Sweep & inspection
Caps & crowns
Flue relining
Masonry repair
Gas fireplace serviceLevel 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Famco Chimney Cap Installation: The Houston Owner’s Guide
We stock and install Famco chimney caps across Houston, with most replacements running between $275 and $485 installed depending on the cap size, flue type, and roof access. If you’ve got a Famco cap that’s rusted through, blown loose in a storm, or letting rain and birds into your flue, we can usually get the replacement done in a single visit. You’ll spot the problem one of two ways: you’ll see rust streaks running down the chimney chase or shingles after a hard rain, or you’ll hear something flapping and scratching inside the flue that shouldn’t be there. Houston’s humidity and the salt air pushing in off the Gulf mean galvanized and even some stainless caps give up sooner than manufacturers expect, and Famco caps are no exception to that math. Nathan Corliss and our crew replace these regularly across the Heights, Bellaire, Katy, and out toward Sugar Land, and we keep common Famco sizes on the truck so you don’t wait a week for a part that should’ve been finished before lunch.
Which Famco Models This Applies To
Famco makes a wide range of chimney caps, and the installation process depends on which series you’ve got. The round multi-flue caps, single-flue round caps, and square or rectangular chase covers all share the same basic mounting approach, but the fitment details change. What most Houston homeowners don’t realize is that a Famco cap for a clay tile flue won’t fit a metal flue pipe without an adapter, and threading one onto the wrong outside diameter is the single most common install mistake we see. The good news is the model number is usually stamped right on the underside of the cap or on the mounting bracket, and once you have that, matching it is a matter of measuring the outside diameter of your flue tile or the inside diameter of your metal liner. Famco’s round single-flue caps generally run from 6-inch up to 13-inch sizes, while the square and rectangular chase covers are sized to the chase itself, not the flue. We source our Famco parts from established chimney-trade suppliers, and if a genuine Famco cap is backordered or discontinued, we’ll walk you through the aftermarket options from brands like Olympia Chimney or Copperfield that use the same mounting footprint. You’ll know the price difference and the spec difference before you choose.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Famco Chimney Cap Installation Is Failing
Most Houston homeowners don’t think about their chimney cap until it’s already doing damage. Here’s what tips people off:
- Rust streaking down the chimney chase or crown. This means the cap’s protective coating has thinned out and the steel underneath is oxidizing. On galvanized Famco caps, Houston’s humid air speeds this up considerably, and the streaks are usually visible from the street or the backyard pretty early.
- Water in the firebox after rain. A cap that’s loose or rusted through at the mounting point stops shedding water and starts funneling it down the flue. If you’re wiping up wet ash two days after a storm, the cap is almost always part of the story. Sometimes it’s the crown, sometimes it’s the cap, and you won’t know until someone looks.
- Bird or squirrel noise in the flue. The mesh on a Famco cap does the heavy lifting against animals, and once it’s dented or torn, it doesn’t take long for a Houston squirrel to find the opening. We’ve pulled nests out of flues in Meyerland and Sharpstown that were built inside a month.
- Visible dents, lifting, or a cap sitting crooked after wind. Tilted caps mean water runs sideways into the flue instead of away from it. Houston thunderstorm season is hard on metal. If it’s been through a few years of those, the bolts and brackets can stretch.
- Downdraft or smoke backing into the house. A damaged cap deflects wind unpredictably. If you light a fire and the smoke goes up and right back down, it’s often less about your drafting and more about what’s sitting on top of the flue.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
In Houston, a Famco chimney cap replacement with installation typically runs between $275 and $485, and the spread comes down to three things: the cap size, whether we’re working on a single-story or multi-story roof, and whether your flue is clay tile or metal. A basic 8-inch round single-flue Famco cap on a one-story ranch is at the low end. A custom-sized chase cover on a two-story with a steep pitch is at the high end. Our written price includes the cap, the hardware, the roof access, old-cap removal, and cleanup. Before any work starts, you’ll see the number in writing, and that number is the number on the invoice. If the installation fails within the guarantee period, we come back and fix it at no charge under the 365-Day Done Right Promise. That’s not a separate warranty you buy. It’s just part of the job.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterDIY or Call Us?
You can safely check a couple of things from the ground: whether the cap is still sitting level, whether you can see rust streaks, and whether the mesh looks intact from below with binoculars. That tells you something is wrong. It does not tell you what size cap you need or whether the mounting surface is still sound. The danger on this job isn’t the cap itself. It’s the fact that you’re working on a roof in a city where roof pitches run steep and the afternoon heat makes shingles slick. A chimney cap replacement means two hands on tools and both feet planted, usually on a ladder. We do it with background-checked, uniformed technicians who are used to Houston roofs in every season, and we bring the right cap sizes with us so we’re not guessing. If you want to check the cap from the yard and then hand the phone number to us, that’s the smart split. Call (903) 961-6496 and we’ll give you a written price before anyone sets foot on your roof.
FAQs
A Famco cap in Houston typically lasts 8 to 12 years, and the deciding factor is usually whether it’s stainless or galvanized and how close you are to the coast. The humidity and the Gulf air do more damage than the sun. Tell you the price first, explain the work second, put it in writing third, that’s the whole system. If your cap is past the decade mark and showing rust, replacing it now is cheaper than replacing the cap and repairing the flue damage after another wet season. Call (903) 961-6496 for an exact quote.
In most cases, a rusted or torn Famco cap should be replaced rather than patched, because the metal is already compromised and a repair won’t hold up another Houston summer. The exception is a cap where only the mesh is damaged and the frame is still solid, though even that’s often close to the price of a new cap once labor is counted. We’ll show you what we’re seeing and let you decide with real numbers in front of you.
A standard single-flue Famco cap replacement takes about 45 minutes to an hour once we’re on the roof. Chase covers and multi-flue setups run longer, usually an hour and a half to two hours, and if we find crown damage while we’re up there, we’ll pause and walk you through exactly what that costs to fix before we touch another tool.
We keep the most common Famco round single-flue sizes on our trucks, and we can usually match a chase cover with a short trip to a local supplier. If your cap size isn’t on hand, we’ll tell you before we schedule so you’re not burning a day off waiting. Our parts come through the same channels we use for DuraFlex liners, HeatShield materials, and Gelco sealants, not whatever happened to be on a shelf.
Get Your Famco Cap Replaced the Houston Way
If your Famco cap is rusted, loose, or letting water into the flue, call Ashby Chimney Houston at (903) 961-6496. You’ll get a live person on the phone, a written price before any work starts, and a written guarantee when the job is done. We’ve been handling Houston chimneys since 2002, independently owned and operated under the Kingswell Guarantee, and we carry the Famco parts and the right hardware to get your cap seated correctly the first time. Nathan Corliss and the crew handle everything from Heights-era wood fireplaces to gas log setups near the Galleria, and we leave the roof cleaner than we found it. Call today and get a free estimate.
Written by Nathan Corliss, Owner, Ashby Chimney Houston at Ashby Chimney Houston, serving Houston and nearby areas.