Fast, Reliable Chimney Repair Across Hollis
Chimney repair in Hollis, NY typically costs between $450 and $3,200 depending on whether you need mortar repointing, liner replacement, or partial rebuilding, and most jobs are completed in a single visit with upfront pricing confirmed before work begins. Call (855) 950-3861 anytime - a live person answers, even at 2 a.m. on a Sunday.
We’ve been driving to Hollis since 1984, long before the LIRR station was renovated and when 108th Avenue still had the same brick rows it does today. Our technicians know the difference between a 1920s Colonial on 188th Street and a 1940s semi-detached off Hillside Avenue, and we know what hides inside their chimneys. Hollis sits in ZIP 11423, just inside the Queens-Nassau line, and that geographic position matters more than most homeowners realize until something goes wrong.
Our Chimney Repair team carries Type N mortar, DuraFlex stainless liners, and HeatShield cerfractory flue sealant on every truck. We don’t make return trips because we forgot materials.
Why Hearthstone Chimney Co. of New York City Is Hollis’s Preferred Chimney Repair Company
Hollis homeowners call us back. They also call their neighbors. Over 42 years, we’ve repaired chimneys on nearly every block between Jamaica Avenue and the Nassau County line, and our reputation lives in the conversations at Holliswood Pharmacy and the line at the Dunkin’ on Hillside. We’re not a chain that rotates technicians through from Long Island one week and Westchester the next.
Our response time to Hollis averages under 90 minutes for urgent calls - carbon monoxide concerns, active leaks during a storm, or structural damage after a truck clip. We document every inspection with photos and a plain-English verdict, and we back every job with the 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing. No paperwork to file. No arguing. If it’s not right, we come back.
Frank Calucci started this company in 1984 with the K.E.Y.S. code: Krafted right, Every time, Your home first, Standing behind it. That hasn’t changed. Our technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and trained to complete most repairs in one visit. The number on your estimate is the number on your invoice.
We also understand the specific trap Hollis homeowners face: contractors licensed in Nassau County who don’t know NYC DOB and FDNY requirements. We’ve cleaned up too many of those jobs. When you sell your house or your insurance inspector visits, the paperwork matters.
Our Chimney Repair Services in Hollis
Mortar Repointing
The mortar joints between your bricks are the first line of defense against water, and in Hollis they’re under constant assault. Queens freeze-thaw cycling - temperatures swinging across 32°F dozens of times each winter - forces water into hairline cracks, expands it, and grinds away mortar from the inside. On 1920s and 1930s Hollis chimneys, the original lime-based mortar has often turned to sand. We grind out deteriorated joints to proper depth and repoint with Type N mortar formulated for historic masonry, matching the original compression strength so your chimney breathes and sheds water the way it was designed to.
Spalling Brick Repair
Spalling - the face of the brick popping off in flakes or chunks - is everywhere on Hollis chimney crowns and above the roofline. The cause is almost always freeze-thaw damage that started with a single unrepaired mortar crack. Once the brick face opens, water penetrates the porous body, freezes, and the cycle accelerates. We remove spalled bricks, source matching replacements when possible, and rebuild the affected courses with proper bonding and weatherstruck joints. On a 1930s Tudor near 104th Avenue last winter, we replaced 47 spalled bricks and stopped what would have become a $4,000 rebuild.
Chimney Waterproofing
Hollis’s inland position in southeastern Queens means less moderating influence from the Atlantic than Breezy Point or the Rockaways. Your chimney gets the full temperature swing. We apply professional-grade silane/siloxane penetrating sealers - not the glossy film-forming products that trap moisture - to reduce water absorption by 95% while letting vapor escape. Waterproofing is never a substitute for sound mortar and crowns, but on sound masonry it’s the difference between a chimney that lasts 15 years and one that lasts 50.
Flashing Repair
Step flashing, counterflashing, and cricket installation on Hollis’s older homes requires working with roofs that have been reshingled two or three times, often with flashing that was cobbled in rather than replaced. We remove old flashing down to clean substrate, install new copper or galvanized steel with proper overlaps and sealant, and integrate with your existing roofing without creating new leak paths. On shared chimneys between semi-detached homes, we’re careful to maintain fire separation and respect property lines - something less experienced crews overlook.
Chimney Rebuilding
When mortar loss exceeds 30% of joints, when the structural wythes are compromised, or when liner damage has allowed combustion gases to saturate the masonry, partial or full rebuilding becomes the only safe option. We rebuild Hollis chimneys course by course, matching original bond patterns and brick dimensions, with proper interior clearances and new flue liners sized for modern appliances. We pull permits through NYC DOB and schedule FDNY inspection when required. The result is a chimney that looks like it belongs on your house and performs like new construction.
Tuckpointing
For chimneys where the mortar is sound but the aesthetic has degraded, or where previous repointing was done with the wrong color or profile, we offer tuckpointing - the careful removal and replacement of mortar joints with precise color matching and tooling. It’s labor-intensive work that demands patience, and it’s worth it on the historic brickwork that defines Hollis’s streetscapes.
