Chimney repair in Rochester

Rochester, the Olmsted County seat, had 121,395 residents at the 2020 census. The South Fork of the Zumbro River runs through the middle of the city, and the Mayo Clinic, founded here in 1864, is the center of the local economy.

Old brick near downtown

The Pill Hill Residential Historic District, on a limestone bluff southwest of downtown, has almost 130 houses, most built in the first third of the 1900s for Mayo Clinic staff. Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Craftsman and Prairie School homes there and in other older neighborhoods near downtown often have tall masonry chimneys, multiple flues and clay tile liners that are near the end of their life. Tuckpointing with the right mortar, relining and crown work are common jobs.

Newer homes

Many houses built in the city's newer neighborhoods use factory-built fireplaces with metal chimneys inside a framed chase. These need inspections too: chase covers rust and leak, and parts should be replaced with ones listed for that system.

Permits in the city

Rochester's Building Safety Department enforces the Minnesota Residential Code through plan review and inspections. Re-roofing has needed a permit since May 1, 2025, so plan chimney flashing with any new roof.

Services in Rochester

• Chimney inspection and sweepingYearly inspections, sweeping, camera checks for home purchases and post-fire inspections.
• Tuckpointing and masonry repairRepoint washed-out joints, replace spalled brick and rebuild stacks above the roof.
• Chimney crowns and capsRepair cracked crowns and add caps that keep out snow, rain, wind and animals.
• Chimney liners and reliningStainless and other liners for cracked tile, new furnaces, boilers and wood stoves.
• Chimney leak repairStop leaks at flashing, crowns and porous brick before they damage ceilings and framing.

Nearby areas

• Byron and Kasson
• Stewartville and southern Olmsted County