Chimney Service in Cape May, New Jersey

Cape May began as the borough of Cape Island in 1848 and took its current name in 1869. A five-day fire in 1878 destroyed 30 blocks of the town center, and the rebuilding was done almost entirely in Victorian style, which is why the city looks the way it does. In 1976 the entire city was designated a National Historic Landmark district. The year-round population is small, 2,768 in the 2020 census, and summer adds 40,000 to 50,000 visitors. Census figures (ACS 2024) count close to half the city's homes as seasonal.

The housing mix is unusual for the Shore. About 27 percent of homes were built before 1940, a third are attached units, and only about 55 percent heat with gas, with most of the rest on electric heat. NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for Cape May show the mildest winters in the state, about 72 freezing nights and 15 inches of snow a year. The bigger enemies here are salt air, wind-driven rain and age. Whether a chimney still serves a fireplace, a gas appliance or nothing at all, it has to shed water and stay standing.

What the Historic Design Standards say about chimneys

Cape May's Historic Preservation Commission published its Historic Design Standards in 2002 and updated them in 2023, and they apply to every structure in the district. Before a permit is issued for exterior changes, the HPC has to grant a certificate of appropriateness, and it reviews any change of roof material. The standards treat chimneys as character-defining features of the roof.

On chimneys they are specific. Deteriorated bricks at the top should be replaced in kind. A badly deteriorated chimney should be rebuilt to match the original in design, texture, brick size and joint profile. A new flue liner is appropriate, but the cap should be as inconspicuous as possible. Removing a prominent chimney is not appropriate, and cement parging on an existing masonry chimney is not appropriate unless the original was parged.

How we plan a Cape May chimney repair

The standards name the Construction Office in City Hall as the first stop for any repair or alteration. We give you photos of every side of the chimney and a written scope that says how the brick and mortar will be matched, plus the liner and cap details, so the application describes the work accurately. If you are raising a house for flood protection, the standards say to keep the chimney and extend it in matching design and material.

Typical prices: rebuilding the top few courses $1,000 to $3,500, repointing $500 to $2,500, spalled brick replacement $1,000 to $3,500, flashing $300 to $1,800, and a stainless liner $1,500 to $5,000. Every price is written down at the free inspection, before any work.

Where we work in Cape May

Historic District · Washington Street Mall · Beach Avenue · Lafayette Street · Columbia Avenue · Poverty Beach · Cove Beach · West Cape May · Cape May Point