# Pointing a small chimney costs.£



## Kingfisher101 (19 Jun 2022)

I've just pointed my own front garden slabs and they look really nice now. I've been spurred on to getting the chimney done its 10 bricks in height and 2 in depth. Because I've not got a ladder tall enough I've asked for a few quotes and its been staggering. Guess how much they have been from and to? The easily shocked need to look away now.


----------



## fossyant (19 Jun 2022)

A grand... ? my colleague can't get the roofer to fix his bodged repair on the flashing of their chimney. 

Glad I don't have a chimney as I don't do heights


----------



## Darius_Jedburgh (19 Jun 2022)

I doubt that you will get any change from £400 minimum. 
Depends where you live. Could even be into four figures.
It would be cheaper to hire a mini tower and do it yourself.


----------



## Kingfisher101 (19 Jun 2022)

Its West Yorkshire


----------



## classic33 (19 Jun 2022)

£1,500 upto £4,700.

The major part of that being the access equipment required. Other than roofing ladders, ladders aren't considered a suitable means of access nowadays.


----------



## PeteXXX (19 Jun 2022)

It'll be the scaffolding that'll bump the price up!!


----------



## gavroche (19 Jun 2022)

Had mine done maybe 5 years ago when the roofer I had was putting a hat on top of it to stop the birds from nesting on it. He noticed the chimney needed repointing and offered to do it at the same time. All done from a ladder and I think for about 100 pounds. Bargain.


----------



## Kingfisher101 (19 Jun 2022)

Its a bungalow.
Are you ready for the quotes?


----------



## Darius_Jedburgh (19 Jun 2022)

Bungalow?
Deffo DIY.


----------



## PK99 (19 Jun 2022)

https://www.priceyourjob.co.uk/repointing-chimney-cost/


----------



## Kingfisher101 (19 Jun 2022)

Right here goes, £420, £300, £300, £200 and £75.00. The one at £75.00 said the flashing would be sealed with leadmate as well as it ground out and repointed. The guy said I would have to wait a a couple of weeks until a slot of a couple of hours became spare. So I'm going for this the cheapest one.


----------



## Slick (19 Jun 2022)

Have you checked their credentials?


----------



## Kingfisher101 (19 Jun 2022)

Not bothered, as long as they can do it.


----------



## Slick (19 Jun 2022)

Also, take a picture of the roof around tge area being worked on.


----------



## Slick (19 Jun 2022)

Kingfisher101 said:


> Not bothered, as long as they can do it.



How do you know they can if you don't check?


----------



## Darius_Jedburgh (19 Jun 2022)

£75 just sounds too cheap. 
It will take a couple of hours to get the old stuff out. Then as long to repoint and access costs. 
Is he just going to do it sat on the roof?
Have you seen his other work?


----------



## Kingfisher101 (19 Jun 2022)

Darius_Jedburgh said:


> £75 just sounds too cheap.
> It will take a couple of hours to get the old stuff out. Then as long to repoint and access costs.
> Is he just going to do it sat on the roof?
> Have you seen his other work?



Yes it all looks good. I could do that no problem, its not a hard job. Its that my ladder is too short. You dont need to sit on the roof you can do it off a tallish ladder.


----------



## newts (19 Jun 2022)

I'd like to see the risk assessment that justifies repointing a chimney working off a ladder?


----------



## Slick (19 Jun 2022)

Domestic job, innit gov.


----------



## slowmotion (19 Jun 2022)

Re-pointing usually costs £30 to £50 per square metre. The chimney is about 1.25 square metres. Yes, there are the flashings and the TV lashings to faff about with, but it's not a big job given that it's on a bungalow and at no great height off the ground. £75 seems on the low side but it isn't daft. I'd take that quote.


----------



## PK99 (19 Jun 2022)

Personally, with a range of quotes, I normally eliminate the top (often they are busy and don't need the work) and the bottom as are likely to be under pricing and will take short cuts when they realise. Of the middle quotes I make a judgement call on the guy.

