deteriorated. We also handle fireplace and firebox restoration for units damaged by heat, age, or water.
Seismic chimney bracing and strapping is one of the services we get called for most often in Southern California, since a chimney’s mass and its independent connection to the roofline make it one of the more vulnerable parts of a house during an earthquake.
A cracked or missing crown lets water into the flue liner every time it rains, which is one of the most common causes of the deterioration we’re called out to repair. Rust stains on the damper, a musty smell near the fireplace, and white efflorescence staining on the exterior brick are all signs that moisture is already inside the structure.
A visibly leaning stack, loose bricks, or mortar joints you can pick out with a fingernail mean the structural repair can’t wait for the next scheduled maintenance. We recommend a structural inspection before the rainy season if any of these signs are present, since chimney damage tends to accelerate once water finds a way in.
Rebuilding more than a few courses, adding seismic strapping, or relining a flue typically requires an LADBS permit, especially on chimneys extending more than six feet above the roofline. We submit and manage that permit as part of the project scope.
Chimneys on hillside properties carry an added consideration: the same seismic and soil-movement forces we account for on our hillside retaining wall projects can also affect a chimney’s footing and lean over time, which is one more reason a structural mason, not just a sweep, should evaluate a hillside home’s chimney.
DiBara Masonry is a fourth-generation, family-owned masonry contractor with over 100 years of family tradition, rated 4.9 stars across 300+ verified reviews and BBB accredited. Operating under CSLB License #1002003 (C-29 Masonry classification) along with about 5 additional trade licenses, we bring the same code-compliant, engineer-aware standard to a chimney rebuild that we apply to structural concrete and retaining wall projects. Learn more about our team and four generations of masonry experience.
We’d rather tell you a crown repair will hold for years than sell you a rebuild you don’t need, and every structural repair is backed by our craftsmanship and structural-integrity warranty.
Request a free chimney inspection to get a fixed-price repair plan before the rainy season.
Look for cracked or spalling brick, a visibly leaning stack, white staining (efflorescence) on the exterior, or a rusted damper. These point to structural or moisture damage that a chimney sweep cannot fix, and continuing to use the fireplace without addressing them raises fire and collapse risk.
Yes. Even a moderate earthquake can crack the mortar joints connecting a chimney to the roofline, since the chimney and house move independently during shaking. We recommend a structural inspection after any quake felt locally above roughly magnitude 4.0, even without visible damage from the ground.
In most cases, yes. If the core structure is sound, we can tuckpoint damaged mortar joints, rebuild the top few courses, and add a new crown and cap rather than a full teardown, preserving the original character while restoring structural integrity.
Rebuilding more than a few courses, adding seismic strapping, or relining a flue typically requires an LADBS permit, especially on chimneys extending more than 6 feet above the roofline. We handle the permit submittal as part of the project.
The most common causes are a settling or undersized footing, water intrusion that erodes mortar over decades, and cumulative seismic movement. A leaning chimney should be evaluated before its next use, since the lean typically accelerates once it starts.
A crown repair or repointing job typically takes 1 to 2 days. A full rebuild above the roofline usually takes 3 to 5 days, depending on height, brick matching, and permit timing.
Crown repair and tuckpointing are the least expensive options; a full rebuild above the roofline costs more depending on height, brick matching, and access. We give a fixed price only after the structural and moisture inspection, since the right scope depends on what we find in the flue and stack.
Yes, wherever the original material is still available or a close match exists. On historic homes in neighborhoods like Hancock Park or Los Feliz, matching the visible brick or stone is often as important to the homeowner as the structural repair itself.
It depends on what the inspection finds. A cracked crown letting water into the flue liner is usually safe to use short-term with the damper closed when not in use, but a leaning stack, visible structural cracking, or spalling brick near the firebox means the fireplace should not be used until it’s evaluated.
We offer a standalone structural and moisture inspection, which is the same first step in any repair or rebuild project. It’s a useful option before buying a home with an older chimney, or as a routine check before the rainy season.
Call (323) 313-0165 or request a free inspection online. We check the crown, flashing, flue liner, firebox, and stack lean, then give you a fixed-price repair or rebuild proposal within 72 hours.
Meet DiBara Masonry, the 4th generation masonry and concrete experts that have been restoring brick, stone, & concrete structures for over 100 years!
