How Long Does Chimney Repointing Take?

Repointing means cutting out old, crumbling mortar from the joints and filling them with new mortar. The time that takes depends first on the size of the stack. A single small stack with a few pots is quick, whereas a broad stack with several flues, or a long run of shared stacks on a terrace, has far more joints to rake out and refill.

Condition matters as much as size. If the joints are only worn on the surface, the work goes briskly. If mortar has gone deep, bricks have moved or some need replacing, the roofer has to stop and deal with them first. The chimney may also need new flaunching or lead at the same visit, which adds to the time but saves a second booking.

We do not guess a day count from the road. The survey shows how many sides need work, how high the stack is and what state the bricks are in, and the written price comes with the plan for the days on site. Our guide to chimney repointing describes the steps in order.

On many houses, scaffold or a tower is needed to reach the stack safely, and it affects the dates at both ends. It has to be put up before the repointing starts, and it stays until the mortar is safe to leave and any other work, such as flashing, is finished. The roofer and scaffolder arrange the order, with each day's plan explained in advance.

Poles that take up part of the footway or road need the highway authority's consent first. West Sussex County Council wants 10 working days or more before erection, and Surrey County Council asks for 10 as well. Poles kept inside your boundary need no licence, so that wait disappears.

When you ask for a date, ask how many days the scaffold will be in place, not only how many days the roofer will be on the stack. If other work is planned, such as gutter or fascia repairs, sharing the scaffold is a good use of the time. Our page on scaffolding for chimney repair says more.

Fresh mortar does not harden all at once. It sets first, which means it can resist light rain and handling, and then cures over a longer time as it gains strength. Lime mortar, favoured on many older houses, is the slower of the two types, and a roofer may shield it from rain or strong sun with covers while it settles.

That is why weather can change the timetable. Frost soon after repointing can damage joints before they have set, and heavy rain can wash out fresh mortar. A careful roofer checks the forecast for the days around the job and may rearrange the visit or stop part-way. A rescheduled day is better than a repair that fails in the first winter.

The scaffold usually stays up until the roofer is happy that the mortar has set enough to leave. Our answer on chimney repairs in winter explains how cold and wet spells affect each type of job. Ask what the plan is if the weather turns, and make sure the written price says who pays for the scaffold if the job is delayed.

Good questions make the timetable clear. Ask how many days the roofer expects to spend on the stack, how many days the scaffold will stay up, which jobs are included in the price and what happens if the weather stops work. A reply that gives actual days, and says they come from a survey, is more trustworthy than a round figure over the phone.

Ask also what you need to do. Moving cars off the drive, clearing the ground below the stack and keeping children and pets indoors during the work all help. Tell neighbours if scaffold or ladders will cross a boundary. A stack that serves two houses needs agreement with the neighbour before the date is set.

A survey comes before any price, and you see pictures of your own chimney before agreeing one written total, together with the plan of days on site. Waste leaves with us. For a timetable, send a snap of the stack from the garden, say what type of house it is and give the dates that suit you. Our chimney repairs page shows the other work that can be booked in the same visit.