What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Hollis
We don’t use builder-grade substitutes. For liner installations in Hollis, we specify DuraFlex stainless steel for its corrosion resistance against acidic oil condensate. For flue resurfacing and parging, we use HeatShield cerfractory sealant, rated to 2900°F and backed by a 20-year warranty. For waterproofing and crown repair, we stock Gelco professional-grade formulations. These are the same materials specified by engineers for commercial installations. We keep them on our trucks so Hollis repairs don’t wait on shipping.
Common Chimney Repair Problems We See in Hollis Homes
- Acidic condensate eating interior mortar. The majority of Hollis chimneys were built for coal furnaces and later converted to oil without proper clay-tile relining. The oversized, unlined flues trap acidic condensate from oil combustion that dissolves interior mortar joints and creates pathways for carbon monoxide into living spaces above. This damage is invisible from the outside until it’s severe.
- Freeze-thaw spalling on exposed crowns. Hollis’s inland Queens location means harder freeze-thaw cycling than waterfront neighborhoods. Brick faces on chimney crowns and parapets spall after years of unrepaired mortar cracks, exposing softer interior brick to accelerated deterioration.
- Unpermitted Nassau County liner inserts. Because Hollis sits at the NYC-Nassau line, homeowners sometimes hire Nassau-licensed contractors who don’t file NYC DOB permits or understand FDNY requirements. These installations fail inspection during home sales, forcing expensive rework by a NYC-compliant company.
- Shared flues in two-family configurations. A single chimney structure serving two separate boiler or furnace connections is common in Hollis’s semi-detached and two-family housing stock. Without separate, properly sized liners for each appliance, draft interference and condensation problems multiply.
Pricing for Chimney Repair in Hollis, NY
Here’s what chimney repair costs in the Hollis market, based on jobs we’ve completed in 11423 over the past three years:
| Service | Typical Range in Hollis |
|---|---|
| Mortar repointing (partial chimney) | $850 - $1,800 |
| Spalling brick repair (localized) | $650 - $1,400 |
| Chimney waterproofing | $450 - $950 |
| Flashing repair or replacement | $550 - $1,200 |
| Stainless steel liner installation (single appliance) | $2,200 - $3,800 |
| Chimney rebuilding (partial) | $3,500 - $7,500 |
| Level-2 camera inspection with report | $289 - $375 |
Prices vary with accessibility (steep roof pitch, narrow alley access), the extent of hidden damage revealed during inspection, and whether NYC DOB permits and FDNY inspection are required. We provide no-hassle upfront pricing before any work begins. Our $50 Off Any Repair Over $250 applies, and we offer a permanent 5% Senior and Veteran discount. Call (855) 950-3861 for a free estimate - the number we give you is the number on the invoice.
We Also Serve Cities Near Hollis
Our technicians are already in southeastern Queens every day. We provide Chimney Repair in Hollis and the surrounding neighborhoods - Bellaire, Terrace Heights, Queens Village, and Hillside - with the same response times and the same standards. If you’re near the Nassau line and unsure whether you’re in our service area, call. We’ve likely already worked on your block.
Serving Hollis, NY - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Hollis area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - Chimney Repair in Hollis
Each appliance needs its own properly sized flue to maintain correct draft and prevent combustion gases from spilling into the other unit. In Hollis’s common two-family configurations, a single chimney often serves both boilers through a shared flue or an oversized original coal flue - a setup that creates draft interference, acidic condensation, and carbon monoxide risk. We install separate DuraFlex liners sized to each appliance’s BTU output and vent configuration. Call (855) 950-3861 to inspect your shared flue - estimates are free.
Often, no. Nassau County licensing does not automatically include NYC DOB filing or FDNY compliance, and we’ve found unpermitted liner inserts in Hollis that failed inspection during home sales. NYC requires specific clearances, approved materials, and proper documentation that Nassau contractors may not provide. We handle permits and inspections as part of our standard process. If you have an existing installation you’re unsure about, we offer a Free Second Opinion on any written estimate.
Without a Level-2 camera inspection, you usually can’t tell from the outside. The original coal flue in your 1920s or 1930s Hollis chimney was oversized for the later oil boiler, and many conversions were done without inserting a proper clay tile or stainless steel liner. We lower a camera and show you the photos - bare brick, eroded mortar, or missing tiles are immediate red flags. Our $89 Seasonal Tune-Up includes a basic visual assessment; a full Level-2 inspection runs $289-$375.
Yes. Hollis’s inland position means more dramatic temperature swings than waterfront Queens neighborhoods buffered by the Atlantic. Each cycle across 32°F forces water deeper into microcracks, and Hollis chimneys with original mortar from the 1920s-1940s lack the resilience of modern formulations. Annual inspection catches crown cracks before they propagate into the brick courses below. We repoint and seal crowns with HeatShield CrownCoat or rebuild with reinforced concrete as needed.
Historic soft brick requires softer mortar. Modern Portland cement mortar is too rigid for 1930s Hollis brick - it traps moisture and accelerates spalling as the brick tries to expand and contract. We use Type N mortar with proper lime content, matching the original’s compressive strength and permeability. On 104th Avenue last year, we removed hard Portland repointing done by a previous contractor and replaced it with proper Type N; the homeowner reported no new spalling after two hard winters. The right mortar lets the wall breathe. Call (855) 950-3861 for an inspection - we’ll show you what you have and what you need.
Written by Frank Calucci, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co. of New York City, serving Hollis and southeastern Queens since 1984.