But actually, on that scale of job, I'd take soundings as to the best local guy who works on reputation and recommendation and work with him as preferred contractor with no other quotes.

I did that last year on a roof leak that has been a 20 year problem on our loft conversion. 3 guys had failed to solve. The Best Rep local guy, diagnosed problem, took me up and showed me and gave a fully itemised quote with itemised "if on reveal" caveats. Ie a price range, with a "minimum and not more than".

Price was ultimately at low end if range, and for the first time in 20 years roof was fully weather tight over last winter.

£75?
How much an hour is he valuing his time? Quoting time. Travelling. Job time. Admin time. Tool. Materials. Insurance.

When I gave up (hobby) jobbing gardening 8/10 years ago I was charging £22 per hour.


----------



## Cycleops (19 Jun 2022)

Kingfisher101 said:


> Not bothered, as long as they can do it.


£75 you say. Didn't have a old white Transit and a lilting southern Irish accent did he?


----------



## Cerdic (19 Jun 2022)

PK99 said:


> Personally, with a range of quotes, I normally eliminate the top (often they are busy and don't need the work) and the bottom as are likely to be under pricing and will take short cuts when they realise. Of the middle quotes I make a judgement call on the guy.
> 
> But actually, on that scale of job, I'd take soundings as to the best local guy who works on reputation and recommendation and work with him as preferred contractor with no other quotes.
> 
> ...



How do you go about “taking soundings” for the best local guy? I don’t think I, for example, know anyone who has had their chimney re-pointed…


----------



## silvervanplumberman (19 Jun 2022)

Pay cheap. Pay twice. 
Ours cost £1500 6 months ago but it did need a scaffolding and it had to be virtually re built.


----------



## presta (19 Jun 2022)

Kingfisher101 said:


> Right here goes, £420, £300, £300, £200 and £75.00. The one at £75.00 said the flashing would be sealed with leadmate as well as it ground out and repointed. The guy said I would have to wait a a couple of weeks until a slot of a couple of hours became spare. So I'm going for this the cheapest one.


Sounds like a bargain.

When I had my garden wall rebuilt 20 years ago after a neighbour's car demolished it, the cheapest of three quotes was £950. That's £50 for materials (at B&Q prices), and £900 for 3 hours labour.


----------



## PK99 (20 Jun 2022)

Cerdic said:


> How do you go about “taking soundings” for the best local guy? I don’t think I, for example, know anyone who has had their chimney re-pointed…



Errrm, local roofing firms!


----------



## Randomnerd (20 Jun 2022)

Cycleops said:


> £75 you say. Didn't have a old white Transit and a lilting southern Irish accent did he?



Casual racism. How very droll.


----------



## Cerdic (20 Jun 2022)

PK99 said:


> Errrm, local roofing firms!



Yebbut, if you’re going by “reputation and recommendation“ aren’t roofing firms going to recommend themselves?


----------



## PK99 (20 Jun 2022)

Cerdic said:


> Yebbut, if you’re going by “reputation and recommendation“ aren’t roofing firms going to recommend themselves?




I mean the reputation of local firms among people I know and other tradesmen.


----------



## OldShep (20 Jun 2022)

I paid £60 for a terraced house chimney repoint in Lancaster 5yrs ago. £75 is just inflation innit..
A genuine guy much In demand I did have to wait a couple of months until he could fit it in.


----------



## Kingfisher101 (20 Jun 2022)

silvervanplumberman said:


> Pay cheap. Pay twice.
> Ours cost £1500 6 months ago but it did need a scaffolding and it had to be virtually re built.



Not always, I like to pay a reasonable amount and pay once or DIY.


----------



## Cerdic (20 Jun 2022)

PK99 said:


> I mean the reputation of local firms among people I know and other tradesmen.



Well exactly. But it does bring me back to my original point; if you aren’t ‘plugged in‘ to the local network it’s difficult to accurately assess who is reliable and who isn’t…


----------

