Level 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.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFamco Chimney Cap & Crown in Alexandria: What to Know First
We provide independent Famco chimney cap and crown work throughout Alexandria, and most jobs are completed in a single visit. A new Famco cap or crown repair typically runs between $225 and $650 depending on flue count and access, and we quote the full price before any tool comes off the truck. If you own a Famco cap that’s rusting through or a crown that’s spalling, call us at (571) 521-4837 and we’ll tell you honestly whether it needs doing now or can wait.
This page is for Alexandria homeowners who already have Famco products on their chimney and want someone who knows how those specific parts age in this climate. Wendell Pike and his crew have handled hundreds of Famco caps and crowns in the rowhouses of Old Town, the colonials of Del Ray, and the newer builds out toward Seminary Hill.
How Famco Products Fail - and How We Fix Them
- Famco SC-series single-flue caps with expanded metal mesh. In Alexandria’s humid summers followed by freeze-thaw winters, the mesh on older SC caps pulls loose at the spot welds, usually along the bottom band. Birds get in, and suddenly you’ve got nesting material against a hot flue. We replace the cap with the correct Famco sizing or a gauge-matched aftermarket equivalent and secure the mesh so it doesn’t rattle in the wind.
- Famco multi-flue caps on larger colonial chimneys. The corner brackets on older multi-flue models corrode unevenly because Alexandria rain runs down the brick face and pools where the bracket meets the crown. You’ll hear a metallic creak when the wind shifts. We reset or replace the bracket set, reflash the crown edge, and seal the anchor points with a urethane caulk that handles Virginia temperature swings.
- Crowns poured with a too-thin mortar mix under Famco caps. This one isn’t really Famco’s fault, but we see it constantly: the crown under the cap was mixed soupy, it cracked within three years, and now water follows the crack right into the flue tile. We grind out the failed section, pour a proper 2-inch crown with a drip edge, and reset the Famco cap so it clears the new crown height.
- Famco 14-inch and 16-inch round caps on gas flues. On Alexandria rowhouse gas appliances, condensation drips down the inside of the cap and eats the paint from the underside. Owners don’t see it until rust streaks show on the flue pipe below. We swap in a Famco gas-rated cap with a corrosion-resistant finish and check the flue venting while we’re up there.
- Galvanized steel caps that were never the right choice. Famco makes galvanized, copper, and stainless steel lines. The galvanized ones last about six to eight years in Alexandria before the seams start to oxidize and separate. If you’re on your third galvanized cap in two decades, we’ll show you why a stainless Famco cap costs more upfront and doesn’t come back to haunt you.
Our Famco Chimney Cap & Crown Process
- 1
Call and talk to a person. You call (571) 521-4837. Wendell or one of his crew answers. You describe what you’re seeing: rust streaks, water in the firebox, a cap that looks crooked from the street.
- 2
We come out and look. We schedule a real arrival window, show up in uniform, and inspect the cap, crown, and the top three feet of the flue. We take photos and show them to you before we recommend anything.
- 3
We lay out the parts decision. If a Famco cap can be repaired with the right gauge mesh or a new bracket set, we’ll say so. If replacement is smarter, we show you Famco OEM options and quality aftermarket equivalents, and we tell you straight which one we’d put on our own house.
- 4
The fix goes in same visit. Most Famco cap and crown work is a one-trip job. We remove the old cap, repair or replace the crown, reset everything square, and seal all anchor points with materials rated for masonry and galvanized surfaces.
- 5
We test and show. Before we come down, we check the fitment, tap-test the crown for hollow spots, and photograph the finished work. You get the photos before we leave.
- 6
The 90-Day Done Right Promise goes on the invoice. If anything we touched isn’t right within 90 days, one call brings the crew back at no charge. That’s stamped on every Famco job we do in Alexandria.
What Famco Chimney Cap & Crown Costs in Alexandria
Here’s what we typically see across Alexandria, including parts and labor:
- Single-flue Famco cap replacement: $225-$350 depending on flue size and roof access.
- Multi-flue Famco cap replacement: $400-$650 for larger colonial chimneys with two or more flues.
- Crown repair (spot patching and sealing): $300-$475.
- Full crown repour or recoat: $650-$900 when the old crown has failed structurally.
- Custom Famco cap for odd-sized flues: $500-$800, measured and ordered to fit.
What moves the price: roof pitch and access, flue count, whether the crown under the cap needs work at the same time, and whether scaffolding is required on a steep Old Town roofline. Alexandria has plenty of four-story rowhouses with chimney access that’s not friendly. We quote flat before we start, and you pay what we quoted. Call (571) 521-4837 for a free estimate. Ten percent off for seniors and veterans, always.
Why Alexandria Homeowners Call Top Hat Chimney for Famco Work
We’ve been working Alexandria chimneys since 1999, and a lot of the Famco caps we service were installed by other companies. That’s fine. We’re not here to badmouth the last guy. We’re here to tell you what’s actually happening up there and whether it needs money spent on it today. A Famco cap that’s slightly faded but still doing its job? We’ll tell you to let it ride. A crown that’s cracked three feet down the flue? That needs addressing before winter, and we’ll show you the photos to prove it.
We work with Famco, DuraFlex, HeatShield, Gelco, Olympia Chimney, and Copperfield, so if your chimney has mixed-brand components, one crew handles it all. Every tech is background-checked and arrives in uniform with a real arrival window. Wendell puts his name and license number on every job. And if it doesn’t need doing, he’ll tell you.
FAQs
Famco caps carry a manufacturer warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, typically covering rust-through on stainless models for a stated period from purchase. As an independent Famco service provider, we can help you determine whether your cap is under warranty and what documentation Famco will need. Our labor is covered separately by the 90-Day Done Right Promise on every job we complete. Call (571) 521-4837 and we’ll walk you through it.
In most cases we can match the cap size and style to your existing Famco unit without touching the crown if the crown is still sound. Alexandria crowns fail more often than the caps themselves, so we inspect both and only recommend crown work when the crown is actually cracked or spalling. If the crown is fine, you’re not paying for crown work. If it’s not fine, we’ll show you the photos before we quote anything.
A galvanized Famco cap lasts about six to eight years in this climate before rust becomes visible. Stainless steel Famco caps typically go fifteen to twenty years or longer with proper installation. Copper holds up even longer, though most Alexandria homeowners on brick colonials pick stainless for the cleaner look and the lower price. We’ll tell you which material your current cap is made of when we inspect it.
The crown is a masonry job, not a Famco part. Famco covers the cap itself. The crown underneath is poured concrete or mortar that we repair or rebuild as a separate line item. If you call us about a Famco cap and we find the crown failing, we’ll give you two prices: one for just the cap, one for cap and crown together. You decide what gets done, and we won’t pressure you either way. Call (571) 521-4837 for an honest read on what your chimney actually needs.
We keep the most common Famco sizes on the truck: 13×13 inch square caps, 8-inch and 10-inch round caps, and standard multi-flue widths for Alexandria’s older brick chimneys. Odd sizes and custom copper work take a few days to order. If we don’t have your exact cap, we’ll tell you when it lands and schedule the install for the day it arrives. Most Famco cap and crown jobs in Alexandria are done within the same week.
If your Famco cap is rusted through, your crown is cracking, or you just haven’t had anyone look at the top of the chimney in years, call Top Hat Chimney at (571) 521-4837. We’ll come out, take a look, and tell you straight what needs doing and what doesn’t. Free estimates. $40 off any repair over $200. No trip charge inside our service county.
Written by Wendell Pike, Owner, Top Hat Chimney at Top Hat Chimney, serving Alexandria and nearby areas.