Chimney Relining Cost Calculator
Relining drops a fresh liner into a flue that has failed a smoke test, cracked, or is too big for a new appliance. Price it by the foot of chimney, plus labor and access.
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Relining drops a new liner into a cracked or oversized flue — the length equals the chimney height, and labor rises with a tall or offset chimney. About $1,953 here. A Level 2 inspection often triggers a reline.
Relining is a repair job, not a shopping job: you already have a chimney, and something is wrong with the flue inside it. The usual triggers are a failed Level 2 inspection — cracked or spalled tiles, gaps at the joints — or an oversized masonry flue that leaves a modern stove’s gases too cool. The fix is to run a continuous liner down the existing passage, and because the liner spans the whole chimney, the cost is driven by height and by how awkward the chimney is to work in.
Unlike a brand-new liner install, a reline usually skips a separate insulation line only when the flue is sound and the appliance allows it — on wood, most crews still insulate. What pushes a reline over a simple liner install is the labor: threading a liner past an offset, a tight smoke chamber or a bend takes time, and a tall chimney needs more staging. Enter the height and your installed rate and the tool separates the liner from the labor so you can see where the money goes.
Formula
Reline cost is the liner run plus the labor to fit it:
liner = length_ft × rate_per_ft
total = (liner + labor + access) × (1 + contingency)
The length equals the chimney height because the liner runs top to bottom; labor climbs with height and any offset.
Worked example
A 27 ft chimney relined at an installed $38/ft, with $760 labor for a chimney with one offset and $240 access, at a 10% cushion:
- Liner: 27 × $38 = $1,026
- Subtotal: $1,026 + $760 + $240 = $2,026
- Total: $2,026 × 1.10 ≈ $2,229
A straight, easy-access flue would carry a lower labor line; a three-story chimney with a jog would carry more.
When a reline is the right call
Reline instead of patch when the damage is continuous or structural: multiple cracked tiles, mortar washed out of the joints, or a smoke test the flue cannot pass. A liner also solves the oversized-flue problem when you fit a new insert or stove — a right-sized stainless liner restores draft the old cavernous masonry flue killed.
Do not confuse a reline with a rebuild. If the masonry above the roof is failing, that is a rebuild (a different tool); a reline fixes the passage inside sound masonry. A Level 2 inspection, per NFPA 211, is what tells you which one you need — get that verdict from a CSIA-certified sweep before you price the work.
Reference table
Labeled planning bands (whole jobs, not your quote) — use them only to sanity-check the total the calculator returns. Access, chimney height and how bad the old flue is move the real number.
| Job | Typical planning band |
|---|---|
| Reline / new liner | $1,500–$5,000 |
| Chimney rebuild | $1,000–$6,000 |
| Chimney cap install | $150–$600 |
| NFPA 211 Level 2 inspection | $200–$600 |